Real Estate Camera
Declutter the room before you take the photo, because a physically clean room needs no label and nothing can go wrong in editing. For the few things you miss, like a cord or a soap bottle, your phone's own eraser does the job for free. For a room full of stuff you can't move, use a listing declutter app or an editing service, and label the photo. Never erase damage. Boards like Stellar MLS ban that outright.
This guide is about clutter: the small things that make a room look busy. To clear out whole rooms of furniture, see removing furniture from photos.
What should you declutter before listing photos?
Zillow's seller guide says "there's nothing worse in real estate pictures than clutter." Its list covers kitchen counters, bathroom items, cords and wires, remotes and mail, then family photos, fridge magnets, toys, pet gear and holiday decorations. Here it is by room, with what I'd add:
| Room | Take out | Leave |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Small appliances, dish rack, sponges, soap, magnets, paper towels, knife block, mail | One bowl of fruit or a plant |
| Bathroom | Toothbrushes, razors, bottles, bath mats, scale, trash can, plunger | A folded towel, one plant |
| Living room | Remotes, cords, stacks of books and mail, throws piled on the sofa, pet beds | A few cushions, one throw folded |
| Bedrooms | Clothes, laundry baskets, chargers, everything on nightstands, anything under the bed that shows | Made bed, one lamp per side |
| Kids' rooms | Toys on the floor, names on the wall, school photos | A few toys on a shelf |
| Exterior | Cars, bins, hoses, toys, the agency sign | Potted plants by the door |
The agency sign isn't a style choice on some boards. Realcomp in Michigan doesn't allow agency signs in any listing photo. Check your own MLS before the shoot.
Give the seller this list a day ahead. A seller who clears counters the night before saves you more editing than any app.
What to do with clutter you can't move
Sometimes the seller is still living there, the garage is full of boxes, or you're shooting on ten minutes' notice. Three ways to clean up the photo without Photoshop:
Your phone's built-in eraser
Free, and good for one or two small things per photo: a cord across the floor, a toothbrush, a trash can. On iPhone, Apple's Clean Up in the Photos app removes distracting objects. Apple's requirements page lists iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, plus iPads with A17 Pro or M1 and later. Android phones have their own versions in their photo apps.
They struggle with big items and busy backgrounds. Erasing a laundry basket in front of a patterned rug often leaves a smudge where the pattern should be. Zoom in before you save.
A human editing service
BoxBrownie charges $4 for minor item removal and $8 for standard removal, with a 24-hour turnaround, as of September 2026. A person does the work, so tricky floors come out cleaner. You wait a day.
A listing declutter app
Built to clear a room rather than one object. Real Estate Camera (ours) has Declutter at 2 credits a photo, 20 to 60 seconds, about $0.67 to $1.00 depending on the pack. Failed edits refund automatically. It removes furniture and clutter together, so it suits a busy room better than a single stray item. For one cord, the phone eraser is faster and free.
Do you have to disclose decluttered photos?
Often, yes, even though the room looks plainer rather than fancier.
- California. AB 723 covers images altered "to add, remove, or change elements." Its exemptions are adjustments like lighting, color, cropping and exposure. Erasing objects isn't among them, so label the photo and link the original.
- Your MLS. CRMLS defines digitally altered images to include removing decor, and wants the original right before or after. Other boards differ. See MLS rules.
- Everywhere else. "Some items digitally removed" in the caption costs nothing. Disclosure wording has templates for decluttered photos.
Physically clearing the room avoids all of that. It's one more reason to do the work before you shoot.
What you must never erase
Clutter belongs to the seller. Damage belongs to the house. Stellar MLS bans removing "negative visual elements," with examples: "holes in the wall, exposed wiring, damaged flooring." NC REALTORS says it wouldn't be appropriate to photoshop out defects or "eyesores" inside or outside the home. So leave these alone:
- Stains, cracks, water marks and scuffed floors
- Power lines, poles, the neighbor's house or a busy road
- Anything that conveys with the house: light fixtures, appliances, built-ins
Erasers don't know the difference between a sock and a stain, so check each edit against the original. What's allowed in listing edits covers the line in more detail, and the listing photo mistakes guide covers the small things buyers spot anyway.
For how Declutter works in our app, see removing furniture from listing photos.
Try Declutter on the one room the seller couldn't clear. Start free: 1 credit.
Questions
How do I declutter listing photos without Photoshop?
Clear the room before you shoot, since that needs no label. For small leftovers like a cord or a toothbrush, use your phone's built-in eraser, such as Clean Up on supported iPhones. For a room full of furniture, use a listing declutter app or a human editing service. Label any photo where you removed something.
What should I remove before taking listing photos?
Everything on the kitchen counters except one or two items, bathroom toiletries, cords, remotes, mail, fridge magnets, family photos, toys, pet bowls and beds, trash cans and seasonal decorations. Zillow's seller guide lists most of these.
Do I have to disclose that I removed clutter from a photo?
In California, likely yes: AB 723 covers images altered to remove elements, and only exempts adjustments like exposure and color. Some MLSs also require labels on any digitally altered image. Removing damage, like a stain or a crack, is banned outright on boards such as Stellar MLS.
How much does it cost to remove clutter from a real estate photo?
As of September 2026, BoxBrownie charges $4 for minor item removal and $8 for standard removal, each with a 24-hour turnaround. Phone erasers are free. Real Estate Camera's Declutter costs 2 credits, about $0.67 to $1.00.
