Bridget Thomas Prepares for 2027 Real Estate Changes

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ONALASKA, Wis. — Oct 2, 2026 —  Wisconsin's real estate rules are about to change, and buyers and sellers are the ones who benefit most. The changes come from 2025 Wisconsin Act 69, signed in December 2025, and take effect in 2027. They affect how homes are marketed and how listing photos are presented. Bridget Thomas, a REALTOR® with Raven Realtors, is already working under the new standards so her clients don't have to wait to benefit.

Thomas is known in the La Crosse and Onalaska area as one of its most proactive agents. She keeps looking for ways to sharpen her skills so she can serve her clients and her community in ways that are both ethical and innovative. In real estate it's easy to drift into gray areas, like a listing that quietly never reaches the public or a photo that's been "touched up" a little too much. Thomas prides herself on doing the job effectively and legally.

"At its heart, this law is about consumers," said Thomas. "Sellers get a clear choice about how their home is marketed, and buyers get a fairer shot at the homes on the market and a more honest look at them. That's good for everyone at the table."

Public Marketing Is the Default, and Sellers Stay in Control

Under the new law, every 1–4 unit residential listing has to be publicly marketed on at least one publicly accessible website within 1 business day of the listing contract's start date. The only exception is a seller who chooses to opt out in writing. Listing agents also have to cooperate with buyer's agents, which means sharing information, responding promptly and making the property available to show.

What sellers get:

• Maximum exposure by default. More buyers seeing a home generally means more showings, more competition and a better shot at the strongest price and terms.
• A real choice, made with full information. Sellers who want privacy can still opt out of public marketing for a few days, a few weeks or the whole listing term. They sign a disclosure form that spells out the trade-offs (fewer buyers, no public exposure, a possible effect on price) so the decision is truly theirs.
• A plain-language guide. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) will publish a consumer brochure explaining those trade-offs, and the listing paperwork will reference it.
• The right to exclude specific people is still there, as long as it's never based on membership in a protected class.

What buyers get:

• A fairer shot at every home. When listings are public by default, fewer homes sell through private networks before most buyers ever hear about them.
• Faster, more reliable access. Listing agents have to share information, respond promptly and make homes available to show, so buyers can move quickly when the right house comes along.

Listing Photos Buyers Can Trust

The new law also requires agents to disclose any photo or ad that's been altered with technology, including AI, in a way that gives a false or misleading impression of the property. This isn't a blanket AI disclosure rule. What matters is whether the edit misrepresents the home, and the rule applies everywhere a home is advertised: the MLS, social media, websites, email and print.

• Requires disclosure: virtual staging; removing clutter or personal items when that misrepresents the home's condition; swapping out grass, landscaping or sky; showing renovations, finishes or paint that don't exist; and removing permanent features like utility poles, power lines or neighboring buildings.
• Generally doesn't require disclosure: routine brightness, contrast and color correction, lens-distortion fixes, and cropping.

What buyers get: photos they can believe. Buyers can plan their weekend showings knowing that a virtually staged living room is labeled as one, and that the power line out back hasn't been edited away. That means fewer wasted trips and fewer surprises at the front door.

What sellers get: the freedom to keep using helpful tools like virtual staging, which helps buyers picture a home's potential, without the risk of a buyer feeling misled once they walk in. Honest marketing builds trust, and trust carries through to the offer.

"Buyers should be able to trust what they see online," Thomas said. "If a room's been virtually staged, just say so. The house still has to sell itself when people walk through the door."

About Bridget Thomas
Bridget Thomas is a REALTOR® with Raven Realtors, licensed in Wisconsin and Minnesota and based in Onalaska. She serves buyers and sellers across La Crosse, Trempealeau, Monroe and Vernon counties in Wisconsin and Houston and Winona counties in Minnesota. She holds the GRI, ABR, GREEN, RSPS, PSA, C2EX, AHWD, HFR, SFR and Luxury Home Certified designations.

Media Contact:
Bridget Thomas
bridget@ravenrealtors.com | (920) 980-7356
lacrosseonalaskarealestate.com

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