We Need to Talk About AI in Real Estate: Where Innovation Meets Trust

AI Is Impressive. Now It’s Time to Ask Better Questions

There’s no denying it. AI can do some genuinely impressive things in real estate.

From faster editing workflows to cinematic visuals that used to require big crews, big budgets, and big timelines, the technology has moved quickly. The problem is that it has moved faster than the conversations we should be having as an industry.

The real question is no longer what AI can do. It’s what it should do.

As agents, vendors, photographers, and marketers, we need to collectively decide where the line is. What is beneficial? What is permitted? What is misleading? And ultimately, what are the rules we’re prepared to stand behind?

Because if we don’t define those standards ourselves, they’ll be defined for us. Usually after something goes wrong.

What We’ve Traditionally Accepted in Real Estate Media

Real estate has always used a level of visual enhancement.

For years, common practices have included colour correction, exposure balancing, sky replacements, day-to-dusk conversions, artificial grass, and minor retouching to clean up blemishes. These techniques became accepted because they enhanced presentation without fundamentally changing the nature of the property.

Buyers could still recognise what they were walking into.

The key point is this. Those edits improved how something looked, not what it was.

AI changes that equation.

Source: Bash & Co | Day-to-dusk image edit

How AI Changes the Game

Today, AI allows us to go well beyond enhancement and into creation.

We can now generate cinematic timelapse sequences from a single still image. We can show a bird’s-eye view of a property transitioning from full daylight to dusk, complete with changing shadows and lighting. These are shots that would require drones hovering for hours, which simply isn’t possible with current battery limitations.

We can also create video-like motion from still images without recording any video at all.

Technically impressive? Absolutely. But it raises a serious question.

At what point does enhancement become fabrication?

What Do the Rules Currently Say?

This is where things get murky.

Broadly speaking, consumer protection laws already exist to prevent misleading or deceptive advertising. These laws weren’t written with AI-generated property media in mind, but they still apply.

When it comes to real estate specifically, guidance is often high-level. Governing bodies, including REA, tend to focus on intent rather than tools. The expectation is that marketing must not materially misrepresent a property.

Internationally, we’re seeing similar patterns. Regulators are talking about transparency and disclosure, but rarely with enough specificity to keep up with current AI capability.

The result is a grey zone where agents and media providers are left to interpret what feels reasonable, without clear, shared standards.

Generative AI guidance by the Real Estate Authority

This guidance is issued by the Registrar of the Real Estate Authority for the real estate sector in accordance with the purposes of the Real Estate Agents Act 2008. It has been prepared following feedback from licensees including representatives participating in REA’s Industry Advisory Groups. This guidance is general and non-exhaustive.

REA encourages all licensees to undertake their own due diligence and seek legal and/or technical advice on their use of Gen AI technology. REA encourages agencies to have in place policies regarding the use of Gen AI in their businesses. REA will review this guidance as technology and Gen AI use evolves.

Source: Real Estate Authority, Generative AI Guidance

The Grey Areas We Now Have to Address

Let’s take a real example.

AI can now create a cinematic day-to-dusk timelapse showing shadows moving across a property from a bird’s-eye view. This is impossible to capture traditionally. But if the sun angle, shadow direction, and timing are technically accurate, is it fair game?

Source: Bash & Co | AI Generated Drone Day-to-Dusk Timelapse originating from a still drone image

What about creating cinematic clips from still images that show movement, depth, and lighting changes that never occurred in real time?

Source: Bash & Co | AI Generated Day-to-Dusk Timelapse originating from a still interior image

We can push the boundaries even further. What if we wanted to show a scroll-stopping cinematic sequence zoom in to a property from 10,000 feet? The effect will bring more eyes to the property, but at what cost?

These outputs may look realistic. They may even be technically correct. But they represent moments that were never observed.

This is where intent, disclosure, and consistency start to matter more than the tool itself.

The Benefits: Why AI Is So Attractive

There’s a reason AI adoption is accelerating.

It saves time. It reduces costs. It cuts down on travel, fuel, and long shoots.

For everyone involved, efficiency improves. Higher production value becomes more accessible. Faster turnaround times help listings go live sooner.

This is not an argument against AI. It’s an argument for using it deliberately.

Benefits for Vendors

From a vendor’s perspective, the appeal is obvious.

AI can deliver high-production-value marketing that would previously have been out of reach. It reduces time spent preparing the home for shoots. It shortens how long crews are on site. It allows imperfections to be cleaned up, lawns to look fuller, and skies to appear clear and inviting.

It also speeds up time to market. In many cases, that alone can influence sale outcomes.

For vendors, AI feels like progress.

Benefits and Risks for Real Estate Agents

Agents also benefit.

Stronger visuals, better storytelling, and less time on site all make listings easier to market. But there’s a risk hiding beneath that convenience.

If guidelines are unclear, agents may unknowingly expose themselves to complaints or disputes. If a buyer feels misled, responsibility doesn’t stop with the photographer or editor.

Until clearer standards exist, agents are often operating without knowing where the line actually sits.

The Photographer and Videographer Perspective

For photographers and videographers, AI brings opportunity and pressure.

There’s a steep learning curve, new platforms to pay for, and more complex workflows. But there’s also a growing ethical responsibility.

This raises an important question.

Do we need to be clearer about what has been changed, enhanced, or generated?

One possible solution is disclosure. Another is maintaining a digital log of edits so agents understand exactly what they’re marketing. If that information then flows through to buyers, what does that do to trust?

Transparency protects people. But it also changes perception.

What This Means for Buyers

At the end of all this is the buyer.

Buyers rely on listing media to form expectations before they ever step through the door. Clear rules and consistent disclosure can protect them. But over-labelling or inconsistent messaging could also create unnecessary scepticism.

The goal isn’t to alarm buyers. It’s to ensure they’re not misled.

Trust is the currency of real estate. Once it erodes, it’s hard to rebuild.

Where Do We Go From Here?

AI isn’t going away. And pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t an option.

What the industry needs now is clarity. Clear definitions of acceptable use. Clear guidance on disclosure. And shared standards that protect vendors, agents, media professionals, and buyers alike.

This isn’t just a technology conversation. It’s a trust conversation.

And it’s one we need to have now.

FAQ Section

Is AI allowed in real estate marketing?

Yes, but it must not mislead buyers or materially misrepresent the property.

Do agents need to disclose AI-edited images or videos?

There is no universal standard yet, which is why clearer guidelines are needed.

Is AI-generated video the same as traditional editing?

Not always. Some AI outputs depict moments or movement that never occurred.

Will AI reduce trust in real estate listings?

Only if it’s used without transparency or consistent standards.

Should the industry create formal AI guidelines?

Yes. Proactive standards protect everyone involved and preserve long-term trust.