House-hunters say AI-staged listing photos, which fill empty rooms with furniture that isn't there, are false advertising. Useful tool, or should they be banned?
Rightmove allows AI-generated images if they are clearly labelled and says agents are responsible for what they upload, but the BBC found many listings where AI use wasn't disclosed. A Sussex agent says it spares sellers the £5,000 to £50,000 cost of staging a home with real furniture.
What happened
The BBC reported on 7 November that buyers and renters say AI images in listings on sites such as Rightmove amount to "false advertising". One Brighton renter said only two of the dozen homes she viewed had the furnishings shown online. Some images were marked "Virtually staged" or "Artificially enhanced", but many were not. Rightmove says AI imagery is allowed if clearly labelled and that it acts on misleading images. A 2025 Daily Mail investigation found similar cases.
Why people disagree
Agents say AI staging solves a real problem: buyers find empty rooms hard to picture, and staging with real furniture costs £5,000 to £50,000. Critics say it wastes everyone's time on viewings of homes that look nothing like the photos, a risk Which? has also warned about. Consumer rules already bar images that deceive buyers, but Propertymark notes the line between showing potential and misrepresenting a home has to be drawn carefully.
What's still unclear
How many listings use undisclosed AI images, whether a small 'virtually staged' label is enough for buyers to notice, and whether property portals or regulators will tighten the rules or their enforcement.
Sources
More takes
Before today's US midterms, NPR got four of five AI chatbots to list candidates to vote for after a little pushing. Should chatbots ever suggest who to vote for?
Ofcom says photo ID, bank checks, digital ID or face scans could enforce the UK's under-16 social media ban. Fair price for protecting kids, or too intrusive for adults?
