What do Virginia real estate advertising rules require in 2026?

Every ad has to show your firm’s licensed name and the office contact information your broker designates, on the ad itself. Since Virginia’s updated Real Estate Board regulations took effect April 1, 2026, 18VAC135-20-190 applies the same disclosure rule to a yard sign, a website, an Instagram post and a TikTok video. The old allowance that let electronic ads keep required disclosures “one click away” is gone.

Here’s what the rule says now, how it applies to social media and teams, and what to ask a brokerage about advertising support.

Keeton & Co publishes this article and recruits agents. The rules below come from the Real Estate Board’s regulations and the Code of Virginia, linked throughout. Your principal broker’s written policies govern how they apply at your firm.

What does Virginia’s advertising rule require?

The current rule is short:

Requirement (18VAC135-20-190)	What it means in practice
All advertising is under the direct supervision of the principal or supervising broker, in the firm’s name	Your broker’s policies control what you post
The firm’s licensed name is clearly and legibly displayed on all advertising	Not just your team name or your own name
Every ad by a firm or affiliated licensee includes a clear, legible and conspicuous disclosure with the firm’s name and office contact information	On the ad itself, in every medium
Your broker specifies the office contact information and any other required information in written policies	Your firm can require more than the state minimum
Property information you control must match the property’s condition and current contract status	Update “active” to “under contract” promptly
If a third party controls the ad, make a timely written request for changes	Keep a record of correction requests to portals and syndication sites

“Advertising” is defined broadly: “all communication disseminated through any medium to consumers for any purpose related to licensed real estate activity” (18VAC135-20-10). That same section defines “contact information” as the telephone number, email address or web address of the firm or branch office, or a digital link to it in digital advertising.

What changed for social media in 2026?

Virginia REALTORS® summarized the change in a July 2026 legal update. Under the old rules, a post on a platform like Instagram could leave out the required disclosures if a viewer could click the profile and see them right away. Now there’s no distinction between electronic and print advertising, and the disclosures have to be on the ad itself.

Their practical suggestion: for image-heavy posts, add the firm name and office contact information as a watermark on photos or videos, or put the disclosures in the post text if the platform doesn’t allow watermarked images. You can include your own contact information too, if your broker allows it.

A quick checklist before you post:

• Is the firm’s licensed name visible in the image, video or caption?
• Is the office contact information your broker requires included?
• Does the listing status match reality today?
• If it’s a reel or video, is the disclosure on screen long enough to read?
• Does it follow your broker’s written policy?

How does this apply to teams?

In Virginia, a real estate team has to hold a business entity salesperson license before operating as a team, under Va. Code § 54.1-2106.1. The Real Estate Board’s definitions treat a licensed team as an “affiliated licensee,” so team advertising falls under the same rule: the firm’s licensed name and office contact information must appear on it, and it’s done under the principal or supervising broker’s policies.

A team brand can be prominent, but it can’t replace the firm name. If your team is thinking about moving, our article on whether a Virginia team can switch brokerages and keep its brand covers what moves with you.

What else in the regulations touches advertising?

• Bait and switch. Advertising property with no intent to sell or rent it at the advertised price or terms is misrepresentation under 18VAC135-20-300, as is making a false promise through advertising.
• Broker audits. A principal broker’s required audit covers “advertising in all forms and media” (18VAC135-20-225).
• Unlicensed assistants can prepare promotional materials and ads for the licensee’s and supervising broker’s approval, under 18VAC135-20-335, the Board’s list of activities unlicensed staff may perform.
• Fair housing. Federal and Virginia fair housing laws also apply to advertising. Describe property features, not who you think should live there.

What should you ask a brokerage about advertising support?

The state rule sets a minimum. How easy it is to follow day to day depends on your brokerage. When you compare firms, ask:

1. Can I see the written advertising policy, including the required contact information?
2. Do you provide compliant templates, watermarks and sign designs?
3. Who reviews ads, and how fast?
4. How are team names and logos handled alongside the firm name?
5. Who updates listing status on syndication sites when a home goes under contract?

At Keeton & Co, keetonco.com/join lists marketing templates and in-house creative (graphics, print and social, produced in-house) as included for agents. So you can compare total cost, the same page lists the Individual Agent Commission Plan’s fees as of November 11, 2026: a $20,000 annual cap, then a $200 transaction fee per deal; $387 per deal for transaction coordination; $75 a month for technology; and no E&O or office fee. Our guide on what marketing support a brokerage should give its agents goes deeper.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Your principal broker’s policies and the Real Estate Board’s regulations control.

What should you do next?

If you’re weighing a move and want to see how advertising review, templates and team branding work in practice, our team at Keeton & Co Real Estate, the brokerage Daniel Keeton founded and leads as Broker, offers confidential brokerage-fit conversations. Reach out to our team.