Estate agents marketing high-value homes are being warned that listing photographs could inadvertently provide criminals with a visual inventory of valuable possessions inside properties.
Security technology firm Inca Labs says its analysis of more than 600 European luxury property listings from one estate agency identified 19,379 visible artworks, collectibles, antiques and other luxury objects.
The company estimates the objects represented around €1.4bn in perceived value, highlighting what it believes is a growing security risk as artificial intelligence makes analysing large numbers of listing photographs easier.
The warning follows a UK burglary case earlier this year in which an organised crime gang used Google to identify affluent areas before examining property photographs and floorplans on Rightmove to help plan raids.
LISTING SECURITY
The gang was linked to at least 59 burglaries across the UK and stole more than £1m worth of jewellery, watches, designer goods and cash.
Inca Labs argues that advances in image-analysis technology could make it increasingly easy to examine large volumes of publicly available property photographs for indicators of wealth.
The company has developed VERIVELA Asset Shield, a pre-publication system designed to analyse photographs used in property, yacht and commercial listings and identify potentially security-sensitive visual information.
It can then alter elements within images that could reveal valuable objects while retaining the wider appearance of the property.
AGENT RESPONSIBILITY
The issue raises questions for agents marketing luxury homes about how much information should be visible in listing photographs and whether security needs to become a greater consideration when preparing properties for sale.
Inca Labs says its analysis identified artworks, collectibles, antiques and designer goods among the objects visible across the luxury listings it examined.
The company describes publicly available property photography as potentially creating a “searchable visual inventory” of valuables.
Its technology analyses complete image sets across different rooms, angles and viewpoints before listings are published and can continue monitoring images once properties are being marketed.
The warning comes as property businesses increasingly use artificial intelligence and automated image analysis across sales and marketing, potentially increasing both the opportunities and risks created by the growing amount of property information available online.
