To give its model homes a competitive edge, Centex is now populating them with actors who act like a family using the home. The press is abuzz with "fake families" but I don’t think that any prospective home owner feels fooled. The real question is whether or not the increased sales justify the expense. The additional publicity Centex received is valuable for now. This effort may survive and grow if they have people demonstrating the applicances or how the closet shelving could be reconfigured.

New York Times: Model Homes and Model ‘Families’, 2006-Jun-19, by Rebecca Fairley Raney

The production, called "Homelife," was developed by Roddan Paolucci Roddan, an advertising and public relations firm in Palos Verdes Estates that specializes in high-end residential developments and master-planned communities. Centex has tested the idea twice and may use it in developments around the country.
"It’s sort of a unique, out-of-the-box way to show a home," said Jim Garfield, senior publicist for Roddan Paolucci Roddan.