For Joan Herlong of Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty, artificial intelligence is both a blessing and a curse.
“It’s annoying when a prospective buyer sends eight questions that were clearly generated by ChatGPT,” she says. “You can tell when the words are not someone’s own thoughts; it might seem like a tool that makes you seem savvy, but when the way you talk is nothing like what you write, artificial intelligence just comes across as … artificial.”
The unproductive use of AI extends to sellers, too.
“I recently received an email from an owner asking about my ‘personal average sales-price-to-list-price ratio.’ I don’t list average properties, so that was obviously an AI-generated question.”
Herlong says AI also offers positive benefits.
“AI is a great tool for reining in otherwise florid, verbose or just clunky property descriptions,” she says. “The results are a lot better than what the average agent used to write on their own. It often makes sense now.”
Another big lift offered by AI? The ability to quickly pull information on big-ticket items like water heaters or HVAC systems.
“When a seller cannot or will not disclose the age of their HVAC systems, for example, I can take a picture of the serial number on an AC unit, run it by ChatGPT, and get the approximate age for my buyer in seconds. More information really is ‘more better’ when it comes to making an offer on something,” Herlong says. “With AI and its assorted tools, buyers and buyer agents no longer have to take ‘I don’t know’ for an answer.”
Note: Joan Herlong wants you to know that AI was not used in any way to generate this content.
