This is a plain-English summary of public rules, not legal advice. Rules vary by MLS and change. Check your own MLS before you post, and ask your broker when you are not sure.
No MLS rule we found bans a video because software made it. What every rule bans is a picture of a home that is not the home: a room that is not there, a view that does not exist, damage painted over. So the question is never "was it AI?" It is "does every frame show the real house?"
What the rules say
| Rule | What it requires | What it bans |
|---|---|---|
| California AB 723 | A conspicuous disclosure that the image was digitally altered, plus the unaltered image or a link to it. Effective January 1, 2026. | A digitally altered image used to promote a property without that disclosure and original. |
| CA DRE Advisory | Licensees follow Bus. & Prof. Code section 10140.8. Brokers carry a duty to supervise how altered images get used. | Misleading edits, and digitally altered media used without broker oversight or fair-housing review. |
| CRMLS (Rule 11.5.2) | The original unaltered image placed immediately before or after the altered one, and a label in the photo description ("digitally enhanced" or "virtually staged"). | Digitally changed landscaping unless the seller will actually make the change. Decluttering counts as alteration and needs the same label. |
| NorthstarMLS | Disclosure in the caption or on the photo, plus at least one unaltered "Before" image per staged or enhanced room. Virtual staging covers personal property only. | Altering walls, floors, doors, windows, roofing, siding, ceilings, fireplaces, driveways or grading. Fabricating a permanent feature. |
| Stellar MLS (Art. 04.04) | Add "Virtually staged" to the photo description, check the virtually-staged field, and open public remarks with "One or more photo(s) was virtually staged." | Virtual staging on pre-construction or under-construction listings; exterior staging beyond unattached furniture and decor; altering permanent fixtures; adding a view or landmark; removing damage; distorting room dimensions. Noncompliance means photo removal plus an automatic fine. |
| Canopy MLS | Full disclosure on any staged or edited image, including images made with editing tools. | An impossible view, a changed room dimension, or an added amenity or structural element. |
| NAR Code of Ethics (Art. 2 & 12) | Advertising gives a true picture of the property. No exaggeration, misrepresentation or concealment. | Any listing photo or description that misrepresents the property’s real condition. |
What makes a listing video safe to post
- It is made only from the listing photos, so every room in it is a room in the house.
- Nothing is added: no extra room, no new view, no feature the home does not have.
- Any staged, decluttered or re-skied frame is labeled the way you label the photo, with the original kept.
- It goes in the field your MLS uses for video, branded or unbranded the way that field asks. Many MLSs want the tour link unbranded.
- You watched it once against the photos before it went out.
Where AI video goes wrong
General video tools like Runway, Luma and Kling make one clip from one photo. They are built to invent motion, and nothing stops the model adding a door, a window or a view that is not there. That frame is the problem, not the tool. If you use one, check every clip against the photo it came from, and cut anything that is not in the house.
How PropWalk handles it
The walkthrough is made only from the listing photos: 30 seconds from up to 10 photos, 3 seconds a room, the same rooms, layout and finishes. Staging, decluttering, sky and renovation tools are separate, and every photo they change downloads with a disclosure line and the original. The paste-ready lines for each MLS and for AB 723 are on our MLS compliance page. Starter is $49 a month, or $39 a month billed yearly.
Questions
Common questions.
Do I have to disclose that a listing video was made with AI?
The rules we found ask you to disclose altered images (staged, decluttered, edited), not the tool. A video that moves through unaltered listing photos shows the home as photographed. If any frame was staged or edited, label it the same way you label that photo. Your MLS has the final word.
What does California AB 723 require?
Since January 1, 2026, anyone promoting a California property with a digitally altered image must say it was altered, in a way people will see, and give the unaltered image or a link to it. It applies to licensees and anyone acting for them.
Can the video show virtual staging?
Yes, with the same label your MLS asks for on staged photos, and only furniture and decor: no changes to walls, floors, windows or fixtures. Stellar MLS also bans staging on pre-construction listings.
Can I put my logo on the MLS video?
Check your MLS. Many want the virtual tour link unbranded. Keep a branded cut for Instagram, TikTok and your website, and an unbranded one for the MLS field.
Sources
- California AB 723 (Sen. Judiciary analysis) ↗
- CA DRE Advisory: AI in California Real Estate (Mar 17, 2026) ↗
- CRMLS: Digitally Altered Image Guidance FAQs ↗
- NorthstarMLS: Guidelines for Virtual Staging and AI-Enhanced Listing Photos ↗
- Stellar MLS: Article 04.04, Virtually Staged Photos ↗
- Canopy MLS: Digital Images, Virtual Staging & Unauthorized Use of Listing Content ↗
- NAR Code of Ethics (Articles 2 and 12) ↗