People in photos or videos? How to make sure your media is MLS compliant (Effective 1/9/2023)

Increase marketing exposure by uploading unbranded videos to your listings in the MLS.  Showcase the features of the property and appeal to the global market.  Be inclusive and avoid steering.

Below are examples of images that are acceptable and unacceptable for the MLS:

Scenario 1: I'm trying to take a beach shot. How do I take a photo without people in it?

Acceptable:  Aerial shots of people can prevent issues related to privacy. To avoid this, take photos from a far enough distance away that the characteristics of the people are entirely unrecognizable.

Source: Pixabay

Unacceptable:  Close-up images of people can be viewed as a form of steering, and it can cause issues related to ethnicity, familial status, children, etc.

Source: Flickr

 

Scenario 2: My client's property has family photos around the home, and it's challenging to make sure they're removed before we take photos or conduct a virtual tour.

Acceptable:  For MLS marketing, you can either take down the images, or you can blur the images in the wall art. This prevents any concern of personal photos being on the internet or the potential for targeting a demographic. 

Source: Bing

Unacceptable:  Wall art with images of people can cause issues related to security.

Source: Bing

Scenario 3: How do I communicate scale if I can't include people?

Acceptable:  There are no discernible features of the people in this photo. Therefore, you aren't showing any preference toward a specific demographic. 

Source: utiledesign.com

Unacceptable:  While most of the women's faces are not identifiable, their physical features are. This can lead to steering and targeting concerns. 

Source: Healthline 

 

Scenario 4: How can I include pictures of the amenities when there are always people around?

Acceptable:  The people in this image are hidden by the equipment and the main focus of the photo is the playground. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Unacceptable: The focus of this image is the children swinging and not the amenity of the playground itself. Focus on selling the property and its benefits.  

Source: Languageonthemove.com

 

Scenario 5: I'm trying to depict lifestyle. How do I do that without people?

In addition to the primary photo of the subject property, you can also display lifestyle images in your listing.  Avoid steering by excluding images of people in the media.  For clarity, it is best practice to add photo descriptions in the Manage Photos section of the MLS to relate the pictures to the subject property.

Acceptable:  You can portray lifestyles without including people in the photo.

Source: Bing

Unacceptable:  This image may be viewed as a potential bias because the person driving the vehicle is identifiable. 

Source: Bing

Note:  All images are the property of their respective copyright holders and are used here for educational purposes only. 

FAQ

Can I blur the images of people in the media?

• People appearing in photos may result in issues related to permission, privacy, security and exclusion.  Avoid steering by using images that are inclusive and without people.