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Published October 9, 2026 · Written by the Mission Realty Team.
Most buyers see your house before they see you, your agent or the street. They see it as a set of photos, maybe a floor plan and a short video, on a screen. The listing package is the first showing, and a seller controls more of it than most people expect. This guide covers what a package normally contains, what the Central Virginia Regional MLS (CVR MLS) rules say about photos, and what to do and ask before a single picture is taken. It makes no price claims.
What a Richmond listing package normally contains
Packages differ by brokerage and by home, but most include some mix of the following. A set of interior and exterior photographs. A floor plan, sometimes with measurements. A video walk-through or a 3D tour. Aerial images for a house on acreage or a larger lot. And the written part: the public remarks, the list of features, and the data fields that feed search filters such as bedrooms, baths and square footage.
Not every home needs every item. A condo near the Fan may be well served by photos and a floor plan, while an estate in Henrico or Chesterfield may benefit from aerial images. Ask your agent which pieces they recommend for your house and why. A package built around the home beats a package built around a template.
The photos: what the MLS rules require and prohibit
Section 5.8 of the CVR MLS rules limits photos and virtual tours in listing content to photos of the property for sale and the neighborhood in which it is located. They may not include personal photos, self or office promotional photos or information, visible people, or advertisements. The only stated numeric requirement in that section is at least one photo per listing.
The practical reading for a seller: the family pictures come down from the walls and the fridge before the shoot, the agent’s logo stays off the images, and nobody stands in a frame. Beyond those rules, the quality of the set is a matter of preparation and judgment, not a rule.
Floor plans, measurements and video
A floor plan answers questions photos cannot: how rooms connect, where the stairs land, how far the primary bedroom sits from the kitchen. If a plan is part of your package, read it as carefully as the photos. Check that room labels are right and that the plan matches the house as it stands, including any addition or finished basement.
Square footage deserves a second look. Sources and measuring methods differ, so the figure on a floor plan may not match the figure in the listing data. Ask your agent which source the listing uses and have any mismatch resolved before launch. A video or 3D tour falls under the same Section 5.8 limits on people and promotion as photos, so plan the filming day the way you plan the photo day.
Prep the house before anyone photographs it
Photographs reward a prepared house. Our staging checklist for Richmond sellers walks through room-by-room preparation, and staging on a budget covers what matters when you cannot do everything. If you are weighing an inspection before listing, read pre-listing inspections in Richmond first, since findings can affect what you disclose and what a buyer sees.
On the day itself: clear counters, close toilet lids, turn on every light, open blinds, move cars off the driveway, and put away pet bowls, laundry and papers. Do the outside too. A tidy front entry and a cleared yard are the first image buyers meet.
Find out what your Richmond home could list for
A valuation shows you where your home stands before you plan the media. Tell us the address and we will walk you through it.
Who approves what, and what you control
You control more than you may think: which rooms are shown, whether a video is made, whether aerial images are used, and whether you approve the photos before launch. Ask for a preview of the full set and the order. The lead photo is the one most search displays show first, so it deserves a decision, not a default.
Agree on the approval process in writing: who picks the lead photo, who can order a retake, and how quickly changes go live.
Review the live listing like an inspector
When the listing goes live, read it as a stranger would. Confirm the address, the bedroom and bath counts, the lot description, the square footage and the features. Look at every photo in order. Check that the rooms match the labels, that nothing personal is visible, and that the images show your house rather than a similar one. If anything is wrong, send the correction to your agent the same day. If you later want to change the price strategy, our guide on when to cut the price on a Richmond listing explains how to think about the timing.
Questions to ask your agent before you sign
- Which media will you produce for my house, and which will you skip?
- Who pays for each piece, and what happens if a reshoot is needed?
- Do I approve photos, the lead image and the remarks before they go live?
- Who owns the images, and can I use them after the listing ends?
- How will the square footage and room counts be verified?
- Can I see listings you have prepared? You can browse our active listings to see how our packages look.
Fair-housing-safe language for your listing
Listing remarks describe a property, not the people who should live in it. Virginia’s fair housing law, Code of Virginia section 36-96.3, makes it unlawful to make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement for the sale of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on classes it lists, including race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status and disability.
In practice, describe rooms, features, condition, layout and nearby places, and avoid phrases about who would fit in. Ask your agent to run the remarks past that standard. Your sale does not depend on pitching a type of buyer, and the wrong phrase can cause a real problem. This is general information and not legal advice; a Virginia real estate attorney can answer questions about your situation.
Find out what your Richmond home could list for
Selling in Richmond or the surrounding counties? Request a free home valuation, and see how we work with sellers on our sell with us page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep photos of my home out of the MLS?
Yes, in one situation. Section 5.8 says the one-photo minimum does not apply when sellers expressly direct that photographs of their property not appear in MLS compilations, and that instruction must be recorded in the listing agreement.
What happens to my listing photos after the home sells?
CVR MLS offers an optional Media Privacy feature. The listing agent can pick one photo to stay public after the listing is Closed, Released or Expired, and the rest remain visible only to MLS users. That choice cannot be changed afterward, so ask before launch.
Can another agent or a buyer reuse my listing photos?
Not without permission. Section 5.33 of the CVR MLS rules says reusing another participant’s or subscriber’s listing photos or content is expressly prohibited without the original listing participant’s written consent. Ask who holds the rights to your photos.
Who pays for photography, video and floor plans?
It varies, and it is negotiable. This guide gives no dollar figures because none are sourced here. Ask for the arrangement in writing before you sign, including what happens if you need a reshoot.
Why might the floor plan show a different square footage than the listing?
Measurement sources and methods differ, so two figures for the same house can disagree. Ask which source and method the listing uses, and have any mismatch fixed before launch.
Should I stay home during the photo shoot?
Plan to be out of the way. Section 5.8 does not allow visible people in listing photos or virtual tours, so family members and pets that walk through a frame can force a retake.
