Property agents must use AI in responsible way that does not mislead consumers: Forum

We refer to the Forum letter by Mr Felix Gao, “Property agents concerned about guidelines on using AI” (Dec 9). 

The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) agrees with Mr Gao that artificial intelligence (AI) can improve productivity and competitiveness across sectors, including the real estate agency industry.  

CEA does not prohibit the use of AI by property agents. In fact, the real estate agency industry has been actively investing in AI tools to help property agents save time on routine tasks such as generating drafts of property listing descriptions and marketing collaterals.

This has allowed agents to spend more time on other valuable tasks which AI cannot do, such as building relationships with clients by understanding their property needs, offering professional advice and assisting their clients with negotiations. What is important is that property agents must harness AI in a responsible manner that does not mislead consumers.

For example, CEA has received complaints of property advertisements containing images altered or enhanced by AI without sufficient disclaimers that these images were AI-enhanced.

Such practices present risks to consumers, who may form a wrong impression that these images portray the actual property.

While we recognise the opportunities presented by the use of AI in property advertisements, there is a need to protect property consumers from inaccurate or misleading advertising.

Where property agents use AI to enhance photographs in their advertisements, they are to highlight to consumers that the images have been enhanced or generated by AI. 

Joseph Kiong 
Director, Investigation and Inspection 
Council for Estate Agencies

Property agents concerned about guidelines on using AI: Forum

I am writing on behalf of artificial intelligence (AI) vendors serving Singapore’s real estate sector. After the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) released its message regarding AI photo editing (Property agents should not alter or enhance photographs, Dec 4), many confused and concerned property agents contacted me to ask what is actually allowed. This sudden volume of feedback signals a much deeper issue affecting the entire industry.

Singapore’s national direction is clear – the Government is strongly encouraging AI transformation across all sectors to improve productivity and competitiveness. However, the phrasing of CEA’s announcement has caused many agents to believe that all AI usage is unsafe or discouraged.

This interpretation runs counter to the broader national AI strategy, and risks slowing down innovation in one of the most important professional industries here. Regulatory wording may unintentionally discourage real estate agents from using AI tools entirely.

The consequences are significant. If agents misunderstand the guideline, some will avoid AI out of fear, while others will continue using it responsibly, leading to an unnecessary productivity divide within the industry.

This is not just a technical issue; it directly affects fairness, competitiveness and consumer experience.

AI vendors, including our team, have built tools that maintain a property’s original structure and condition while offering efficient, responsible improvements. These tools are aligned with consumer protection, not against it.

Given the scale of feedback from agents today and the importance of aligning regulation with national AI objectives, I believe this matter deserves broader public discussion.

Felix Gao
Founder
PostAI.sg

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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