Kenosha, WI · Metro MLS (Flexmls)
Metro MLS photo rules for Kenosha, WI
Last verified (ET). General information, not legal advice — always confirm with your MLS and broker before you upload.
Product fence: The $49 listing pack (first free) is social/email graphics — not MLS photo cleanup. Photo cleanup for MLS upload is MLS Ready ($49/mo). Pack ≠ cleanup.
Who governs Kenosha listings?
Metro MLS (Multiple Listing Service, Inc.; Flexmls) covers Kenosha, Racine, and broader SE Wisconsin; Rules Sec. 1.11 jurisdiction is the state of Wisconsin for mandatory types. Hub: metromls.com.
Virtual staging & digitally altered (from 2026-09-01 sanctions)
- Rules Sec. 1.2: photos with virtual staging must disclose staging in Public Remarks.
- Digitally altered (software or AI that adds/removes/materially changes content, including virtual staging and structure/landscaping/view changes): (1) upload original unaltered first, (2) immediately followed by Flexmls-watermarked altered photo (Flexmls watermark only; top-left; cannot remove), (3) Public Remarks must include the exact phrase “Photos are Digitally Altered”.
- Not digitally altered: brightness/contrast/color/crop/sharpen; realistic sky changes; removing yard signs / declutter / wall photos; functional fireplace fire (per Procedures FAQ framing).
- Sanctions from 2026-09-01: $10 if altered photo removed without watermark; $10/day for altered primary until replaced.
Rules PDF · Procedures FINAL 8-5-26 · New photo upload requirements blog (2026-04-21) · Virtual staging best practices
Branding
- No personal or business information on any photo.
- Virtual tours may be branded with listing company name/logo and/or listing agent name only; check “This virtual tour contains branding” in Flexmls; no other contact info on tours.
Wisconsin statute note (2027)
Wis. Stat. 452.136(1m) (Act 69), effective 2027-01-01, requires disclosure when technology including AI alters ads to create a false/misleading impression of the property. Aligns with Metro’s digitally altered policy — confirm with counsel/broker for advertising outside MLS.
FAQ
Can I use my own watermark instead of Flexmls?
No for digitally altered uploads — Procedures require the Flexmls watermark feature only.
Is sky replacement “digitally altered”?
Procedures frame realistic sky changes as not digitally altered. Anything that changes true/current condition of the house still needs disclosure + original + watermark. When unsure, ask Metro compliance.