D.C. lawmakers want to crack down on AI "house-fishing"
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D.C. is considering a new law to protect residents from AI "house-fishing" schemes.
Why it matters: Think catfishing, but for real estate. AI is making it easier to dupe would-be buyers and renters with digitally altered photos.
Driving the news: Councilmember Christina Henderson and several colleagues recently introduced a bill that would require real estate listings to disclose "digitally altered or AI-generated photos."
- Listings would also have to include copies of the unedited images and explain how the altered images differ from the property's actual state.
This comes as some eyebrow-raising D.C.-area listings have made the rounds on social media, like this purported DMV apartment that comes with a view of … New York. (It's unclear whether AI was used.)
Zoom out: California and New York City have taken similar steps to address misleading real estate photos.
What they're saying: Henderson says this bill would be helpful in a transient place like D.C., where many people come to work for a short time and sign leases sight unseen.
- "We have a bigger responsibility to kind of step up and help those folks out," Henderson tells Axios. "I would hate for [that to be] somebody's first introduction to the District."
It would also be especially pertinent to renters looking for spots on platforms like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
- Also important: The bill wouldn't ban using AI to virtually stage listings, Henderson tells Axios.
The intrigue: More of these "house-fishing" posts are popping up because they're easier to make with AI, says local real estate agent Joe Himali — and they're getting so good, he's even been duped a few times.
- "You think, wow, that seems too good to be true," he says. "Sure enough, it's too good to be true."
Another issue: Himali says some well-intentioned agents use AI to show what a property could look like after renovations or development, and disclose that the images are renderings.
- But potential buyers don't always read the fine print. He's had clients drive to vacant lots expecting gorgeous homes, only to find "a bare piece of dirt with a hole in the ground."
Between the lines: The National Association of Realtors and the listing platform Bright MLS have guidelines about listing images, but the District's law would provide government-backed consumer protection, says Henderson.
- If passed, she expects the D.C. Office of the Attorney General would be the enforcing body.
What we're watching: TBD on the bill's next steps, Henderson says.