Survey: 76% of U.S. Homeowners Want States to Require Removal of Interior Listing Photos After a Sale

📊 Support for New Privacy Law

Nearly 8 in 10 homeowners believe legislators should act, signaling a broad consensus that transcends typical demographic divides.

In a nationwide formal survey of 2,000 U.S. single-family homeowners, conducted by Hypewired in September 2025, 76% said states should require MLS associations and real estate websites to remove interior listing photos once a home is sold. The findings highlight growing consumer concern over privacy and safety in the digital era of real estate, and point to a growing expectation that policymakers take action.

📊 Top Privacy Concerns of Homeowners

Security and family privacy top the list of homeowner concerns (69% each).

When asked what worried them most about home interior photos remaining online after a sale, homeowners cited security risks and family privacy at the top of the list. Other concerns included scams (48%) and the principle that photos of private living spaces should no longer be publicly displayed (53%). The findings show that this isn’t just about preference — it reflects real fears about safety and trust.

Expectant Parents Want Extra Protection

87% of expectant parents say states should require removal of interior photos after a sale. Among respondents who are expecting a child within the next nine months, nearly 9 in 10 supported new laws requiring the removal of interior listing photos once a home is sold. This group showed the highest support of any demographic, underscoring how strongly growing families value privacy and safety when welcoming a child.

📊 Who Should Control Photos After Closing?

61% of homeowners say the home buyer should control whether or not interior photos stay online.

A clear majority believes the new homeowner should have final authority, not the listing agent, seller, or MLS. Only 23% said the seller should decide, 8% pointed to the listing agent, and just 3% trust MLS associations to manage this decision. Homeowners increasingly expect control of publicly displayed listing photos to follow property ownership.

📊 State-by-State Highlights

• South Carolina: 89% say states should require removal — highest in the sample.

• Oklahoma: 82% say the buyer should control photos.

• New York: 83% support legal requirements.

• Texas: 77% support a new privacy law; 59% say buyers should decide.

• Kentucky: 73% favor buyer control, well above the national average.

• Mississippi: 19% trust the listing agent to decide (highest in the sample).

• Pennsylvania: Only 2% trust the MLS association (lowest in the sample).

Survey Methodology

This survey was commissioned by Hypewired and conducted online via Pollfish on September 10, 2025, among 2,000 U.S. adults who self-identified as single-family homeowners. Results are based on a non-probability online sample and should be considered directional. Estimated margin of error: ±2% at the 95% confidence level.

Balancing Real Estate Promotion With Homeowner Privacy

Real estate photography is a vital tool for selling homes, but homeowners overwhelmingly expect a balance between marketing needs and long-term privacy.

Depending on each MLS association’s practices, sold listing photos may continue to syndicate across thousands of websites and often remain online indefinitely on listing portals and in search engine results. Interior photos and “3D Tours” can expose detailed layouts and floor plans of private living spaces long after the sale has closed.

This survey suggests consumers want clearer standards — and that state legislatures may need to act unless the real estate industry addresses privacy protections on its own.

Why Do Photos Remain Visible After the Sale?

By keeping past listing photos PUBLICLY visible, real estate associations and portals, such as Zillow, Realtor.com, and countless other websites, can show more homes, generate clicks, and keep users engaged on their websites. More engagement means more opportunities for advertising, lead generation, and overall traffic growth.

In most cases, all listing photos and media are marketing content that the home seller gives the listing brokerage or agent the indefinite right to use when signing a listing agreement, although most listing agreements aren’t worded in a way that makes the possible ramifications of this “forever license” fully transparent.

Regardless, the complication is that the home SELLER has no interest in protecting the NEW homeowner’s privacy, and this is where the conflict of interest is most apparent.

While the practice of indefinite public listing syndication benefits the real estate industry, it raises important questions about balancing business goals with homeowner privacy once a sale is complete.

Law-Enforcement Warnings

Law enforcement officials have also raised concerns about the risks of interior photos staying online:

• Riverside, CA (ABC7, 2024): Police advised homeowners to request removal of interior images once a home sells, warning that criminals may use sites like Zillow and Redfin to scout properties.

• California, Michigan, Arizona (IBTimes, 2024): Police in multiple states reported burglars scanning real-estate websites to identify targets.

• Boston, MA (Boston25 News, 2023): Real estate agents cautioned homeowners about leaving old photos online, citing risks of scams and theft.

• FBI (Boston Field Office, 2023): The FBI warned of a spike in rental and real estate scams, urging consumers to be cautious about how property photos and information are shared online.

These examples do not necessarily prove a direct link between every crime and real-estate photos, but they reinforce why homeowners and policymakers are paying closer attention.

Consumer Resources: How to Protect Your Home Online

1. Contact your local MLS or REALTOR® association

MLS associations should be the starting point for photo syndication issues. Call or email the association and say: “Now that my home has sold, I would like the interior photos removed from the MLS and all syndicated websites.” This may take multiple emails or calls. Each MLS has direct control over whether or not sold photos are syndicated to member websites and listing portals after a home is sold.

2.) Brokerage & Agent Websites

Note that most brokerage and agent websites obtain their listings through what is called an “IDX” feed (a data feed). The primary MLS data, which each association manages, controls what photos are displayed on these websites. Always contact the local association, as brokers and agents have no control over the IDX data feed.

3.) Request removal on major listing portals

Even if the MLS discontinues syndication, some national portals will continue to display photos they have previously published.

• Zillow – Photo Removal Instructions

• Realtor.com – Go to the property page for your home and click “Report a Problem” to open a request. This can take several days.

• Redfin – On a desktop computer, log in or create a new account to “claim” your home. Go to the owner dashboard, select “manage photos” and then “hide listing photos.” Only a single photo should remain.

4.) Search your address on Google

• Check for cached images; use reporting tools to request removal.

5.) Work with your real estate agent

Agents can access MLS tools for managing photos of their own listings, but this is your last resort, as the listing agent likely cannot take any action on a closed sale without the MLS association’s involvement. So here again, the MLS is the first point of contact.

TIP: Just BEFORE closing, ask your buyer agent to discuss this issue with the listing agent. They may be able to remove most photos before closing; however, there may be MLS rules that govern this, as these photo records may be necessary for ongoing internal compliance and appraisals (though that doesn’t require public display).

Note: Not all images can be removed, but homeowners have the right to request removal — and most MLS associations and real estate listing portals provide a process.