2026 compliance guide for real estate professionals • Reviewed September 10, 2026
Victoria follows Australian Consumer Law with oversight from Consumer Affairs Victoria. Agents must meet the ACL and their professional-conduct obligations; a label does not excuse a misleading image.
State and ACL remedies depend on the contravention. For qualifying ACL penalty provisions, the corporate maximum is calculated using A$100 million, attributable benefit or turnover as explained above; the individual maximum is A$2.5 million; these are not automatic virtual-staging fines.
As a transparency practice, label each staged image and describe the digital additions in the listing. No prescribed virtual-staging field in the Statement of Information was identified; that document is not a substitute for accurate marketing.
One common compliance pitfall is using oversized or undersized furniture that misrepresents room dimensions. Ensure staged furniture is true-to-scale—a king bed in a room that can only fit a double creates a false impression that could constitute misleading conduct.
Maintain high-quality original photographs and include them in your marketing materials or make them easily accessible. Providing original images alongside staged versions is a transparency recommendation, not evidence that every alteration is permissible.
Virtual staging must not hide issues like water stains, cracks, damaged flooring, or other defects that would affect a buyer's decision. Covering defects with digital furniture can create a misleading impression even when the image is labelled.
Check Consumer Affairs Victoria, your agency's policy and any applicable REIV membership requirements before publication. Industry guidance supplements the law and is not a legal safe harbour.
Describe the edits accurately and replace every bracketed placeholder. Check the required wording, image placement, MLS fields, and original-photo access described above. Use custom image labels only where permitted. A template does not authorise an otherwise prohibited or misleading alteration.
“The identified images have been digitally altered with virtual furniture and décor. These items are not physically present. View the corresponding original, unaltered photographs at: [PUBLIC ORIGINAL-IMAGE LINK].”
“Digitally altered / virtually staged image. The furniture and décor shown were digitally added and are not physically present. View the original, unaltered image: [PUBLIC ORIGINAL-IMAGE LINK].”
“This photograph has been digitally altered with virtual furniture and décor. These items are not physically present. Compare the clearly identified original, unaltered image shown alongside it or at: [PUBLIC ORIGINAL-IMAGE LINK].”
“DIGITALLY ALTERED / VIRTUALLY STAGED – Original image: [PUBLIC URL OR QR CODE]”
Guide reviewed September 10, 2026. Links below include legislation, regulator guidance, and board or MLS materials. Their scope differs: a board rule is not statewide law, and a regulator homepage is not proof that no other rules exist. This guide does not verify every local MLS policy. Confirm the current requirements before publishing.
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