2026 compliance guide for real estate professionals • Reviewed September 10, 2026
Florida Statute §475.25(1)(b)–(c) permits discipline for misrepresentation and misleading advertising. Separately, Stellar MLS Article 04.04 requires photo-description disclosure, the virtually-staged field, and prescribed opening public remarks. Stellar's rules apply to its listings; they are not a statewide labeling law or the policy of every Florida MLS.
Florida §475.25 permits administrative fines up to $5,000 per count or separate offense and other license discipline for covered violations. Stellar Article 04.04 separately provides for removal of noncompliant staged photos and an automatic Level I fine under its current schedule.
Use the exact photo-description and opening-remarks templates above, and select the virtually-staged field. A general statement elsewhere in the listing does not replace those steps.
Stellar prohibits added words and branding on staged property photos. Do not burn a custom staging stamp into a Stellar upload; use the MLS's prescribed fields and tools.
Stellar prohibits staging pre-construction and under-construction properties. Exterior staging is limited to unattached furniture or décor. Its restrictions also cover permanent fixtures, hidden defects, impossible views, and distorted dimensions.
Stellar's public examples prohibit removing utility lines, adding landscape plantings, and covering material flaws. They permit non-permanent furnishings and easily removable items; preserve the actual property and surroundings.
Before exporting to another service, confirm its labeling, original-image, and editing rules with that service. Florida's general advertising law continues to apply across publication channels.
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.
“One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.”
“Virtually staged”
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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