Are You Being “Catfished” by a House Listing? 5 Red Flags to Watch Out For

Catfishing in online dating has taught us that not everything is as genuine as it appears; those perfect profiles might hide a reality far less appealing. In the digital age, whether you’re swiping right on a dating app or scrolling through home listings online, deception can lurk behind the most alluring facades.

Just like navigating the world of online dating, searching for a home online requires a bit of detective work. Sometimes you have to look past the facade, ask plenty of questions, and trust your gut.

Here are 5 warning signs that the house you’re eyeing up might not be what it seems:

1) It’s Difficult to See in Person

If someone in the dating scene always has a handy or elaborate excuse for not being able to meet in person, there’s a good chance they’re catfishing you. Perhaps they’re just trying to get the person to fall head over heels in love so that when they do meet in person, it won’t matter if they don’t look anything like the person they portrayed themselves to be.

But if a home seller is making it impossible for you to see their home, it’s a good sign they’re just not that serious about actually selling their home.

2) It Looks Familiar

One online dating trick is to make a new profile to try and hook someone hungry for a fresh face in the dating pool. It might trick a newbie to the scene, but someone who’s been swimming in that pool for any amount of time quickly realizes it’s someone they’ve already swiped left on several times in the past.

Same goes for some sellers who think simply relisting an overpriced house will trick buyers into thinking it’s a “new” listing, when it’s been lingering on the market for months! You’ll pick up on this real quick if you’ve been watching the market for a while, but you might just fall for it if you just started house hunting.

3) There Aren’t Many Pictures

In online dating, a profile with only one or two photos can be a red flag. In fact, like it or not, a lot of people share more graphic images of themselves than you might want to see! But that’s still better than trying to figure out which one they are in the one group photo they shared.

The same goes for real estate… More often than not people include way too many photos, showing you close-up shots of ridiculous details that don’t matter, or 5 angles of the same room.

So when you see a listing with only one exterior photo, or a bunch of rooms missing from the mix of interior shots, it’s a good sign they want you to use your imagination, because the reality just isn’t that appealing.

4) The First Picture Is Unusual

You’d expect a dating profile to lead with that perfect headshot, right? Certainly not a shot of a beautiful sunset with a small silhouette of them in the distance.

Similarly, a house listing should almost always kick off with an exterior shot of the front of the house. Leading off with a picture of the kitchen (no matter how nice it is!), the back of the house, or a shot of a nearby lake at sunset is a sign that the house lacks curb appeal, or is a style that turns off a lot of buyers.

5) You Feel Like You Need to Do a “Background Check”

When a potential date is vague about their background, you might feel compelled to do a little digging.

The same goes for a listing that has very selective photo angles. Are the pictures cropped just right? Did they take them from a specific angle to hide something nearby?

If you feel like there’s just something off about not being able to see things that are behind or near a house, a quick Google Street View search can often help you determine if they’re trying to hide train tracks, power lines, or a commercial building next door.