Jim Valentine on Real Estate
Artificial Intelligence, AI, is becoming more prevalent in the everyday world and the real estate industry is no exception. Many of the home descriptions are now generated by AI and it is amazingly transparent. We used to comment about a flowery description by saying “the creative writing class mush have gone well!” Today, we can only laugh at the redundancy and irrelevancy of the comments used to entice a buyer to look at a home.
Smart homes used to, and still do, mean homes with digital features that allow for the home to do trick stuff like heating and cooling controlled remotely, reveal who is at the front door, etc. Now smart homes do amazing things if you can believe the advertising that has come along with AI.
So many of the properties now, “provides,” “boasts,” or “invites.” Very talented properties they are. They also allow you to “… step into sublime living…” and many are “…strategically nestled…” One of the most overworked words today is “tranquility”. We’ve seen homes smashed into a tight subdivision offering tranquility these days as the computer generates fluff. Tranquility used to be a base on the moon that was the site of the first moon landing. Today it is an overworked home description.
Chefs are used to sell more homes than they are to sell frying pans on TV. Homes are described as a chef’s “delight,” “dream,” or “chef inspired.” What about the cook that wants the outdoor kitchen? Do chefs not cook outdoors? What is a chef rated home anyway… an extra sink, high end appliances, or? It varies from buyer to buyer as does this fun phrase we read recently, “…offers an unparalleled living experience.” That from a home among homes. One can read many things into that phrase.
You will find many examples, but one of the best run-on AI blurts we’ve seen reads as follows: “As for your vehicular treasures, the commodious 3-car garage awaits to house them safely, easing your daily commutes and storage woes. Living here means being smartly positioned near top-tier shopping and delightful dining spots, ensuring your errands and escapades are always conveniently close. Despite such closeness to amenities, the home’s location on a quiet lot ensures tranquility reigns supreme. Besides, who says convenience has to disrupt community charm? With low homeowners association demands, your life here is about enjoying all the urban perks without compromising on peaceful living standards. This home is a sanctuary of calm and a nexus of convenience. If you’re buzzy like a bee when it comes to fetching groceries or zippy like a hummingbird in scoring that last parking spot downtown, then zoom in on making this nest your own before another eager home seeker does.”
Very creative but what do you know about the home? Do you want to zip over and zoom into it to see what it has to offer? Does it have the bedrooms you need? The garage is commodious … does that work for you? How about the home described with, “Morning light spills into this oasis, cutting through the calm, setting you up for a serene start to your day.” Ah, the light cutting through the calm to create serenity. Must be another tranquility location. These are all computer enhancing without editing.
Our advice: We look for agents to read their ad copy with better attention to detail and meaning as time goes on. They need to remember what they are trying to do with the ad copy – sell the house. The purpose of the verbiage is to get them in the home. Does “comfort meets convenience in a symphony of space” really tell the buyer something about the home? Read the ads with your new insight we’ve provided and enjoy the laugh. We are confident that this will get straightened out, but in the interim it is fun to watch the industry learn to use the new technology.
No, we do not use AI in our writing! We claim ownership of whatever our fingers generate on the keyboard, good and bad. When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your Real Estate needs… Experience is Priceless! Jim Valentine, License No. BS-03481, RE/MAX Gold Carson Valley 775-781-3704. dpwtigers@hotmail.com