'Fake' images of property listings are becoming increasingly common, with many fed up Australians branding them misleading, but one real estate agent says 'everyone's doing them'. defended.
Excessive digital changes to one Sydney property listed this week come as a listing for a two-bedroom property in Schofields, north-west Sydney, quickly gained attention online and left house-hunters with questions. I couldn't miss it either. “Is this legal?”
Images of the apartment show a photoshopped sunset overlooking a balcony and an oddly small outdoor lounge set edited into the scene. The smaller furniture is ostensibly designed to give the impression of a larger balcony space.
After the image was posted on realestate.com, people flagged the edit and joked that it was an “outdoor furniture set.” [was] For Ali” is a misleading brand name.
“Strange sky, little outdoor furniture. It should be illegal to advertise this as a property for sale,” one person commented online, condemning the practice of altering property photos.
Real estate agent defends 'digital styling' practices
The property's real estate agent, who Yahoo News chose not to name, defended the practice by claiming that “everyone does it” and that it was necessary given the property was being sold unfurnished. said.
“This is called digital styling, and it helps make the look more appealing,” the agent told Yahoo News.
He pointed to a disclaimer at the bottom of the ad warning potential buyers that images may be edited, which was added after being contacted by Yahoo.
The agent advised anyone interested in the property to see it in person rather than relying solely on online images. “People actually come and inspect it before we take an offer. We're not just selling it on the internet,” he said.
Agents must ensure advertising is not misleading
In New South Wales, images used in property advertising must not be misleading and do not give potential buyers the wrong impression about the property for sale, particularly in terms of the nature, value or location of the property. is the responsibility of the intermediary. .
The smaller furniture featured in the Sydney listing may give the impression that the balcony is larger, as the dimensions are not listed on the floor plan. But this isn't the first listing to feature images that have been altered for no apparent reason.
A property in Melbourne was recently accused of digitally editing its backyard trees to make them look “bizarre” and appear healthier than they actually are.
Consumer Affairs Victoria is currently investigating rental properties in the state that are being inaccurately portrayed in promotional materials, including using outdated images.
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