Words mean things.
Just ask Joan Herlong of Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.
“I asked someone to write a draft of remarks on a high-end listing,” she says. “And I could tell he’d used AI to write it up, because it contained words he would never use in real life.” While the world embraces the power of artificial intelligence to craft a message, Herlong says when it comes to describing a home, there’s no mistaking a professional’s voice.
“I know a lot of agents are using [artificial intelligence], or hiring writers to create their remarks on a home, and I can spot it a mile away,” Herlong says. “And it’s word salad. Gobbledygook. Just tell me about the house, the property, and what sets it apart.”
For Herlong, flowing descriptions and lengthy introductions are prime examples of a listing agent getting in the way at a time when buyers’ attention spans are historically low.
“Writers are paid by the word, right? These writers working for these agents must be paid by the adjective,” she says.
“We focus on the best photos with the best captions, and the best remarks that are to the point,” she says. “People want to know about location and condition, and then about the kitchen and owner’s suite, with emphasis on the kitchen and owner’s suite.”
And the same thing applies to photos. “If I’m in the market for a lake house, for example, show me the lake view, not the powder room,” Herlong says. “If it’s a mountain house, show me the mountains, not the dining room.”
In the end, Herlong says sellers should take a page from Ernest Hemingway, who labored to keep his writing as clear as possible.
“Never use a $50 word to describe a home when a $5 word will do,” she says.
