Real estate agents are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence to create marketing materials for properties. Kat Tenbarge reports for Wired that agents use AI tools to generate videos from photos, virtually furnish empty rooms, and write listing descriptions. An expert from the National Association of Realtors estimates that a vast majority of real estate professionals are now using AI in their work.
Proponents claim the technology saves significant time and money. Alok Gupta, cofounder of the AI video tool AutoReel, says his app can save agents up to $1,000 and a week of turnaround time compared to professional videographers. Realtor Jason Haber notes that creating virtual staging with AI can be done for free in seconds, whereas traditional services cost hundreds of dollars and take days.
However, this trend is raising concerns about misleading representations of properties. Consumers have reported AI-generated images featuring distorted features like stairs leading nowhere, missing cabinets, and dramatically resized windows. One homeowner discovered an AI-edited version of a listing where backyard pavement was replaced with grass.
Industry associations stress that their ethics codes prohibit misleading images and that agents must disclose the use of AI.
