How to spot a property ad that does not add up

Most property ads are honest. A few are not, and the cost of falling for one is a lost deposit and a wasted week. The signs are usually visible if you know where to look.

The photos

Real listings usually show a mix of rooms, ordinary lighting and a few imperfections. Be careful with photos that look like a brochure, show only one room, or appear on other listings in the same city. Bhavano compares photos against other sellers' photos in the same city when a listing is posted, but a check cannot catch everything, so treat the photos as a starting point.

The price

A price far below similar homes in the same area is a reason to ask why, not a reason to hurry. Compare it with a few other listings in the same locality before you get excited.

The pressure

• A request for money before you have seen the property.
• "Another person is paying today" and similar deadlines.
• An owner who is always abroad and can only communicate by message.
• A refusal to meet, or to let you see the place with someone you trust.

What to do instead

1. See the property in person, or send someone you trust.
2. Meet the person who will sign the agreement and check who they are.
3. Pay only when the terms are written down, and pay by a method that leaves a record.
4. If something looks wrong, report it. Use Contact us with a link to the listing.

We explain what we check before a listing goes live, what our team can take down, and what we do not verify yet, on our Trust and Safety page.