the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics<\/a>, are only when it presents a \u201ctrue picture\u201d of the property and does not mislead potential buyers.<\/p>\nAn example of that is putting furniture in an empty room to help visualize space. It is mandatory for the seller to note that the photo has been digitally altered.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeneral industry guidance often includes clearly labeling edited images, not substantially changing a property and avoiding any concealment of property defects,\u201d the NAR said.<\/p>\n
The NAR reported that the use of virtual tools has been investigated by state lawmakers across the country. The New York Department of State recently issued a warning about the rise of AI-generated photos on listings that could violate deceptive advertising rules. Meanwhile, California has passed legislation that not only makes disclosures about digitally altered images mandatory, it also requires access to the original, unaltered photos.<\/p>\n
The Wisconsin Realtor Association is urging its members to review and disclose photo alterations to protect the buyer and Realtor \u201cfrom misunderstandings or from potential misrepresentation claims.\u201d That state is also implementing a law similar to California.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may virtually stage it,\u201d Bailey-Romey said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with doing that, giving someone ideas, but you must disclose.\u201d<\/p>\n
When house hunting, Bailey-Romey says to be on the lookout for:<\/p>\n
Seasonal inconsistencies:\u00a0That includes green grass or leafy trees from a winter listing. Look for a disclosure saying the photo was taken the previous summer. If it\u2019s missing, the seller is likely hiding the home\u2019s true current curb appeal.<\/p>\n
The \u2018too good to be true\u2019 price gap:\u00a0If you\u2019ve been shopping at a $350,000 price point and suddenly see a home with $150,000 worth of high-end landscaping and a picket fence for that same price, be skeptical. If the price on a social media ad differs significantly from what is listed on the official multiple listing service or what the agent tells you over the phone, they are \u201cfishing\u201d for your contact information.<\/p>\n
Pristine features in a low-value home:\u00a0If the exterior photo shows new, gleaming windows, but the interior photos look dated or the price suggests a \u201cfixer-upper,\u201d those windows might be digitally added. While \u201cblue sky replacement\u201d is common, if every photo looks like a cartoon or a painting, it\u2019s a sign the agent is more focused on \u201cselling the dream\u201d than the reality.<\/p>\n
Missing ugly angles:\u00a0If there are several photos of the interior but no photos of the backyard, the deck, or the side of the house, there may be a structural issue they are trying to hide until you get there. If a home is marketed as a \u201crenovation opportunity\u201d but only shows AI-generated \u201cafter\u201d renders without the current \u201cnow\u201d photos, they are masking the true extent of the work required.<\/p>\n
The \u2018scent\u2019 and \u2018feel\u2019 gap:\u00a0If every room is virtually staged with high-end furniture, it can hide floor damage, stains or awkward room shapes. While photos can\u2019t show mold, pet odors or damp basements, if a listing looks perfect but has been on the market for a long time, there may be a sensory issue (smell or sound) scaring buyers away when they experience it in person.<\/p>\n
Bailey-Romey said it\u2019s important to use common sense.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it looks too good to be true, it usually is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The photo on a real estate website shows a house with a manicured lawn, fancy landscaping and an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120,60,433,157,2941,434,28,22133,1081,432],"class_list":["post-152428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-allentown","tag-allentown","tag-allentown-headlines","tag-allentown-news","tag-business","tag-lehigh-county","tag-lehigh-valley","tag-monroe-county","tag-northampton-county","tag-pennsylvania","tag-poconos","tag-real-estate","tag-top-stories-tmc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}