Strictly speaking, these aren\u2019t outright lies \u2013 more generous interpretations of the truth. A sort of madly optimistic, Vaseline-on-the-lens view of reality that usually completely failed to match up with the depressingly drab property<\/a> presented to you.<\/p>\n But whatever spin they chose to put on the language, the pictures couldn\u2019t lie<\/a>, not even when someone had purposefully wobbled on tip-toes atop a stepladder in the corner of the room using a fish-eye lens. You could still see what was actually there.<\/p>\n Oh, to return to such innocent times<\/a>! These days, it\u2019s not just nonsense sales waffle that you have to wade through when house hunting online. Thought human estate agents were bad? Welcome to the world of AI \u201cenhancements\u201d currently flooding the housing market.<\/p>\n I first came across this phenomenon while indulging in one of my passions \u2013 idly scrolling Rightmove<\/a> to see what I could afford were I to unexpectedly come by a few hundred grand. While tapping through photos of a four-bedroom house, I was struck by how nicely put together a couple of the rooms were compared to the general, run-down vibe of the place: hotel-grade sheets and expert bedmaking, homeware catalogue-level furniture and soft furnishings, colour-coordinated artwork. <\/p>\n As pleasing as these interiors were, my brain flagged that there was some uncanny-valley business afoot \u2013 and, sure enough, upon closer inspection, my eye was caught by the \u201cvirtual stager\u201d caption beneath the images. The bed, the lamps, the paintings, the dresser \u2013 none of it was real. It was digital set dressing.<\/p>\n The more I looked, the more outraged I became. Not only did I have to be sceptical of the words I read, but I now couldn\u2019t trust the evidence of my own eyes; seeing was no longer believing.<\/p>\n Several chain estate agents have admitted to using these tools to \u201chelp\u201d buyers picture how they could use the space, including Winkworth and Wards. Half of estate agents (52 per cent) said they planned to adopt AI tools for listings, lead generation and marketing in 2026, according to research<\/a> released at the beginning of the year. <\/p>\n \u201cFirst impressions really matter, and AI virtual staging allows buyers to see the true potential of a home in an instant,\u201d said Luke Salmon, head of marketing at Wards, when the tool was launched last year. \u201cBy making spaces more visually appealing, we will attract much more interest for our sellers, leading to increased enquiries and a higher chance of receiving an offer.\u201d<\/p>\n But some prospective buyers have argued that AI has the opposite effect, tricking them into arranging a viewing, only to be sorely disappointed when they see a property in the flesh. Just as using a filter on your dating app<\/a> profile pics might score you a first date but fail to lead to a second one after a disgruntled match sees the reality, so \u201cinteriors-maxxing\u201d a house with AI might secure initial interest but fail to translate to offers. Call it flat-fishing, if you will.<\/p>\n One aggrieved viewer shared their experience on Reddit<\/a> last month. \u201cShould estate agents use AI to advertise a property? I got a surreal experience today\u201d, read the post\u2019s caption. Photos of the listing, jazzed up with AI set dressing \u2013 the same kind of thing I\u2019d witnessed \u2013 were shared alongside real-world pictures taken by the poster. They barely resembled the same property.<\/p>\n The place not only looked nothing like the pictures but it was not in great condition<\/p>\n \u201cMy partner and I are currently looking for a house to buy, we found what looked like a lovely house in Tooting, London and decided to book a viewing,\u201d read the post. \u201cTo our shock, all the pictures on Rightmove were AI generated; the place not only looked nothing like the pictures but it was not in great condition\u2026 we kind of laughed it off to be fair as it seemed like a joke but then felt quite upset because we took time off from work for this viewing and wasted our time to see this place.\u201d <\/p>\n In some cases, the digital \u201cfurniture\u201d that had been added covered up obvious flaws visible in the original pictures, such as an AI bedside table that hides a crudely unfinished skirting board.<\/p>\n The post continues: \u201cOnce we left the property and re-read the description, it did state on the bottom that \u2018some\u2019 images were enhanced with AI, we just didn\u2019t think it was a completely different place.<\/p>\n \u201cMy question is, should this be allowed? Are you not misleading potential buyers?\u201d<\/p>\n The post quickly garnered attention, with commenters enraged on the house hunter\u2019s behalf. \u201cIt\u2019s blatant lying and will only piss people off,\u201d said one. \u201cIt\u2019s like going dating and saying you\u2019re 6ft tall when you\u2019re actually 5ft 4in. As if they won\u2019t find out.\u201d Winkworth, the agent behind the listing, swiftly removed the AI pictures following backlash.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Winkworth Tooting told The Times<\/a> that images had been enhanced with the addition of \u201csoft furnishings, lights and other furniture similar to using real staging furniture\u201d but had been taken down \u201cafter a customer expressed disappointment during a viewing\u201d. <\/p>\n A Winkworth Franchising spokesperson added: \u201cAll offices are required by Winkworth Franchising Limited to disclose the use of AI imagery online and on all property details.\u201d <\/p>\n There is an important distinction between enhancing how a property is presented and changing what is actually being sold<\/p>\n Lesley Horton, Chief Property Ombudsman<\/p>\n In the case of the Tooting property, while the online listing divulged that AI had been used, the PDF brochure text sharing the information was in white on a white background, therefore impossible to read (this was declared an \u201cerror\u201d by the Tooting spokesperson).<\/p>\n Paula Higgins, chief executive at the HomeOwners Alliance, said that, while AI staging can be a useful sales tool if it helps buyers visualise an empty room, \u201cit must be clearly labelled and the original image should also be available.\u201d She added: \u201cThe line is crossed when AI hides defects, makes rooms look bigger, improves views, adds features that do not exist, or adds furniture that does not fit.\u201d<\/p>\n Lesley Horton, chief property ombudsman, said: \u201cContext is key. There is an important distinction between enhancing how a property is presented and changing what is actually being sold.<\/p>\n \u201cIf an agent uses AI to change the property itself, for example by adding a fireplace that is not there, a new kitchen, or bi-fold doors, that is likely to give buyers a false impression.\u201d<\/p>\n There are already laws around \u201cmisleading\u201d house buyers enshrined in UK consumer law. Real estate listings are covered by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which states that \u201cit is an offence to knowingly or recklessly provide false or misleading information which causes a consumer to take a different transactional decision than they would otherwise have\u201d.<\/p>\n Context is key. There is an important distinction between enhancing how a property is presented and changing what is actually being sold<\/p>\n Lesley Horton, chief property ombudsman<\/p>\n The real legal issue here is not in adding in fake furniture, especially not when signposted online \u2013 although this will still clearly lead to some frustrated and let-down viewers \u2013 but in manipulating images to deceive, from misrepresenting the dimensions of rooms by using smaller AI furniture to removing a property\u2019s real-world flaws or adding fictitious features.<\/p>\n![\"Moving](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ai-room-gennniStock-1484143866.jpg\")
Moving magic: AI tools can transform a drab room \u2013 but how much can a room be edited until it\u2019s not the real thing? (Getty\/iStock\/Gemini)<\/p>\n![\"Before...\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/iStock-172705221.jpg\")
Before… (Getty\/iStock)![\"And](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Gemini_Generated_Image_mvlc8emvlc8emvlc.png\")
And after: a few prompts are all it takes for an AI tool to jazz up a photo of an existing bedroom (Getty\/iStock\/Gemini)<\/p>\n