For years, property buyers have learned to take listing photos with a pinch of salt. Wide-angle lenses, carefully chosen angles and strategic staging have long been part of the estate agent's toolkit. Now, however, artificial intelligence is taking property marketing to a whole new level.
A growing trend known as "house-fishing" – a property-market twist on the term "catfishing" – is seeing AI used to enhance, alter, and in some cases, completely transform listing photographs.
Rooms can be made to appear larger, gardens greener, interiors more modern and entire spaces brighter and more appealing than they are in reality.
The technology is advancing at breakneck speed. AI-powered image enhancement tools can now declutter rooms, replace furniture, repaint walls, improve lighting and even generate entirely new features with just a few clicks.
AI can instantly make rooms appear larger and interiors more modern
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Estate agents argue that such tools help properties stand out in an increasingly competitive online marketplace, where buyers often make viewing decisions within seconds.
Property portals are dominated by photographs, and first impressions count. A listing that appears brighter, larger or more stylish will inevitably attract more clicks and more viewings.
Yet buyers are increasingly discovering that the reality they encounter bears little resemblance to the home they viewed online.
At best, this creates frustration and wastes valuable time. Buyers may travel significant distances to view a property that looked ideal on screen, only to discover worn interiors, cramped spaces or neglected gardens.At worst, the consequences can be financial.
A buyer who falls in love with a property based on heavily manipulated images may instruct solicitors, commission surveys, arrange mortgage applications and incur hundreds or even thousands of pounds in costs before realising the property is not what it appeared to be.
The legal position is not yet entirely clear.
Existing consumer protection and misrepresentation laws may apply where marketing materials are materially misleading, but there is currently no universal requirement for estate agents to disclose the extent to which AI has been used to alter listing photographs.
As with many emerging technologies, regulation is still catching up. That means buyers need to protect themselves.
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How to spot a potentially misleading listing
1. Use reverse image searches
Upload listing photographs to services such as Google Images or TinEye. This can sometimes reveal whether images have been altered, reused elsewhere or generated from existing content.
2. Look for AI warning signs
AI-generated and heavily edited images often contain subtle clues. Watch for furniture with missing legs, distorted reflections, oddly shaped doorways, inconsistent shadows, blurred edges or unnaturally perfect skies and gardens.
3. Compare every image carefully
If every room appears magazine-perfect, proceed with caution. Real homes typically show signs of everyday life. Uniform perfection can sometimes indicate substantial digital enhancement
.4. Ask direct questions
Don't be afraid to ask the estate agent whether photographs have been digitally altered, virtually staged or enhanced using AI. A reputable agent should be willing to explain how images were produced.
5. Take your own photographs
When attending a viewing, take photographs and videos of the property, with permission where required. Comparing these with the original listing can help you assess whether the marketing accurately reflected reality.
6. Trust the viewing, not the screen
No photograph, however convincing, can replace an in-person inspection. Pay close attention to room sizes, natural light, condition and layout rather than relying solely on online images.
A property should never be presented as something it is not
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What to do if you believe you've been misled
If you believe a property has been marketed in a misleading way, raise your concerns directly with the estate agent in the first instance.
If you are dissatisfied with the response, you may also escalate the matter to the relevant redress scheme, such as The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme. Complaints can also be made to the property portal on which the listing appeared, while serious concerns about misleading marketing may be referred to Trading Standards.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in the property industry, buyers will need to become more discerning consumers.
AI can be a valuable marketing tool when used responsibly, but transparency is essential. A property should always be presented in its best light. It should never be presented as something it is not.
In an age where almost any image can be enhanced with the click of a button, the oldest rule in property remains as relevant as ever: if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Property expert Jonathan Rolande is the founder of House Buy Fast. For more information, visit https://rolande.property/
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