Copy article

Are AI-enhanced property photos misleading?

Journalist: Jon Brady, Daily Mail

ended 30. July 2025

Estate agents are increasingly using AI to enhance property pictures - either by brightening rooms, adding blue skies or even furnishing rooms altogether.

But this is leading to odd incidents of rooms being furnished with oddities like laminate flooring fireplaces, door handles going missing and reflections not matching up, as I have covered for the Daily Mail here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-14926059/Seemingly-normal-house-listing-sparks-warning-experts-trend-lead-buyers-wasting-time-you-spot-problem-is.html

Is it ethical to use AI to enhance property photos - or is there a risk of people turning up to viewings and feeling deceived? If you're in property, I want to know your thoughts. Thank you.

5 responses from the Newspage community

Copy all

Star Quote
Copy

Editor
Babek Ismayil
CEO at homebuying platform OneDome
Estate agents have always used photography to show a property in its best light - whether that’s through wide-angle lenses, blue-sky replacements, or simple editing to brighten a room. In many ways, using AI to enhance property images is simply a natural evolution of that process.
What matters is how far it's taken. Enhancing images to reflect how a room could look with virtual staging or sky replacement - can help buyers visualise potential and generate interest. But there’s a difference between enhancement and deception. If AI starts adding or removing key features - like fireplaces or windows - then buyers may feel misled when they view the property in person.
Used responsibly, AI has a real role to play in improving property marketing - especially in a competitive market. But agents should be upfront about what's been digitally altered. Buyers aren’t expecting perfection - they’re expecting honesty.
Star Quote
Copy

Jonathan Moser
CEO at Mo'Living
As a property manager — and not an estate agent — I've seen firsthand how AI-enhanced property photos can mislead. I managed a flat in Camden where international tenants couldn’t view in person. The images they'd seen were AI-tweaked; brighter, cleaner, even lightly furnished, but the reality was far less polished. When they arrived, they felt duped. The walls were scuffed, the lighting poor, and basic maintenance hadn’t been done. AI had glossed over the flaws. For landlords, this might seem like smart marketing, but for tenants, it erodes trust. Accuracy should never be sacrificed for aesthetics, especially when people are committing to homes unseen.
Copy

Editor
Michelle Lawson
Director at Lawson Financial
Yes, this happens. Buyers should be able to clearly see what they are buying at the outset, as it is in reality not in hyper-reality — no ifs and no buts. Agents are unregulated but are bound by Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 after the Property Misdescriptions Act was repealed. They have to be more aware of language and imagery and not misrepresent the property. The only thing is, nobody checks and very few people challenge instances of these events. I recently had a buyer where the ad said the loft was included in the sale of a fla. It turned out it wasn't and they withdrew, after paying money for surveys and legal fees which aren't refundable, but the agent wasn't interested. It is then down to the buyer to take further action which is quite onerous and time consuming.
Copy

Editor
Julius Cerniauskas
CEO at Oxylabs
The use of AI to enhance property imagery is a growing trend - but it walks a fine ethical line. While subtle improvements can help a listing stand out, manipulating images to the point where the property is unrecognisable crosses into digital misrepresentation. AI-generated content, when used without transparency, risks undermining trust - and in property, trust is everything.
AI-generated and AI-altered content is increasingly flooding the web. When its origin is not disclosed, it raises serious concerns not only for consumer trust, but also for the long-term reliability of online information.
Inaccurate or misleading visuals in the property market can damage reputations, and ultimately waste time for buyers and sellers alike. As AI tools become more accessible, so too does the responsibility to use them transparently and ethically.
If AI is enhancing reality, not replacing it, then disclosure is key. Otherwise, we risk replacing authenticity with illusion.
Copy

Editor
Tony Redondo
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
This goes to the heart of estate agents’ credibility as AI-enhanced property photos can mislead if they significantly alter the reality of the property. Brightening rooms or adding blue skies might seem minor, but digitally furnishing rooms, removing flaws, or adding features like fireplaces that don’t exist simply deceives. Estate agents who don’t prioritize transparency are wasting everyone’s time and bringing the industry into disrepute. UK regulations, like those from the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, require accurate representations in advertising, and heavily manipulated images could breach this.