Buyer Beware: Hollywood Special Effects Now Permeate Property Listings

Real-estate listing photos have always accentuated the positive, but computer-generated imagery of the sort Hollywood uses has now become so cheap and prolific that home sellers are taking out walls, removing ugly paneling and even adding digital swimming pools.

At the same time, photos are more important than ever: Nearly every home search begins online and deals are often struck without in-person showings, particularly amonginvestors who are putting photos through their own algorithms to price homes as they make an unprecedented move into the U.S. housing market.