Warning over AI-enhanced property photos as house fishing spreads

Prospective homeowners are being warned that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to alter or enhance property photos in estate agent listings. The practice has been labelled 'house fishing' and is reported to be common in the UK and across Europe and the US.

The debate centres on where helpful presentation ends and misleading advertising begins. Some estate agents argue the technology can help buyers visualise a property's potential. Campaigners say the problem is that buyers often do not know when AI has been used.

One buyer, Olivia, saw a dining room image that showed meals and entertaining. When she arrived for a viewing, she thought she had gone to the wrong house. Similar differences appeared in images of bedrooms. In one case, an AI listing shot helped show how a room could look with furniture and lamp fittings. In another, campaigners said the light in the room had been misrepresented.

Trading Standards says virtually furnishing a room is generally acceptable. It warns that structural changes, adding windows, removing mould, hiding pylons or hiding buildings visible through windows could create a misleading impression. For campaigners, the key issue is disclosure, so buyers know when AI has been used.

Jack Bushrod, who runs a social media page called Housing Horrors, said he reviews listings and has found AI images in recent months. He said he would not want to deal with an estate agent he deemed lazy or uncaring after such a discovery. He has seen power stations removed, neighbouring properties erased and shops next door taken out. He also cited AI-redone kitchens with no sink and none of the normal features of a kitchen.

Estate agents say AI can help property listings but should not mislead, and buyers should report examples they are unhappy with. National training standards have held a roadshow to highlight areas of concern. If buyers are unhappy, they can report the issue to the agent, go to the Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, or contact Trading Standards.

The examples shown in the coverage came from a listing on the estate agent Winkworth's site and also appeared on third-party listing sites. The original listing has been corrected. Winkworth said all offices must clearly disclose the use of AI-generated imagery. It added that photos were still up on a third-party platform it does not control. Rightmove said it was critically important that people see accurate representations of properties, and that it takes action against anything misleading.

As AI use grows, the warning to buyers is to be aware and sceptical.