Artificial Intelligence is out of the bottle, and there’s no putting it back, so let’s learn to make the best of it.
The launch of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, as well as a slew of other more topic-specific AI chatbots, are changing the way people do business and live their lives. As these chatbots evolve and their use becomes more mainstream, they are aimed at improving and advancing humanity in myriad ways. But they will also disrupt the status quo. Some jobs may go the way of the dinosaur. Fortunately, for real estate agents, we believe AI chatbots are a great opportunity to level up their work.
AI Chatbots are language models that predict what the next word or character in a sentence or line of code will be based on the training they’ve received. They don’t think. They guess what people would do, based on what people have done. And they do it really fast.
In real estate, that means they could crank out forms and content far more efficiently than a human. But their end results are usually not quite ready for the real world. They still need some finesse.
And the last time we checked, AI chatbots can’t look a person in the eye and shake their hand. They can’t detect subtle changes in posture and voice in the heat of a negotiation. They can’t offer comfort when the deal on someone’s dream home falls through. Or properly celebrate when they close on another home they love even more.
While some will find the antiseptic experience of a completely digital real estate transaction to their liking, the vast majority of us will always want that human element that AI simply cannot provide.
AI won’t replace you. But it can make you better at your job.
We talked to one of the real estate industry AI specialists, Bob Patel, Director of Technology Support, CENTURY 21 Jordan-Link & Co., about the best ways for real estate agents to take advantage of the new AI chatbots. He said there are many ways these tools can help, including:
- Provide instant and personalized assistance to clients 24/7. Chatbots can answer common questions, provide property info, schedule appointments and even conduct virtual tours. And they don’t sleep or care about work/life balance.
- Help with lead qualification and nurturing.
- Write, edit or rewrite communications and other content. You’ll likely want to tweak the output, but they can really get the ball rolling.
- Automate repetitive processes like data entry, form filing and document management, giving you and your team more time to apply the human touch.
But Bob reminded us that none of that is possible without a good prompt, which is the request or instruction given to an AI system to generate a specific output. There is an art to this, but here are 5 keys you should keep in mind for successful prompt writing:
- Clarity: The prompt should be clear and concise, conveying a specific message or asking a direct question.
- Context: Context can help the chatbot better understand your intentions. Including relevant information or specifying the desired outcome can guide the bot’s response to a more personalized interaction.
- Simplicity: Avoid using complex language, technical jargon, or overly elaborate sentences that might be confusing.
- Personality: Infusing the prompt with a touch of personality can make the chatbot’s output more engaging and relatable. Just make sure that the tone aligns with your brand’s voice and the client’s expectations.
- Testing and Iteration: Continuous testing and iteration are essential to refine your prompts to optimize for improved engagement and effectiveness.
From a brand perspective, the CENTURY 21® brand is looking at ways to leverage AI innovations and technology to make the job of its affiliated agents easier. From improving agent output and productivity to streamlining backend operations, agents can keep their focus on what’s most important, like securing listings, facilitating closings and delivering top-quality service for their clients.