What's the difference between virtually staged and digitally altered photos?

Virtually staged Photos

Virtual staging allows you to digitally enhance photos of a property to show prospective buyers what it could potentially look like by adding furniture and design elements, such as:

• rearranging/moving furniture
• adding virtual furniture/decor to empty rooms
• adding curtains to windows

When you are virtually staging a property, you must be careful not to misrepresent the house, yard or surroundings. For example, you are not allowed to remove permanent structures (high power lines, water tower, etc.).

Requirements for virtually staged photos:

• The photos must have a stamp/watermark that notes that they are virtually staged. If you do not apply your own watermark prior to uploading the photo, Connect will apply one for you (provided you use the check box to certify that the photo is virtually staged):
  
  
   
• The photos do not need to be accompanied by an original/as is photo.

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Digitally Altered Photos

Digitally altered photos is a slightly different concept. These are photos that are digitally manipulated to add/remove physical elements of a property. For instance, you can change the color of the walls or insert newer/more modern kitchen cabinets to give prospective buyers an idea of what a room could look like if changes are made.

If you upload a digitally altered photo to a listing, you must follow these rules:

1. Each digitally altered photo must be accompanied by a photograph that presents the true and accurate picture of the property. This photo must show the property as it is when the photograph was taken, without any digital enhancement.
    
2. Digitally altered photos must be in sequential order, with the "as is" photo appearing first, followed by the digitally altered version.
    
3. Both photos must include some sort of stamp/watermark that notes that they are either "as is" or digitally altered. For digitally altered photos, if you do not apply your own watermark prior to uploading the photo, Connect will apply one for you (provided you use the check box to certify that the photo is virtually staged):
   
   
   
    

It is not permissible to use Connect's photo description/caption field to alert people to the fact that the photos are virtually staged/digitally altered because the text in that field is not included in data feeds to 3rd party/IDX sites. connectMLS users and interested parties viewing listings on 3rd party sites must be able to see that the photos are virtually staged/digitally altered. The only way to ensure that is to use a digital stamp or watermark directly on the photo itself.