LIFULL HOME'S Expands Decoy Property Detection System to Sales Domain

LIFULL HOME'S, a real estate and housing information service operated by LIFULL Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yuji Ito; TSE Prime: 2120), which tackles social issues through its business, has launched a system in February 2026 that automatically detects and unpublishes decoy properties in the used housing sales domain. This system applies the mechanism of the patented 'Maintenance Visualization Tool' (https://lifull.com/news/43168/) and optimizes the know-how cultivated in the decoy property detection and automatic unpublishing system already operating in the rental domain, adapting it to the specific data characteristics of used homes for sale. Following tuning after launch, the number of properties automatically unpublished per day expanded about fivefold in one month, vastly improving detection accuracy and unpublishing efficiency. Background: Growing Needs for Used Homes and the Manifestation of the 'Decoy Property' Problem Recently, against the backdrop of soaring housing prices, there is growing interest in used homes, which allow buyers to choose properties with favorable conditions such as location and size while keeping costs down compared to newly built homes. On the other hand, unlike the new housing market where properties with the same specifications might be sold simultaneously, used homes are 'one-of-a-kind', requiring buyers to make rapid decisions. However, in Japanese real estate distribution, the progress of applications or contract procedures is sometimes not immediately reflected in advertisements. As a result, properties that already have applications or are in the process of transaction remain listed. Due to this lag in update timing, consumers face the issue of being advertised properties they cannot actually apply for, known as 'decoy properties'. According to a survey conducted by LIFULL HOME'S targeting 500 people who considered buying a used home in the past year (https://lifull.com/news/46701/), one in three prospective buyers encountered a decoy property, revealing that it constitutes a major barrier in their home search. Operations Started in February, Detections Expanded 5x in One Month This time, the system for 'detecting and automatically unpublishing decoy properties by applying the Maintenance Visualization Tool's mechanism' was expanded from the rental domain to the used housing sales domain, officially beginning operation in February 2026. *In the rental domain, similar initiatives have advanced the freshness of property information, achieving 'No. 1 Property Freshness' in 2025. (https://lifull.com/news/43470/) Following launch, continuous tuning tailored to data trends specific to used properties for sale was implemented. Consequently, as of March 2026, the number of automatically unpublished properties per day increased approximately fivefold compared to the system's launch, significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of eliminating decoy properties. Going forward, LIFULL HOME'S will continue to improve the accuracy and expand the scope of decoy property detection and automated unpublishing in both rental and sales domains. Simultaneously, by continually striving to improve the up-to-dateness and accuracy of property information, they aim to become the portal site with 'No.1 Property Freshness' not just in rentals but also in sales. LIFULL HOME'S will further boost reliability by making a state where users can 'choose with peace of mind' the standard for all property information. LIFULL HOME'S implements numerous initiatives regarding the social issue of 'decoy properties'. For details, please see below. https://data-solution.homes.jp/case/004 https://www.homes.co.jp/about/service/safetypolicy/ Comment by Yuko Miyasako, Head of 'Property Information Accuracy', LIFULL HOME'S Business Division "As someone who deals with the accuracy of property information daily, I feel that the state of 'being listed but actually unpurchasable' is a major factor that not only steals users' time and opportunities but also damages trust in the information itself. This time, we introduced a mechanism to automatically detect and unpublish decoy properties in the used home sales domain. By applying technology cultivated in the rental sector and adapting it to the data structures unique to sales, we have realized an effective countermeasure. Moving forward, we plan to continuously work on improving information accuracy, starting with the elimination of decoy properties, to create an information environment where users can choose their homes with confidence." About LIFULL HOME'S (https://www.homes.co.jp/) LIFULL HOME'S is a real estate and housing information service with the concept of "Making what you want to achieve visible." It provides a variety of information for finding homes, including rentals, single-family homes, and more.