Does StageMLS add a disclosure watermark automatically?

No. The Virtually Staged disclosure watermark is optional so agents can use it where their board permits it. Paid final images do not have a promotional watermark. It does not apply a board's own required disclosure step for you — for ARMLS, that happens inside Flexmls.

Is this legal advice?

No, this is not legal advice. MLS rules change and vary by board. Confirm your current requirements with your MLS and broker before publishing altered listing photos.

Updated August 2026

Virtual Staging MLS Disclosure Checklist (2026)

There's no single universal export setting that satisfies every board: the disclosure format depends on the board and sometimes state law. Confirm your current MLS rule, keep the original photo available, and use an on-image watermark only where it is required or permitted—Stellar MLS prohibits custom overlays, while ARMLS requires its own in-system Flexmls disclosure rather than a watermark from a third-party tool.

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A staging tool can provide disclosure assets, but it cannot select your governing policy for you or apply it inside your MLS. This checklist reflects the policies documented elsewhere in this site and is not legal advice.

Documented MLS virtual-staging requirements (mid-2026)
MLS / board	Required disclosure	Watermark rule
Bright MLS	Disclose virtually staged photos in the MLS	Not specified as a watermark requirement
Stellar MLS	Use the photo description, checkbox, and required public-remarks language	No — custom overlays are prohibited
CRMLS	Label the photo description and place the original adjacent to the staged photo	Explicitly not required
ARMLS	Apply the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" disclosure (sunburst icon) and pair it with the original photo	Yes — a visible "Digitally Altered" mark is required; you generate it by applying the Flexmls disclosure, not from a staging tool

Use the disclosure asset that matches your board

For Stellar MLS, do not add a custom on-image disclosure badge: its policy uses the photo description, checkbox, and public remarks, while overlays other than Stellar's own watermark are prohibited.

For ARMLS, the required step is the Flexmls "Digitally Altered" disclosure (applied via the sunburst icon inside Flexmls, not from a third-party export) paired with the original image uploaded before or after it; that disclosure generates the required visible "Digitally Altered" mark, so a staging tool's own badge is not the mechanism and does not substitute for it. For CRMLS, label the description and keep the original adjacent to the staged photo.

StageMLS's disclosure kit includes an optional Virtually Staged watermark, copy-paste text, and an original + staged photo pair with every render. It's a toolset that helps you assemble the right assets, not a guarantee of compliance or a substitute for applying your board's own disclosure step; confirm the current rule with your MLS and broker.

Check your board’s rule before you publish

The full guidance covers text-field disclosures, ARMLS’s in-system flag, and California’s AB 723 original-photo requirement — and what the disclosure kit gives you for each.

Read the MLS disclosure guidance

Frequently asked questions

Does StageMLS add a disclosure watermark automatically?: No. The Virtually Staged disclosure watermark is optional so agents can use it where their board permits it. Paid final images do not have a promotional watermark. It does not apply a board's own required disclosure step for you — for ARMLS, that happens inside Flexmls.
Is this legal advice?: No, this is not legal advice. MLS rules change and vary by board. Confirm your current requirements with your MLS and broker before publishing altered listing photos.