Set aside 15 uninterrupted minutes after the final photos arrive and before anyone opens the MLS upload screen. Use that time to verify the exact exported files, their disclosure treatment, the provenance record, video inputs, and public-facing copy.
Minutes 0 to 3: Lock the final photo set
Work from one folder containing the photos you intend to publish. Confirm the lead image, every virtually staged image, and every original image are present at the resolution your MLS accepts.
Compare each staged image against its source photo. The room geometry, windows, doors, fixed fixtures, and view should match. Remove any export that changes a property fact or creates ambiguity about what remains with the home.
Keep the original source photos with the final exports. If a question comes up after launch, you need a clean record of what was photographed and what was digitally furnished. This guide on preserving original listing photos explains why that record matters.
Minutes 3 to 6: Inspect disclosure on the actual export
Open each final staged image at full size. Check the burned-in AI disclosure where it will appear to a buyer, not only in a preview or editing screen.
Look for four things:
- The disclosure is present on every image that needs it.
- It remains readable after MLS resizing or cropping.
- It does not cover a material feature of the room.
- Its wording matches the requirement you are working under, including your state and MLS rules.
California agents should give this step extra attention because AB 723 addresses altered listing images. Requirements and MLS practices can differ by location, so use your state association guidance and MLS rules to confirm your treatment. Software can help prepare disclosures; the listing agent remains responsible for the final compliance decision.
A quick export check prevents the common problem of a label that looked fine in the design file but disappeared or became unreadable in the MLS version. See how to check a disclosure after export before you upload.
Minutes 6 to 8: Open the provenance page
Open the public provenance page from a browser where you are not logged in. Confirm it loads, identifies the relevant images, and gives you a clear record linking the staged output to its source.
Check the page title, property address or internal listing reference, and image selection for obvious mistakes. A provenance page does not replace any disclosure your MLS or state requires on the image itself. It gives you a durable, buyer-accessible record to accompany the listing materials.
If you replaced the lead photo late in the process, repeat this check. Lead-photo swaps create a mismatch risk when the staged image, disclosure, and provenance record were produced at different times.
Minutes 8 to 11: Review the tour video inputs
Watch the narrated tour once with the listing details in front of you. Confirm the address, room order, visible photos, and narration all describe the actual property.
Listen for details that need verification: square footage, renovation dates, school references, views, amenities, and claims about what is included. Delete or revise anything you cannot support. Avoid buyer-profile language such as “perfect for young families,” which can raise fair-housing concerns. The same rule applies to written descriptions. This example of buyer-profile language in a listing shows the kind of phrasing worth catching before publication.
A narrated tour helps buyers understand the listing before a showing. It cannot fill gaps in the photos or prove a property claim. Make sure it matches the media you are actually publishing.
Minutes 11 to 14: Read the MLS text as a buyer will
Read the description aloud from the exported text pack. This catches missing words, repeated phrases, and claims that sound stronger than the supporting facts.
Confirm the copy covers the details buyers need to evaluate next steps: property type, bed and bath count where verified, major features, location facts you can substantiate, and showing information. Then run a fair-housing check for language that describes an ideal buyer, household type, religion, nationality, disability, or other protected characteristics.
Keep the description focused on the home. “Three-bedroom layout with a dedicated office and fenced yard” describes property features. “Ideal for a growing family” describes the buyer you hope to attract.
Minute 15: Publish from the checked kit
Use the verified photo exports, provenance link, video, and text pack as one final package. Do not substitute a new file after the review without rerunning the relevant check.
Before you click publish, save a copy of the files as launched, along with the date and MLS listing reference. That small record is useful when a broker, seller, or buyer asks which version went live. Then upload the kit and move to the next launch task.
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