On a printed flyer or postcard, every virtually staged photo gets a "Virtually Staged" label printed on the photo itself, a caption line right beside it saying the original, unaltered photos are at a link or QR code, and a QR code of at least 1 inch square by our rule of thumb (plus its own clear border) printed next to that caption, not on the back. The QR code and a short typed URL should both point to a public page, with no login, that clearly marks each unaltered original. California's AB 723 (Business and Professions Code §10140.8), in force since January 1, 2026, asks for that disclosure and that link in any "advertisement or other promotional material" for the sale of real property that uses an altered image.
The rest of this post is WalkthruLab's Arm's-Length Print Check: five things to confirm on a printed proof held at arm's length before you approve the print run. It's our own habit, not an industry standard or an official checklist. This isn't legal advice; check your MLS and broker.
Does AB 723 cover flyers and postcards?
Read the text yourself; it's short. Section 10140.8 says a broker or salesperson, or someone acting on their behalf, who "includes a digitally altered image in an advertisement or other promotional material for the sale of real property" must include a statement that the image was altered and a link to a publicly accessible website, URL or QR code that includes and clearly identifies the original.
What the text does and doesn't say:
- It doesn't name print, flyers or postcards. It doesn't limit itself to the MLS or websites either.
- The statement must be "reasonably conspicuous and located on or adjacent to the image" and say the unaltered images can be accessed at the linked website, URL or QR code.
- A separate paragraph adds rules for websites you control. There's none for print.
- Furniture is named in the definition of a digitally altered image, so virtual staging is inside it.
Our reading: a just-listed postcard with a staged living room on it looks like promotional material. Whether a given piece is covered is your broker's call. Either way, label staged photos in print everywhere, in or out of California.
The Arm's-Length Print Check
Print one proof at actual size, hold it at arm's length, and check these five things.
- Label on the photo. "Virtually Staged" sits inside the image, readable without squinting.
- Caption line beside the photo. One sentence, touching the photo's edge, saying the photo was altered and where the originals are.
- QR code next to the caption. Same side of the paper as the staged photo, at least 1 inch square, with clear space all around it.
- Typed URL under the QR code. Short enough to type by hand, for anyone whose phone won't scan.
- Scan test. Two different phones open the originals page from the printed proof, not from your screen.
If one fails, fix it before the run.
How big should the label be, and where does it go?
These sizes are WalkthruLab's rules of thumb for print, not a legal or MLS requirement.
- Position: bottom-left corner of the photo, inside your printer's safe area. Many print templates keep text about 1/8 inch inside the trim line so it doesn't get cut off; use the margins in your printer's own template.
- Contrast: white text on a semi-dark bar, never bare white text over a bright window.
- Size: at least 8 pt on a postcard photo, 10 pt on a flyer or feature-sheet photo, bigger on a full-bleed hero.
- Every staged photo gets its own label. One note at the bottom of a four-photo grid is hard to square with "on or adjacent to the image."
What should the caption line say?
The statute doesn't prescribe wording. For example, a caption could read:
"Virtually staged: furniture was digitally added. See the original, unaltered photos by scanning the QR code or at yoursite.com/123main."
That's our illustration, not official language. It says the image was altered, that unaltered originals exist, and where to reach them. Set it directly under or beside the staged photo. If your brokerage has approved wording, use theirs.
How big does the QR code need to be?
Facts, from DENSO WAVE, the company that invented the QR Code: a QR code needs a clear margin, or quiet zone, of four modules on every side, where nothing is printed. A module is one of the small squares in the code. More data means a higher version with more modules; Version 1 is 21 x 21 modules. Error correction level M (about 15%) is the one most often selected. All of that is on DENSO WAVE's guide to QR Code size and margins.
WalkthruLab's rules of thumb, built on those facts:
- Size: at least 1 inch square for the code itself on anything people hold in their hands. Go 1.25 to 1.5 inches on an 8.5 x 11 flyer that might be pinned to a board and scanned from a step back.
- Quiet zone: add the four-module margin on top of that inch, and keep the photo, your logo and the trim line out of it.
- Short URL: a short link needs fewer modules, so each module prints larger at the same size and scans more reliably.
- Colors: dark code on a light background; skip inverted or logo-in-the-middle styles.
- Placement: on the same side as the staged photo, beside the caption line. A code only on the back of the card is far from "adjacent."
Where should the originals live?
The statute asks for a "publicly accessible" site that "clearly identifies" the original. In practice:
- One page per listing, such as a page on your own site or the listing's property website. No login, no request-access folder, no expiring share link.
- Pairs, labeled: each staged photo next to its original, with the original marked "Original, unaltered photo."
- Keep it live as long as any printed piece is in circulation. A postcard on a fridge can outlast the listing.
- On a website you control, the statute says to include the unaltered versions in the posting or link to them.
Open-house flyer, just-listed postcard, feature sheet: what changes?
| Piece | Label on photo | Caption line | QR code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-house flyer (8.5 x 11) | Every staged photo, 10 pt+ | Under the photo grid, touching it | 1.25 to 1.5 in, beside the caption |
| Just-listed postcard | Staged photo on the front, 8 pt+ | Directly under that photo | 1 in+, on the front with the photo |
| Feature sheet | Every staged photo, 10 pt+ | Under each staged photo or row | 1 in+, beside the caption |
On a feature sheet, consider printing the original as a small thumbnail beside the staged version, and keep the QR code anyway; the statute's link requirement doesn't disappear. On a postcard, keep the code out of the address and postage areas your printer's mailing template reserves.
Where does QuickStage fit?
The label and the original only tell an honest story if staging changed nothing but the furniture. QuickStage, a furniture-only staging tool, is built to keep walls, windows, floors and paint colors exactly as photographed, so the original on your QR page is the same room, empty. You get top-quality, photorealistic results in about 30 seconds for $1 a photo pay-as-you-go, or as low as $0.11 a photo on the annual Agency plan (billed yearly), with QuickFix re-dos on plans. The first 3 photos are free, no account or card. The label, caption, QR code and originals page are still yours to add.
Bottom line
Every staged photo in print gets a label on the photo, a caption line beside it, and a QR code of 1 inch or more, with a four-module quiet zone, on the same side, plus a typed short URL. All of it points to a public page that pairs each staged photo with its clearly marked original. Print a proof, run the Arm's-Length Print Check, and scan it with two phones before you approve the run.
Stage three photos free on QuickStage before your next flyer goes to print, no card needed.