Real Estate Content Production

Real Estate Content Production

Use this skill to produce real estate marketing assets that sell the property without misrepresenting it. It is provider-independent: apply it before choosing any image, video, editing, copywriting, avatar, voice, or ad platform.

This is not legal advice. Treat the rules below as production controls. Escalate uncertain legal, licensing, brokerage, MLS, or disclosure questions to the broker/client/counsel/local MLS before publication.

Operating principle

Real estate content has a stricter truth standard than ordinary lifestyle advertising because buyers, renters, lenders, appraisers, inspectors, neighbors, sellers, tenants, MLS reviewers, and regulators may rely on it. Your job is not to create the most attractive version of a property; it is to create the most attractive truthful version.

For every asset, maintain four separations:

1. Observed property facts: verified from source photos, video, measurements, floor plans, survey, MLS data, inspection, seller/broker notes, or public records.
2. Creative presentation: color correction, composition, sequencing, music, captions, typography, and other choices that do not change the property facts.
3. Visualization / concept: virtual staging, renovation concepts, design options, generated lifestyle context, simulated furniture, proposed landscaping, or other non-current states.
4. Distribution compliance: MLS, brokerage, platform, state/local law, fair-housing, accessibility, privacy, and paid-ad targeting rules.

If those separations blur, pause and label, disclose, revise, or escalate.

First action on any real-estate request

Before prompting or editing, create a production brief with:

• Property type: sale, rental, commercial, land, new development, short-term rental, agent/broker brand, neighborhood marketing, or renovation concept.
• Intended channels: MLS, brokerage site, Zillow/Realtor.com/Redfin-style portals, social organic, paid ads, YouTube, email, print, open-house display, investor deck, or internal concept only.
• Jurisdiction and MLS/brokerage: city/state/country, local MLS name, brokerage policy owner, and any listing-platform rules supplied by the user.
• Asset status: captured photo/video, generated image/video, retouched image, virtual staging, floor plan, drone footage, map/neighborhood claim, copy-only, or mixed.
• Truth source: what source media or documents prove the property condition, fixtures, measurements, room labels, views, lot lines, and location claims.
• Approval owner: listing agent/broker, seller/landlord/developer, property manager, photographer/media vendor, MLS compliance contact, counsel if needed.
• Required disclosures: virtual staging, digitally altered image, renovation concept, artist rendering, stock/neighborhood footage, representative unit, AI-generated content, paid endorsement, or synthetic avatar/voice.

When the user cannot provide MLS/brokerage/state/platform rules, proceed only with a conservative draft and mark the rules as volatile: "Re-check local MLS, brokerage, platform, and state law before publication."

Compliance and escalation map

Escalate to broker/client/counsel/MLS before publication when any of these appear:

• A generated or edited image changes, removes, hides, or invents permanent property features, defects, views, neighboring structures, utility poles, landscaping, floor plans, walls, flooring, appliances, fixtures, room dimensions, windows, pools, docks, access roads, parking, safety features, or property boundaries.
• Virtual staging is intended for MLS or portal publication and the disclosure method is unknown.
• The asset uses "before/after," renovation, "what it could be," "artist rendering," "proposed," or "representative unit" material.
• Copy makes an objective claim that needs proof: square footage, acreage, school zone, commute time, walkability, crime/safety, HOA, taxes, zoning, rental income, occupancy, views, waterfront status, insurance, energy efficiency, permits, or "new"/"fully renovated."
• Copy, imagery, targeting, or audience selection could imply a preference or exclusion tied to protected classes, age, family status, disability, religion, sex, national origin, race/color, or state/local protected categories.
• Paid ads involve Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, or other platforms with special housing-ad rules.
• Drone footage was captured without known commercial-drone authorization, local airspace review, or privacy review.
• People, tenants, children, family photos, license plates, neighbors, valuables, alarm panels, documents, prescription labels, or security devices are visible.
• The final content will be syndicated to an MLS, portal, or paid-ad platform and the source media includes AI generation or material retouching.

Do not promise compliance. Say what was checked, what remains volatile, and who must approve.

