Realtor Slams AI-Generated Photos in Home Listings, Citing 'Blatant Misrepresentation'
A California realtor has spoken out about the growing issue of AI-manipulated property photos in home listings, citing a recent incident where she discovered what she described as "fake" images. Alisa Morrison (@alisamorrisonrealtor) shared her experience on Threads, which has garnered over 420,000 views.
Morrison expressed her frustration with the listing agent who had significantly altered the images to remove clutter and improve their appearance. The changes went beyond what she described as common editing practices like color correction or simulated sunsets, including removing appliances, walls, windows, and other structural elements from photos.
"This instance was the most egregious use of photo altering I have ever seen in my 17-year career," Morrison said. "Yes, these are actual photos. The explanation given was that he altered the photos to 'remove clutter.' But clearly, he took the AI too far and decluttered the sink away and all the other terrible changes."
Morrison condemned what she described as a lack of awareness from the listing agent regarding the drastic changes in the images. She also criticized the agent's limited experience and incompetence.
"If I had to guess, this agent did it himself to try to save money," Morrison said. "His level of experience, per the data in the MLS is extremely limited, and this is his first listing in 4 years so there is very little in the way of competency or experience."
Morrison emphasized that the changes crossed a line into blatant misrepresentation, which she views as a serious violation of realtor ethics and rules. She welcomed the new California legislation aimed at curbing misleading listing materials.
Starting January 1, 2026, the state's new assembly bill AB723 requires real estate professionals to disclose when property listing images have been digitally altered and provide access to the unaltered versions as well.
While many agents already follow best practices by pairing virtually staged photos with original images, Morrison noted that inconsistent training and limited supervision across the industry continue to enable poor standards. She stressed the importance of truth in marketing and highlighted the need for competency among real estate professionals.
A California realtor has spoken out about the growing issue of AI-manipulated property photos in home listings, citing a recent incident where she discovered what she described as "fake" images. Alisa Morrison (@alisamorrisonrealtor) shared her experience on Threads, which has garnered over 420,000 views.
Morrison expressed her frustration with the listing agent who had significantly altered the images to remove clutter and improve their appearance. The changes went beyond what she described as common editing practices like color correction or simulated sunsets, including removing appliances, walls, windows, and other structural elements from photos.
"This instance was the most egregious use of photo altering I have ever seen in my 17-year career," Morrison said. "Yes, these are actual photos. The explanation given was that he altered the photos to 'remove clutter.' But clearly, he took the AI too far and decluttered the sink away and all the other terrible changes."
Morrison condemned what she described as a lack of awareness from the listing agent regarding the drastic changes in the images. She also criticized the agent's limited experience and incompetence.
"If I had to guess, this agent did it himself to try to save money," Morrison said. "His level of experience, per the data in the MLS is extremely limited, and this is his first listing in 4 years so there is very little in the way of competency or experience."
Morrison emphasized that the changes crossed a line into blatant misrepresentation, which she views as a serious violation of realtor ethics and rules. She welcomed the new California legislation aimed at curbing misleading listing materials.
Starting January 1, 2026, the state's new assembly bill AB723 requires real estate professionals to disclose when property listing images have been digitally altered and provide access to the unaltered versions as well.
While many agents already follow best practices by pairing virtually staged photos with original images, Morrison noted that inconsistent training and limited supervision across the industry continue to enable poor standards. She stressed the importance of truth in marketing and highlighted the need for competency among real estate professionals.
. It's unacceptable that some agents are resorting to photo manipulation, essentially fabricating the appearance of a property 
. This blatant misrepresentation can be misleading and erodes trust in the real estate industry 
. The lack of transparency and accountability from listing agents is alarming 
. While it's good to see California taking steps to regulate this issue with AB723, more needs to be done to ensure consistent training and supervision across the board 
.
Like, what's next? Deleting entire rooms just to make it look fancier? It's just lazy and misleading, you know? And the fact that they're getting away with it because of limited experience is just ridiculous. We need more regulation here, not less. I mean, I'm all for innovation, but this AI photo editing stuff needs some serious oversight. Can't we at least have a standard for what's considered "edited" and what's considered "completely fake"? It's just basic honesty in real estate, you know? And another thing, why do they even need to disclose the unaltered versions? Can't they just show the original photos like normal people? 
the changes were way too extreme for my taste, it felt like a total scam. We need more transparency in listings, especially when it comes to image editing, so we can trust what we're seeing. It's not that hard to disclose if you've messed with the pics 
. And Morrison is right, if they're gonna do it themselves to save money, that's just shady 
. But what really gets me is the lack of standards in the industry – some folks might be doing this without even realizing it (or being aware of the rules, lol), and others might be doing it on purpose 
. We need to make sure our homes are represented honestly online so people can make informed decisions 
.
anyway, back to realtor pics... yeah AI-generated photos are def not the end of the world, i guess just be honest about it, right? 
. Alisa Morrison's rant about the realtor who took those images way too far is spot on - what's next, Photoshopping entire rooms away?! 
. And don't even get me started on the whole lack of awareness thing... if you can't handle using a tool, don't use it 
It's like they're playin' with fire, editin' photos like they're Photoshop pros or somethin' 
I think this is a huge red flag for the real estate industry - the lack of accountability and transparency is staggering. I mean, come on, who needs AI-generated photos that are straight up manipulated to make properties look more desirable? 
. The real estate industry needs more transparency and accountability, like the new California legislation 
. It's about time we prioritize truth in marketing over trying to make everything look perfect 
.
AI-generated property pics are taking over listings & it's like, super unprofessional 
! It's like a total red flag 
. Meanwhile, only 27% of agents take the time to pair original pics with AI-generated ones 
. It's like, where's the transparency? 
: in the US alone, 9 out of 10 listings now use AI-generated images 
. It's like the agent was trying to sell a fantasy house instead of an actual one 
. It's all about transparency and honesty in marketing, you know?
the new law is super necessary tho - we need to know when these pics have been messed with!