AI-enhanced property images raise warnings over ‘housefishing’

The BBC reports growing use of AI-enhanced property listings that can repaint walls, remove objects or even alter structural features to make a home more appealing. The practice, dubbed “housefishing”, frustrated Olivia Nicole, who found a London property looked very different from the photos she had seen on Rightmove; the images also appeared on Zoopla and Winkworth. All three companies told the BBC they had strict rules for AI use and removed the listing images.

A survey of 906 UK homebuyers found that one in five people who had bought a home in the previous year had viewed a property whose photos were digitally altered to make it look better. Jack Bushrod, from the Housing Horrors channel, said he had seen a surge in such images over the past six months. He considers removing clutter or adding furniture acceptable, but criticizes changes that conceal defects, such as pillars, stains and cracks, especially when images are not labeled as AI-generated.