A seller logs into a virtual meeting and appears on camera, answering questions and confirming the sale. The voice sounds right, and the video looks real. But there’s one problem: The person on the screen isn’t the homeowner. It’s a deepfake created by criminals using artificial intelligence.
Seller impersonation fraud is one example of how scammers are using AI-generated videos, voice clones and fake documents to infiltrate real estate transactions. Experts warn these tools are making it increasingly difficult to detect.
“Trust has always been a foundation of real estate,” Sharon Love-Bates, director of emerging technology at the National Association of REALTORS®, said during the recent webinar, "Deepfakes and the Growing AI Fraud Threat."
“Now, AI can manipulate what we see, hear and read,” she said.
Echoing that, AI cybersecurity expert Tracey Hawkins, who also spoke during the webinar, said nowadays “real estate agents need to question everything, even what you’re looking at the screen."
Replay: "Deepfakes and the Growing AI Fraud Threat" (July 29, 2026).
New technology tools are racing to combat the growing threat. Also at the webinar, Pat Kinsel, founder and CEO of Proof, formerly Notarize and part of the 2017 REACH program, discussed how identity verification, digital signatures and risk screening are helping to secure transactions. Also, Alexander Fahsel, co-founder and CEO of Property Shield, shared how his company is using AI monitoring to detect fake listings, stolen images and other property fraud risks.
While AI is creating new risks, technology and stronger verification practices can help agents and consumers stay ahead of growing threats, panelists said.
“Be alert and aware because agents can help prevent these crimes,” Hawkins said. “Make protecting the consumer part of your business practice.” She added that educating themselves and their clients about the warning signs is the first step.
Related: 1 in 5 Targeted: How to Prepare for Rising Scam Threats
What Is a Deepfake?
A deepfake is AI-generated or AI-manipulated content designed to imitate a real person through video, voice, images or text. “It can be very hard to detect what’s real and what’s fake,” Love-Bates said.
The threat is rapidly growing. AI-enabled fraud attempts surged 456% between May 2024 and April 2025, according to data from Chainabuse. Americans lost nearly $893 million to AI-powered crime, including voice and video clones, fake profiles and other scams, according to the FBI’s 2025 IC3 crime reportpdf, its first year tracking AI-related scams.
Real estate has become a prime target: Large sums of money change hands, multiple parties communicate remotely, transactions operate under tight deadlines, and buyers and sellers often aren’t familiar with every step of the process, Love-Bates said.
Related: Scammers Use Agent Deepfakes to Fool Buyers, Sellers
How AI Is Fueling Real Estate Scams
The panelists highlighted several AI-related scams and what to watch out for, including:
- Voice clone calls: Scammers can clone an agent’s voice and call buyers claiming wiring instructions have changed or requesting personal information.
- Deepfake video meetings: Fraudsters can impersonate sellers or buyers during virtual meetings or closings.
- Wire fraud: Criminals impersonate title companies, lenders or real estate agents and pressure buyers to redirect their closing funds.
- Phishing emails and texts: Fraudsters send urgent messages requesting personal or financial information.
- Forged documents: Scammers use AI to create fake driver’s licenses, W-2s, ownership documents and other financial records used to facilitate fraud.
- Fake listings: Scammers pose as sellers or landlords in rental scams, vacant land scams or fraudulent property listings.
Fahsel urges consumers and real estate professionals to be extra vigilant when interacting with prospective clients who found listings through social media platforms. “Look up the address and verify it on larger real estate platforms,” he says. “If the information doesn’t match, that’s a massive red flag. We’re seeing a lot of fraud lately stemming from social media platforms.”
Best Practices to Stay Safe and the Tools to Help
Experts emphasized that verification remains the best defense against AI-driven fraud. Love-Bates offered these tips:
- Don’t wire funds solely on email, text or voicemail.
- Verify instructions independently by calling entities directly using a trusted number.
- Confirm identities through multiple channels.
- Pause before sending money or sharing personal information.
- Be suspicious of urgency and unexpected communications.
She also urged to be on the lookout for warning signs of deepfake videos, including unnatural facial movements, lip-sync problems, robotic speech or awkward pauses. But Love-Bates cautioned these clues are not foolproof as the technology rapidly improves.
As AI scams evolve, technology companies are developing new ways to add extra layers of protection to real estate transactions.
For example, Property Shield uses AI-powered monitoring to scan the internet and multiple listing services for potential threats, such as fake listings, stolen property photos and brand impersonation. The company alerts agents when it detects suspicious activity.
Agents also are increasingly turning to watermarks on listing photos to discourage misuse. A watermark is a visible mark or logo placed over an image to identify ownership. However, Kinsel cautioned that AI tools can remove many traditional watermarks.
Instead, his company Proof uses digital signatures that create a tamper-evident seal on documents, which allows recipients to verify whether files have been altered. The technology provides identity verification and a traceable audit trail rather than relying only on a visual mark.
Kinsel said agents should expect more from the technology tools they regularly use, asking vendors how those tools are verifying identities and protecting transactions against fraud attempts.
“Fraud is becoming cheaper to produce, easier to personalize and AI is only going to get better,” Fahsel said.
Hawkins urged agents to make cybersecurity education part of every transaction, including listing appointments and buyer consultations by highlighting the growing threats and the red flags to watch out for.
“We can reduce fraud and scams, but you have to invest in the tools and training … whether you’re a team or individual agent,” Hawkins said. “The cost of preparing now is far less than the cost of recovering from a cyberattack.”
