Same home, different sky — AI is changing how properties are presented. [Photo courtesy Daniel Wilson with Photovino]
“What that we have to do with the listing photo is either say [it was altered] or to show a picture with and without [the addition],” said Santa Rosa’s Cristie Marcus of Coldwell Banker. Marcus said it makes sense that the listing agent and seller would not want to anger a prospective buyer with higher expectations based on a photo. “If they get to the house, and there are no remarks said, they’ll get a sour taste,” she said. Sotheby’s Sonoma Realtor Erin George agreed. “You never want people to be disappointed when they arrive at the house,” she said. Nonetheless, George refrains from using images that include electrical wires because they junk up the property, making the curb appeal harder to come by. “We’ve been virtually staging for a while now, [and] we type in ‘virtually staged’ now,” she said. AB 723 represents yet another way California lawmakers are attempting to manage the surging presence of AI in different industries. Staging of home listings has long been a part of the real estate industry, but its increasing popularity as access to photo-editing software has increased to “digital” or “virtual” versions. In-person home staging companies have watched the trend unfold. Christine Hung, who owns White Harmony Design and Staging in San Francisco, isn’t ready to say goodbye to her in-person service. Hung insisted she’s seen no decrease in her business resulting from the popularity of digital staging. “Not at all — because people still pay for the staging service,” she said, singling out high-end clients that tend to pay for more extensive physical staging improvements. Her clientele includes sellers with homes ranging from
$2 million to $10 million. While also a professional interior designer, Hung charges from $5,000 to $15,000 for these services. g
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