The rental market has gone completely mental, and I’m not just talking about the prices. I’ve been reading through some discussions about the absurd amount of personal information real estate agents are demanding from prospective tenants these days, and honestly, it’s left me equal parts frustrated and genuinely concerned about where we’re heading as a society.

Someone mentioned they were asked for their social media accounts during a rental application in Melbourne’s CBD. Social media accounts. Think about that for a moment. We’re talking about handing over the keys to your digital life just for the privilege of paying someone else’s mortgage. What’s next? DNA samples? A detailed psychological profile? Your browser history?

Been scrolling through rental listings lately and honestly, it’s like browsing through a collection of fairy tales. The latest push for cracking down on AI-enhanced real estate photos has got me thinking about just how far we’ve let this industry slide into outright deception.

The thing is, artificial intelligence isn’t really the villain here – it’s just the latest tool in a decades-long con game. Real estate agents have been photoshopping properties since digital cameras became mainstream. I remember when my wife and I were hunting for our first place together, we’d rock up to inspections only to find rooms that looked nothing like the online photos. The “spacious living area” turned out to be a cramped box, and that “lush garden” was basically a patch of weeds with some very creative colour correction.