No Digitally Altered Photos?

[RCA]

My MLS just sent out an email that starting January 1, 2026, MLS photos that have been digitally altered must be labeled as such. This is a new California State law, AB723. Also, the original photo always has to be delivered with the digitally altered photo.

https://support.mlslistings.com/s/article/AB723---Altered-Images-Overview

So, you can't even enhance contrast or brightness, correct color temperature and perspective, .... Yep.

Does this effectively prohibit altered photos? I am not sure. From what I have heard, potential buyers are NOT interested in looking at altered photos, believing they are just going to waste their time visiting the associated house.

This means having good real estate photography skills becomes more important, along with better lighting and camera equipment.

This gets back to stricter protocols for inspection:

1. Original photos only, unless there is a good reason (there can be).
2. Any necessary editing has to be documented - and the original photo has to be attached.
3. It makes sense to just take good photos in the first place.

 

[Fernando]

I put my photos at lowest settings. No need to have very clear photos or extra pixels using up my camera/hard drive storage or having big appraisal files.

 

[RCA]

My MLS just sent out an email that starting January 1, 2026, MLS photos that have been digitally altered must be labeled as such. This is a new California State law, AB723. Also, the original photo always has to be delivered with the digitally altered photo.

https://support.mlslistings.com/s/article/AB723---Altered-Images-Overview

So, you can't even enhance contrast or brightness, correct color temperature and perspective, .... Yep.

Does this effectively prohibit altered photos? I am not sure. From what I have heard, potential buyers are NOT interested in looking at altered photos, believing they are just going to waste their time visiting the associated house.

This means having good real estate photography skills becomes more important, along with better lighting and camera equipment.

This gets back to stricter protocols for inspection:

1. Original photos only, unless there is a good reason (there can be).
2. Any necessary editing has to be documented - and the original photo has to be attached.
3. It makes sense to just take good photos in the first place.

One can argue, of course:

1. Photographers often screw up, especially the less competent ones and alter the color temperature of the photo through lousy settings, throw the perspective off, or whatever, and -

2. Therefore, they need to correct their photos in Lightroom or Photoshop.

Yes, but those rare photographs that are not stamped "Digitally Altered" are worth much more.

 

[Fernando]

Too much details to worry about. Just submit photos from camera.
Just like MARS, overdoing it.

 

[alebrewer]

Pretty sure he's not gonna see that, Fern. I think you, like me (and many others), are too stupid to be on anything but ignore.

 

[Fernando]

Pretty sure he's not gonna see that, Fern. I think you, like me (and many others), are too stupid to be on anything but ignore.

That's why I'm replying. If he sees it, he will go ballistic and I will have to stop.

 

[swandel1]

They have done this here in PHX area. They also gave explicit definitions on the definition of altered. In this case, cropped images are acceptable. It is the one that show staging, appliances, pools, landscaping etc. that are not there that need to be labeled.

 

[Elliott]

'How would 'one' know a photograph was altered? About ten years ago I 'removed' the FSBO sign in front of a comp, copy and 'stamped the bushes next to the sign

 

[Fernando]

'How would 'one' know a photograph was altered? About ten years ago I 'removed' the FSBO sign in front of a comp, copy and 'stamped the bushes next to the sign

Yeah, reviewer didn't know an MLS photo used by cropping out the MLS logo trademark.
Not admitting, I did that.

 

[Tom D]

Digitally Altered Photos is a political term for "fake photos". Like fake news.​

Yeah, reviewer didn't know an MLS photo used by cropping out the MLS logo trademark.
Not admitting, I did that.

The programs now, will see enough of your photo to match it to the MLS, or google. There are better photo programs for changing anything in any photo.
Our MLS photographer does the best photos of every house in the MLS. Basically, it's the lighting setup. My little camera photos sometimes come out to dark, or to bright from the sun & shade.

Now, you can point the camera in a certain direction to avoid something, or to show something more. Not digitally altered, but giving a different digital perception.