MLS guide
What is an unbranded virtual tour link for the MLS?
An unbranded virtual tour link is a web address you put in your MLS's virtual tour field that shows the property only: photos, video, floor plan and details, with no agent name, brokerage, phone number, email or logo. Many MLSs require the virtual tour field to be unbranded; check your MLS's rules. The reason is that listing data is shared with other agents and consumer sites, and contact details there would route buyers around their own agent. You keep a separate, branded version for your own marketing.
What is the difference between a branded and an unbranded tour?
Both versions show the same home. The difference is whether you, your team or your brokerage appear anywhere on the page.
| Branded tour | Unbranded tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Shows | Property plus your name, photo, logo and contact details | Property only |
| Inquiry form | Often, sending leads to you | No agent contact route |
| Where it goes | Social posts, email, flyers, QR codes, your website | The MLS virtual tour field |
| Who sees it | People you market to directly | Other agents, their clients and sites that pull MLS data |
Why do many MLSs require unbranded virtual tours?
The MLS is a cooperative system. When you enter a listing, other agents send it to their buyers, it shows up in client portals and on other brokers' websites, and it often feeds consumer portals. If the virtual tour link carried your phone number, a buyer working with another agent could be pulled straight to you, which undercuts the cooperation the MLS exists for.
So many MLSs treat the virtual tour field as a public, neutral space, much like the public remarks field. The exact wording lives in your MLS's rules and regulations, and enforcement varies. Read your own MLS's rule on virtual tours before you paste a link, and check whether it offers a separate field for a branded tour.
What can't appear on an unbranded tour?
Think of anything that identifies you or gives a buyer a way to contact you. Common things that get tours flagged:
- Agent, team or brokerage names, logos and headshots
- Phone numbers, email addresses and office addresses
- Your website URL, social handles or a QR code that leads to them
- Inquiry or "schedule a showing" forms that route to the listing agent
- Links to your other listings or a "more homes from this agent" section
- Branding baked into media: a logo watermark on photos, an intro card on the video, a voiceover that names you
- A yard sign rider with your name in an exterior photo, if your MLS restricts that
If in doubt, leave it out
Required disclosures are fine and expected. A "Virtually staged" label on a staged photo is not branding. Your name in the corner of the same photo is.
How do Zillow and Realtor.com pick up the tour link?
Consumer portals typically get listing data from MLS feeds or broker syndication, and many of them display what's in the virtual tour field as a tour button or link on the listing. Whether your link shows, and how, depends on your MLS, your broker's syndication settings and each site's own display rules. Some portals only show certain kinds of tours.
Because the same field can travel widely, the unbranded rule protects you as much as it protects the MLS. After the listing goes live, open it on each portal you care about and look for the tour. If it's missing, ask your MLS support desk or your broker how tours are passed along in your market.
What should an unbranded tour include?
An unbranded tour should still be the best single view of the home. Put the strongest content first.
- The full photo gallery in walk-through order, with labels on any staged or edited images
- A floor plan, if you have one
- A short video or photo-based walkthrough
- A map and the key facts: beds, baths, square footage, lot size, year built
- The original photos next to staged versions, where your MLS or state requires them
How do you get an unbranded link from Listing Curator?
Every published Listing Curator property page comes with an unbranded MLS virtual tour link at a /tour/ address. It shows the property without your name or contact details, while your regular page keeps your branding and inquiry form. Property pages are $19 a month or $149 a year. See single property websites for what goes on the branded version.
- Build the property page from your listing photos and details at /websites.
- Publish the page.
- Copy the unbranded /tour/ link, not the regular page link.
- Paste it into your MLS's virtual tour field.
- Open the link in a private browser window to confirm no name, logo or contact details appear.
Listing Curator doesn't post to the MLS or Zillow for you. You paste the link yourself, which keeps you in control of what goes into the listing.
Checklist before you paste the link
Unbranded tour checklist
No names, logos or headshots. No phone, email or website. No contact form or links to other listings. No branded watermarks or intro cards in photos or video. Staged and edited photos labeled, with originals where required. Link opens without a login. Checked on a phone. Matches the current photos on the MLS.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a YouTube link in the virtual tour field?
Some MLSs allow it, but the channel name, end screens and suggested videos can count as branding. Check your MLS rules, or use an unbranded tour page instead.
Do I need a 3D tour to use the virtual tour field?
No. A clean page with photos, a floor plan and a short video works, as long as your MLS accepts the link.
What happens if my tour is flagged as branded?
Expect your MLS to ask you to fix or remove it, and penalties vary by MLS. Swap in an unbranded version as soon as you hear from them.
Can I share the unbranded link on social media?
You can, but there's no reason to. Use your branded page where you market directly, so inquiries come to you.
Does each listing need its own tour link?
Yes. Each published property page has its own unbranded link, so every listing points to the right home.
General information, not legal advice. Rules and prices change; check the source, your MLS and your broker before you rely on them. Competitor prices are as listed on their sites when this page was updated.