A new construction listing in Stellar MLS is a listing for a home that is not yet built or not yet finished, and Stellar treats its photos differently in one way: a rendering can stand in for the front exterior photo. Stellar MLS is the multiple listing service for Orlando and most of Central Florida, so this is the rule for builder inventory in Lake Nona, Horizon West, Clermont and the rest of the region.
The pages that come up for new construction listing photos in Orlando are listings, not answers. This one sets out what Stellar's own rules say, taken from its photo rules page and its compliance course material, and what that means for when to book the photographer.
Can a Rendering Be the First Photo on a Stellar Listing?
Yes. A Stellar listing will not go active until it has at least one front exterior photo or rendering, an aerial photo, or a water view from the property. The front exterior photo or rendering goes in the first slot. The exceptions are an aerial or a water view from the property in the first slot, and then the front exterior has to be second.
The first photo also has to be free of broker signage. A rendering with a sales office banner or a logo printed across it is the same problem as a yard sign in a photo.
What Does Stellar Call a Home That Is Not Built Yet?
Two conditions, each with its own article in the Stellar rules.
| Property condition | What it means in Stellar | Article | What happens in the listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-construction | Ground has not been broken | 4.21 | Checking it writes the required disclosure into public remarks |
| Under construction | Ground broken, no certificate of occupancy yet | 4.22 | Checking it writes the required disclosure into public remarks |
| Completed | Certificate of occupancy issued | Photos of the finished home are what the buyer expects |
The disclosure text is filled in automatically once the condition is checked in the listing. The agent entering the listing sets the condition. A photographer cannot.
When Do Real Photos Have to Replace the Rendering?
We did not find a Stellar rule that names a date. What Stellar does say is that photos must be a true and accurate picture of all property features, and that Stellar does not remove photos itself: the listing agent has to remove or update them.
Put together, the certificate of occupancy is the practical trigger. Before it, a rendering shows a house that does not exist yet and the condition field says so. After it, the house exists, the rendering shows a version of it with a perfect lawn and no construction fencing, and the only person who can fix that is the agent. Ask your broker what they expect, and book the shoot so real photos are ready when the condition changes.
Can I Use Photos of the Model Home Instead?
Stellar's rules we read name a rendering, not a model home, as the stand-in for the front exterior. A model of the same floor plan is a different house, often with upgrades the listed home does not have. If you plan to use model photos on a Stellar listing, ask your broker how Stellar treats them before they go up. Exterior editing has its own limit too: Stellar allows adding things like a table and chairs on a lanai but not enhancing the house's exterior features or changing the landscaping, so a bare lot cannot be edited into a finished yard. Our Stellar virtual staging post lists what may and may not change.
When Should the Photographer Come to a Newly Built Home?
After the certificate of occupancy and once the outside reads as finished: driveway poured, sod down, construction fencing and dumpster gone. The first photo is the front exterior, so the exterior decides the date, not the interior.
In Lake Nona, Horizon West and the Clermont corridors, a new home is often listed beside several others of the same plan from the same builder. The aerial is the frame that tells them apart: the lot, what it backs onto and where it sits in the community. Stellar allows an aerial in the first slot, as long as the front exterior comes second.
What Does a New Construction Shoot Cost With Jet Media?
The same as any other listing. The Photo Package is $219: 40 to 75 edited photos, drone aerials where the airspace allows and an AI twilight exterior, delivered within 24 hours. The AI twilight is a digitally altered image and has to be disclosed as one. Builders with several homes or model home work can ask for builder pricing. See the Lake Nona and Winter Garden and Horizon West pages for the areas, and real estate photography for the full package list.
This article is general information, not compliance advice. Stellar publishes its current rules on its own site, and those rules govern.
Certificate of occupancy coming up on a listing? Book the shoot online for the week it lands.