Truthfulness standards for visuals

Usually acceptable as ordinary presentation

Treat these as normal photo/video finishing when they do not mislead:

• Exposure, white balance, lens correction, noise reduction, sharpening, dust-spot removal, straightening, mild color correction, sky exposure recovery from the same shoot, and HDR blending that reflects plausible observed conditions.
• Cropping and sequencing that emphasize strengths without hiding known material defects.
• Caption overlays, arrows, room labels, and floor-plan callouts that match verified facts.
• Removing temporary photographic artifacts such as camera reflections or tripod shadows if removal does not conceal a property condition.

Still check local rules if publishing to MLS/portal.

High-risk or often prohibited without disclosure

Flag and disclose/escalate before using:

• Adding, removing, or changing furniture, decor, rugs, beds, artwork, curtains, plants, TVs, patio furniture, fire in fireplace, staging props, or lifestyle objects.
• Replacing skies, lawns, landscaping, driveways, fences, pools, views through windows, neighboring properties, parked cars, street features, utility poles, clutter, damage, stains, wear, holes, cracks, unfinished work, or construction materials.
• Changing wall color, flooring, countertops, cabinets, appliances, fixtures, lighting, windows, doors, room openings, ceiling height, mirrors, built-ins, pool water, roof condition, driveway condition, or exterior facade.
• Adjusting lens perspective, stretching rooms, widening doorways, shrinking furniture, exaggerating ceiling height, or using AI upscaling that invents architectural details.
• Creating a room, view, unit, amenity, outdoor area, or floor plan that is not verified from the current property.

The safe default is: do not alter real property; only visualize movable personal property, and disclose it.

Never present as current reality

Do not publish as ordinary listing media:

• Fully generated "photographs" of a listed property unless they are explicitly labeled as renderings/concepts and approved.
• Renovation concepts or design renderings without a visible "concept," "rendering," "proposed," or equivalent disclosure.
• AI-created neighborhood, school, park, street, view, waterfront, skyline, sunset, or amenity footage that a viewer could mistake for the property's actual surroundings.
• "Representative unit" footage mixed with the listed unit without clear labeling.
• Edited images that hide material defects or materially change the buyer's understanding of condition, layout, scale, fixtures, or surroundings.

MLS, brokerage, and listing-platform rules

MLS and portal rules are volatile and local. Verify them at production time. As of July 11, 2026, reliable public examples point in the same direction:

• NAR's Code of Ethics Article 12 requires REALTORS to be truthful and present a "true picture" in communications, including online content and images; it also prohibits manipulating listing content in a deceptive or misleading way. Source: NAR 2026 Code of Ethics.
• NAR says MLSs may require property photographs and that participants should read the applicable MLS policy; copyright/licensing questions vary by who created the photos. Source: NAR MLS policy: use of photographs.
• NorthstarMLS publicly says virtual staging is acceptable only when alterations affect personal property, not real estate, and recommends disclosure in remarks/captions. Source verified July 11, 2026: NorthstarMLS Virtual Staging.
• Canopy MLS publicly states altered photos, renderings, AI-enhanced images, and virtual tours should be disclosed and not used to exaggerate, conceal, or misrepresent property facts. Source verified July 11, 2026: Canopy MLS digital images guidance.
• ARMLS publicly describes a "Digitally Altered" disclosure/watermark and original-image pairing requirement under its Rule 8.23. Source verified July 11, 2026: ARMLS Digitally Altered Media.
• California AB 723, approved October 10, 2025, added Business and Professions Code Section 10140.8 for real-estate digitally altered image disclosure. The official bill text describes disclosure plus access to original unaltered images for covered promotional material. Source verified July 11, 2026: California Legislative Information AB-723.

Use these as examples, not universal rules. Many MLSs differ on:

• Whether disclosure must be embedded on the image, included in photo captions, public remarks, agent remarks, a metadata flag, or a paired original image.
• Whether virtual staging may show furniture removal as well as addition.
• Whether twilight, sky, lawn, fire, TV-screen, or view replacement is treated as material alteration.
• Whether originals must be uploaded, linked, retained, or paired next to altered images.
• Whether AI upscaling, object removal, decluttering, or renovation concepts are allowed.

When in doubt, produce both: (1) an unaltered/current-condition set and (2) a clearly labeled visualization set.

Fair-housing advertising controls

Federal fair-housing law prohibits housing ads that indicate a preference, limitation, discrimination, or intent to discriminate based on protected characteristics. Federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. State/local laws may add more classes. Sources verified July 11, 2026: HUD Fair Housing Act overview, 42 U.S.C. Section 3604, and National Fair Housing Alliance responsible advertising guidance.

