Reviewed September 10, 2026. Canadian virtual staging must be assessed against federal misleading-advertising law, provincial or territorial professional rules, and the rules of the board or listing service being used. The Competition Act considers an advertisement's overall impression; a disclaimer does not make a materially misleading depiction acceptable. Quebec's OACIQ published explicit AI-image disclosure guidance in June 2026. British Columbia's BCFSA advises labelling altered photos and videos. PEIREA requires disclosure in MLS public remarks and prohibits virtual enhancements that misrepresent property features. Those requirements have different scopes. CREA's published staging advice recommends identifying digitally rendered images in listing descriptions and preserving permanent features; it is not a nationwide MLS watermark specification. The practices below are recommendations except where a particular source is identified as requiring them.
Informational guidance only. Requirements and MLS rules change; confirm the current rule with the regulator, board, or qualified legal counsel before publishing.
Choose your province/territory for specific disclosure requirements, penalties, and best practices.
Start with your regional page and current board rules, then adapt these examples to the actual edits. Replace bracketed placeholders. Required wording, image placement, MLS fields, and original-photo access can differ; a country-level template is not sufficient for every listing.
“The identified images have been digitally altered with virtual furniture and decor. 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 decor 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 decor. 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]”
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