We’ve seen how the use of AI technology has grown in the real estate industry, and over time, how agents are using it, for better or worse.
Mid last year, RISMedia shared strategies for real estate professionals to experiment with the tech, and as we’ve kept reporting, shown how agents have found ways to save time with AI. However, with all its helpful applications in the business, it’s important to avoid having it become a crutch.
Here are three important reasons why you shouldn’t completely rely on AI in your real estate business:
Writing listings
An obvious use for AI in real estate is to generate captions or listing descriptions based on property photos. However, a mere copy and paste from ChatGPT can’t offer totally accurate details like a human can.
Text-generation programs like ChatGPT are simply regurgitating information from a pre-existing pool of online data. That’s why the idea of automating writing—which requires thought, perspective and creativity—is fallacious.
A pitfall many agents face in writing listing descriptions is not going the extra mile to make the copy impactful. People, prospective clients included, will pick up on robotic writing, which can come across as careless at best or disingenuous at worst. A human touch will go a long way.
You still need to fact check
It is important to double check the results that AI produces before using them, since the programs aren’t always as reliable as you’d think. For instance, make sure the writing actually aligns with the listing photos or the property as you’ve observed it with your own eyes.
Also, Google the text you’ve been given by the AI program. It was created by scanning pre-existing real estate listings, so make sure it’s accurate and original so that you’re not plagiarizing.
Editing is an essential skill, even without AI. You’ll save yourself headaches by double-checking your work for accuracy. If you can’t trust yourself or an editor without a second look, don’t trust a computer.
Identity theft
Any technology can be used maliciously, and AI is no different. Real estate companies—due to hosting their customers’ most personal information—will always be a target for ransomware attacks.
AI, with voice and facial mimicry, is a powerful new tool for identity thieves to get past cybersecurity protocols. Just like you should be extra diligent with AI text, be extra aware of AI-aided identity theft.
