Starting January 1, 2026, California’s Assembly Bill 723 mandates strict transparency for real estate imagery. If a property photo used on your website, social media, or MLS is materially altered using digital editing or Artificial Intelligence, such as virtually staging furniture, changing wall colors, removing background structures, or altering the property’s physical condition, you must clearly disclose this alteration to consumers.
The law requires a “reasonably conspicuous” statement on or near the image indicating it has been digitally altered. Furthermore, if the advertisement is on your website, you must provide direct access to the original, unaltered image alongside it, or via a clear link or QR code.
Standard photographic edits like brightness, cropping, or color correction do not require this disclosure.
The following table clarifies the operational impact of AB 723 for real estate clients:
| Editing Action | AB 723 Classification | Disclosure Requirement |
| Color correction, cropping, sharpening | Standard Photographic Adjustment | No disclosure required. |
| Virtual staging (adding digital furniture) | Material Digital Alteration | Conspicuous disclosure + link to original required. |
| Removing power lines or physical structures | Material Digital Alteration | Conspicuous disclosure + link to original required. |