Write property-centered copy. Avoid audience-centered copy that suggests who should live there.

Safer patterns:

• "Three bedrooms, two baths, fenced backyard, and step-free entry from the garage."
• "Near transit stops, grocery options, and Riverside Park; distances to be verified before publication."
• "Flexible lower-level room suitable for office, gym, guest space, or storage, subject to buyer needs."

Risky patterns:

• "Perfect for young families," "ideal for singles," "empty nester dream," "walk to church," "safe neighborhood," "exclusive community," "no kids," "adult lifestyle," "bachelor pad," "family-friendly only," "near [religious/ethnic community] for [group]," "not suited for disabled residents."
• Image plans that mostly show only one protected group as the imagined residents or neighbors.
• Paid-ad targeting that excludes or heavily narrows audiences in a way tied to protected classes or proxies.

For people in generated lifestyle imagery, the safest listing-media choice is usually no people. If people are needed for agent-brand content, amenity marketing, or community clips, use diverse, non-stereotyped, incidental representation and avoid implying a preferred buyer/tenant.

FTC advertising and substantiation controls

The FTC's substantiation policy requires a reasonable basis for objective advertising claims, including express and implied claims. Source verified July 11, 2026: FTC Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation. For endorsements, sponsored posts, testimonials, or influencer/agent collaborations, material connections should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously; endorsements must reflect honest opinions and cannot make claims the advertiser could not make. Sources verified July 11, 2026: FTC Endorsement Guides FAQ and 16 CFR Part 255.

Apply this to real estate by requiring proof for:

• "Move-in ready," "fully renovated," "new roof," "permitted addition," "low taxes," "best schools," "safe," "high ROI," "cash-flow positive," "five minutes to downtown," "walkable to everything," "waterfront," "ocean view," "no flood risk," "energy efficient," "smart home," "ADA compliant," "legal bedroom," "separate unit," or "turnkey rental."

If proof is unavailable, rewrite as sourced, limited, or subjective:

• Instead of "best schools," use "Buyer to verify school assignment and ratings; district boundary source: [source/date]."
• Instead of "five minutes to downtown," use "Approximately 2.4 miles from downtown by [route/source/date]; travel time varies."
• Instead of "fully renovated," use "Seller reports kitchen and bath updates in 2024; permits/receipts to be verified."

Virtual staging and generated visuals

Use a visible staging ledger for every edited/generated property visual:

Asset ID:
Source file:
Room/area:
Current condition shown in source:
Changes requested:
Allowed changes:
Forbidden/locked elements:
Disclosure text:
Original/unmodified counterpart:
Review owner:
Approval status:

Production rules:

• Preserve architecture, walls, windows, doors, ceiling, flooring, built-ins, fixtures, appliances, fireplace, stairs, handrails, outlets, vents, views, shadows that reveal structure, room proportions, and visible defects.
• Add only plausible movable furniture and decor at correct scale.
• Keep rooms functional: beds fit with walking clearance, dining chairs fit around tables, sofas do not block doors, rugs align with room size, curtains do not conceal missing windows.
• Do not use staging to imply included furniture, appliances, renovations, or fixtures unless the listing terms say so.
• Show the unaltered/current-condition photo whenever rules or clarity require it.
• Use explicit labels such as "Virtually staged," "Digitally altered image," "Renovation concept," "Artist rendering," or client/MLS-required text.
• If creating a renovation concept, include what is hypothetical: "Proposed cabinet color and furniture only; no structural changes represented."

Prompt translation for image/video tools

When generating or retouching property visuals, prompts must carry the truth constraints, not just the style.

Use this structure:

TASK
Create [asset type] for [channel] from the attached/source [photo/video/floor plan].

TRUTH LOCK
Preserve exactly: [walls, windows, doors, floor, ceiling, fixtures, appliances, view, room dimensions, defects, exterior, neighboring properties].
Do not add/remove/change: [permanent features, damage, utility poles, view, landscaping, parking, property boundaries, safety devices].

ALLOWED PRESE

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## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [calesthio](https://github.com/calesthio)
- **Source:** [calesthio/generative-media-skills](https://github.com/calesthio/generative-media-skills)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.