--- title: "Real estate stock photos: choose and document website use" description: "Choose real estate stock photos for your website with a record of the source, license, intended page, image context, and replacement responsibilities" canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/real-estate-stock-photos-website-use" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Real estate stock photos: choose and document website use Use stock photos for illustration when your website needs an image that does not document a specific property or client. Choose the page purpose first. Keep the image source and applicable license with your content handoff. For a listing, team portrait, or local place, request approved photographs of the actual subject. Avoid using an illustrative image to imply you sold that home, served those people, or photographed that neighborhood. This guide proposes an image selection and handoff process. Check the chosen image's current terms before publishing it. ## Match the photograph to the page's claim. Write a sentence describing the image's job. A generic moving image could illustrate a preparation checklist. A specific street photograph needs an accurate location if you present it as local evidence. Review the heading, caption, and nearby copy together. Ask what a visitor could infer from that combination. Replace the image when the implied claim would be unsupported. Keep stock portraits away from testimonial attribution. Use a neutral illustration or approved material when the actual subject cannot be shown. | Intended use | Selection question | Material to retain | | --- | --- | --- | | General seller guide | Does this illustrate a task without suggesting a specific client result? | Image source and approved context | | Neighborhood page | Is the photographed place confirmed? | Location evidence or a clear illustration label | | Listing page | Is this the actual property and approved image? | Property reference and permitted use | | Team page | Does the image identify real team members accurately? | Approved portraits and captions | Treat these as editorial checks. They do not establish permission for an individual image. ## Read the source license before downloading. Unsplash's standard license permits free commercial and noncommercial use without required attribution. It excludes selling images without meaningful modification and compiling them into a competing service. Confirm which license applies to your selected asset. [Unsplash license](https://unsplash.com/license), checked 2026.10.23. Pexels permits free use and modification. Its license prohibits implying endorsement by depicted people or brands, redistributing assets through stock platforms, and using them as a business mark. [Pexels license](https://www.pexels.com/license/), checked 2026.10.23. Use those pages as starting points, not blanket approval for every photograph and context. Save the asset page, creator identification, applicable terms, and access date. Ask the supplier to resolve any uncertain proposed use. Do not copy a license note from one library to another. For purchased material, retain the actual receipt and terms attached to that purchase. ## Keep stock images separate from listing photo permissions. For property images supplied through your listing workflow, ask who authorizes website use. Keep the answer with the property record and intended publication locations. Do not substitute a stock-library license for the permission attached to a listing photograph. The [listing photo permission guide](/articles/mls-listing-photo-license-agent-website) covers that separate website decision. If your source is uncertain, hold the image out of the build. Supply a placeholder with an owner and a decision needed. Resolve it before final review. ## Write image text for the image's purpose. W3C's image decision tree distinguishes informative, functional, text-bearing, and decorative images. Decorative images can need empty alternative text; informative images need an appropriate text alternative. [W3C's image decision tree](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/), checked 2026.10.23. Ask the builder to classify the image in its actual placement. Write a useful description when the photograph conveys information. Avoid adding city names or service claims that the picture does not establish. For a neighborhood illustration, keep any clarification visible beside the image. Do not rely on alternative text to correct a misleading public caption. ## Approve the actual crop and page placement. Review the selected crop with its heading and caption. Check that it preserves the intended meaning and leaves important subjects visible. Ask for phone and desktop previews during website review. Inspect text overlays, faces, identifiable signage, and nearby contact buttons. Record the exact replacement when the selected crop fails your brief. Keep the source file separate from the approved website version. Name the page and placement so the next editor can find the correct asset. ## Maintain an image record at handoff. Use one row per approved image. Include its source URL, creator, license URL, access date, intended use, approved caption, and website filename. Name the person responsible for replacements. Ask them to check context again when an image moves to another page. Keep unresolved permissions visible in the handoff. Bring the image list and affected pages to [the website work brief](/work). Include any missing property photographs and the person who can approve their use. [Real estate website resources](/for/real-estate). - [Listing-photo license records for a real estate agent website](/articles/mls-listing-photo-license-agent-website) - [Real estate CRM and website: map forms to contact records](/articles/real-estate-crm-and-website) - [Single property websites for agents: separate site or listing page?](/articles/single-property-websites-for-agents) ## Related: Real estate - [Listing-photo license records for a real estate agent website](/articles/mls-listing-photo-license-agent-website) - [Real estate CRM and website: map forms to contact records](/articles/real-estate-crm-and-website) - [Single property websites for agents: separate site or listing page?](/articles/single-property-websites-for-agents) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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