How AI is shaping the Aussie real estate market

The greater use of generative AI is having a growing impact on property marketing. See our decoded list of the top used euphemisms.

Real estate listings have been putting an increasingly creative spin on the truth, with the greater use of generative AI causing a rise in puzzling and generic euphemisms in property marketing.

“Hamptons style”, “blank canvas” and “New York” loft are just some of the borrowed lingo real estate listings have frequently used to describe – or hide – aspects of homes listed on the market.

Buyer’s advocates revealed that “blank canvas” had become a codeword for a dilapidated dump that without a serious renovation could be beyond repair.

“Hamptons” was the go-to-term for any trace of white, while referencing “New York” was a common way to make apartments seem edgier.

Thomas McGlynn, BresicWhitney CEO and president of Real Estate Institute of NSW said generative AI was making a big impact on the industry.

“If you’re relying solely on AI for things that generally take some creative thinking, you’re at risk of sounding like everyone else,” he said.

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Thomas McGlynn REINSW president and director of BresicWhitney. Picture: Thomas Lisson.

“When you start using ChatGPT, things start to sound pretty similar and aren’t always accurate and things can be taken out of context.”

Generative AI prompting often spat out similar answers for real estate listings, when prompting ChatGPT to make an “ugly and small” house sound appealing, the first the descriptive words generated were “charming” or “has character”.

When asked how to make a home that was dark with little light attractive, ChatGPT used the terms “cosy and private”.

A keyword search on realestate.com.au revealed 34,000 property listings used the word charming while 10,000 used the American spelling of the word cosy.

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A home listed as a “New York style dual level apartment.”

Buyers agent Michelle May said many of the euphemism’s were “nonsense”.

“To be honest, as a buyers agent, I don’t even read the listings anymore,” she said.

“The first thing I look at the photos that they may have been doctored in some way, I don’t want to be influenced by the flowery wording.

“When the property is really basic, they say ‘renovators dream’ and ‘use your imagination’, ‘fixer upper’ – (often) there’s mould up to your waist and no roof.”

She noted descriptions often missed essential information, like measurements, or that a property may be tenanted until 2026.

Buyers advocate Cate Bakos said she worried about the potential of AI inaccuracies.

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Mount Annan home for sale, the listing describes the kitchen as a "Hampton-style open plan kitchen."

“An incorrectly labelled property, that will then become part of the data you introduce, that isn’t correct, I feel concerned about those kinds of those things. It can be equivalent to misrepresenting a property,” she said.

“I see homes listed as mid-century, they get that so wrong … also the difference between a cosmetic reno and a full renovation,” she said.

Mr McGlynn said AI was a great tool but it was important to “make sure things were accurate”.

“People should be wary that it’s drawing on the information that is already out there,” he said.

“AI might help you get to things quicker, but agents have specialised knowledge of the area and some perspective of what is special and specific to that market … it involves problem solving and creative, critical thinking.”

DECODING COMMON REAL ESTATE EUPHEMISMS

Golden Triangle / Golden Mile – an undefined area of a suburb that is said to be the most desired.

Hamptons-style – originally supposed to replicate the grand white houses in the Hamptons, now, it’s often anything with white paint, white fixtures and a light wood floor.

Blank-canvas /Renovators delight / fixer-upper /needs updating – unlivable, dump, dilapidated, could be covered in mould and all sorts of things. Check it’s possible to get building approvals before taking on these projects.

Charm and Character – old, outdated, probably in need of some updates.

Original condition – has not been updated or renovated since being built.

Comfortable / cosy / compact / quaint – tiny, shoebox, small – check for measurements on floorplans or request from agents.

New York loft – industrial or something a bit more edgy.

Convenient location – busy, traffic-filled street, noisy trainline or overlooking the motorway.

Vibrant location – a not yet gentrified neighbourhood.

Low maintenance yard – no garden or bare yard.

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Originally published as How AI is shaping the Aussie real estate market