Virtual Staging & Image Enhancement Policy

Effective August 2026  ·  Last updated August 28, 2026

Prime Signature Visuals delivers professionally photographed and digitally enhanced real estate imagery designed to present a property at its best while remaining an accurate representation of that property.

MLS rules and real estate advertising requirements vary by MLS and change over time. The listing agent and broker remain responsible for determining which images may be submitted to MLS. The guidelines below describe how we work, so our clients can make informed decisions.

1. Standard Photographic Enhancement

Standard processing improves the quality and presentation of an actual photograph without changing the physical characteristics of the property.

On skies specifically: we adjust sky color and tone to reflect pleasant conditions. We do not replace a sky in a way that conceals weather conditions, surroundings, roof condition, or any other material characteristic of the property.

2. Temporary Objects and Clutter

Some items in a photograph are not part of the property. On request, and at our discretion, we may remove small, temporary, movable objects from an image — for example trash and recycling bins, vehicles parked at the curb, garden hoses, cords, pet bowls, or personal photographs on a wall.

We will not use temporary-object removal to conceal anything permanent or material: damage, defects, stains, wear, deferred maintenance, permanent fixtures, or neighboring structures. When in doubt, we leave the object in the photograph and tell you why.

Removal of a home's existing furniture and belongings is a different treatment and is addressed in Section 6.

3. Virtual Staging

Virtual staging digitally adds furniture and decorative items to an otherwise vacant room to help prospective buyers visualize how the space could be used.

Our MLS-oriented virtual staging service is intended primarily for vacant properties and vacant rooms.

We understand that the Greater Greenville Association of REALTORS® MLS currently permits virtual staging of vacant properties when the appropriate disclosure is included in the MLS Member Remarks. MLS rules change; please confirm the current rule with your MLS or broker before submitting a staged image.

4. Recommended Virtual-Staging Disclosure

We recommend that the listing agent include language substantially similar to:

Some photographs have been virtually staged for illustrative purposes. Furniture and/or decorative items shown in virtually staged images may not be present at the property.

For an individual image, we also recommend identifying the image itself as:

VIRTUALLY STAGED

This matters most once photographs travel beyond the MLS — to websites, social media, digital advertising, and print — where the Member Remarks are not visible.

5. What We Will Not Virtually Alter for MLS Use

We will not intentionally create an MLS photograph that digitally:

• Adds a room that does not exist
• Removes a room or architectural feature
• Changes the size or dimensions of a room
• Removes permanent walls, doors, windows, cabinets, fireplaces, or other architectural elements
• Adds a pool, spa, deck, porch, garage, or other permanent improvement
• Adds permanent landscaping or structures that do not exist
• Changes the property's exterior architecture
• Changes flooring, countertops, cabinets, tile, or other permanent finishes
• Removes permanent defects or damage
• Removes neighboring structures or other material property characteristics
• Changes a view from the property
• Adds amenities that do not exist
• Changes the physical condition of the property in a manner that could mislead a prospective buyer

6. Occupied Properties

Virtually removing existing furniture or personal belongings from an occupied property is not the same as staging an otherwise vacant one, and many MLSs treat the two differently.

We will produce furniture-removal or virtual-decluttering images on request. Before we deliver them for MLS use, we ask the listing agent or broker to confirm in writing that the applicable MLS permits the specific treatment. Absent that confirmation, we deliver these images labeled for non-MLS marketing use only.

7. AI Renovation and Design Concepts

We may provide conceptual images showing potential improvements or alternative design ideas — wall colors, flooring, kitchen and bathroom renovations, cabinets, countertops, landscaping, exterior design, or furniture redesigns.

These are conceptual representations, not photographs of the existing property. They should not be presented as actual photographs of the property or used as MLS listing photographs unless specifically permitted by the applicable MLS.

Recommended labeling:

AI DESIGN CONCEPT — NOT AN ACTUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE PROPERTY

8. Original Images and Before-and-After Use

We retain the original, unaltered photographs for a minimum of 90 days after delivery and can provide them on request during that period.

When digitally altered imagery is used for marketing, we recommend presenting the original and enhanced versions together where practical. This makes clear to prospective buyers which elements actually exist at the property and which are digitally added or modified.

9. How We Identify Altered Images

Prime Signature Visuals is a photography and media service provider and does not control the rules of any MLS. The listing agent and broker are responsible for determining whether a particular image complies with the MLS rules applicable to the listing.

To make that straightforward, every delivery identifies its images by category as a standard practice — not only on request:

• Original photographs
• Virtually staged photographs
• AI-enhanced photographs
• Conceptual / design images
• Other materially altered images

Altered images are separated in the delivery folder and named accordingly, so you can select the right images for MLS and for every other marketing channel without guesswork.

10. Our Guiding Principle

Enhance the presentation of the property without misleading the prospective buyer about what actually exists.

Digital technology can make an image look substantially different from the original photograph. We therefore take a deliberately conservative approach to image manipulation intended for MLS and real estate advertising. Our approach is consistent with the duty to present a true picture in advertising reflected in Article 12 of the REALTORS® Code of Ethics.

When there is uncertainty, we recommend the listing agent consult the applicable MLS or broker before submitting the image. We are always glad to talk through a specific image with you first.