How to Write Real Estate Content That AI Could Never Write

By now, I hope you know that putting ChatGPT (or Gemini, Claude, etc.) content on your blog word-for-word is a bad idea.

I've mentioned many times that you need to put your expertise and experience into anything that AI writes. (Expertise and experience: two of the four elements of E-E-A-T that Google wants to show in its search results.)

In this article, I'll share some specific examples showing how to do that. Ready?

Let's say you want to do a seller-focused article on your blog. The title is going to be something like How to Improve Your Home's Value Before You Sell It. I have no idea what the search demand is for that topic, but play along with me. 😇

Normally, I'd ask ChatGPT or Gemini just for an outline to give me ideas on what to write. But for this exercise, I gave ChatGPT this simple prompt to write a full article for me:

Please write a 750-word article about the things that a homeowner can do to improve their home's value before they sell it. The article will be posted on a real estate agent's blog.

(Note: I'm not suggesting your blog posts should be 750 words. I just did that to make sure the example article would be long enough for me to pull some material for this article.)

Here's a link to the prompt and ChatGPT's full article. Check it out, then come back. (taps fingers...waiting for you to return...)

Okay, you're back?

It's pretty easy to tell AI content when we see it -- it's bland and generic and doesn't have the experience, expertise, and authoritativeness that Google wants. So the first thing you want to do is rewrite as much of it as you can. Put it in your own words.

Now let's get into some specific examples, starting with the intro from ChatGPT's article:

When preparing to sell a home, most homeowners aim to maximize their property's value. This process can be daunting, but with a strategic approach, you can increase your home's appeal and market price. Here are some practical steps homeowners can take to improve their home's value before selling.

Yaaaawwwwwwn, right? OMG that's bland. I mean, at least it doesn't mention "delve" and "intricacies," but your potential seller lead is gonna fall asleep before they get to the third sentence. 😴

So how do we do better?

My favorite way is to tell a story. Humans love stories. Our brains are wired to pay attention to stories. So maybe your intro paragraph goes something like this:

A couple months ago, I was working with a Kennewick couple -- Sam and Bonnie. Great people! They were getting ready to sell their house and, like just about every other local seller I've worked with, wanted to get the most money possible.

I told them that they could expect the home to sell for about $400,000 in its current condition, but they were hoping to get more.

"What can we do to improve our home's value?" they asked. The ideas I shared with them during that meeting can also help you, so here's my best advice for improving the value of your home before you sell.

That's not my best writing, but I think it's much better than what ChatGPT provided. Here's why:

• It tells a story to capture readers' attention.

• It mentions some keywords that are related to the headline/title. (getting ready to sell their house, improve our home's value, improve the value of your home)

• It mentions a local city. (Kennewick)

• Best of all, it reflects a direct experience. It's something that AI could never write.

After that boring intro, the ChatGPT article lists seven things a homeowner can do to improve their home's value -- stuff like make repairs, update the kitchen, revamp the bathrooms, etc. All good advice, but again, pretty generic.

So as you're working on rewriting as much of the article as possible, look for opportunities to insert your personal experiences. Surely you have a client who replaced their roof before selling, upgraded the kitchen cabinets, or even something as simple as changing out the bathroom fixtures. Tell that story. Share specifics about how their upgrade(s) made the home more appealing, helped increase foot traffic, or put more money in their pockets. Share things that AI could never write.

The final suggestion in the AI article is "Stage the Home." Here's what it says:

Staging can help potential buyers visualize the home's potential. Consider these staging strategies:

Furniture Placement: Arrange furniture to create open, inviting spaces. Highlight focal points like fireplaces or large windows.

Neutral Decor: Use neutral colors and decor to create a harmonious environment.

Lighting: Ensure each room is well-lit, utilizing natural light wherever possible.

Outdoor Spaces: Stage outdoor areas with patio furniture and decor to demonstrate potential uses.

Yaaawwwnnnnnn. 😴

This is another opportunity to insert your opinion and experiences. Here's one possible rewrite in your words:

At XYZ Realty, we love staging homes before we list them. I'd estimate that we stage about 80% of our listings every year. (Some of our listings are in such great condition they don't need staging, while a few others can't be staged for one reason or another.)

Our preferred stager has won national awards and always makes our listings more appealing to buyers. In fact, two of my favorite stories are when my sellers ignored her advice to repaint specific walls -- one was a living room wall, the other was a dining room wall. Both homes sat unsold for several weeks. As soon as they gave in and followed her painting advice, we redid the photos, had 3x the showings, and both homes had offers within two weeks. She's that good!

Most experienced listing agents will tell you that a well-staged home can help your home sell faster and for more money.

Again, that's your personal experience replacing the generic ChatGPT garbage. AI could never write something like that because it lacks your expertise and experience.

Your Takeaways

ChatGPT and other AI tools are only capable of regurgitating what's already on the internet; that's how their models are trained. If you use them to create content, you can't take their output and put it on your site word-for-word.

Instead, use them for ideas and outlines. Rewrite the content as much as you can, always looking to insert what AI can never provide: your personal experiences, expertise, and stories.

Hopefully, the examples above give you some ideas on how to do that.

If you liked this article, you'll love my weekly newsletter. Marketing Unlocked arrives in your inbox every Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. ET. You can unsubscribe anytime, but 600+ of your industry peers are reading it and raving about it. Click here to learn why and subscribe.