I wrote my first property description in 1999. Hand-typed on a clunky desktop, printed on A4, stuck in a window display. Twenty-seven years later, I’m watching AI tools write descriptions in seconds that are… honestly, not bad. Sometimes better than what junior agents produce.

But the conversation about AI property descriptions is missing the point. Everyone’s focused on “will AI replace copywriters?” The more interesting question is how it’s changing the way agencies operate day to day.

What’s actually happening in Sydney agencies right now

I did an informal survey of 22 agencies across Sydney — from large franchises in the CBD to independent offices in the suburbs. Eighteen of them are using some form of AI for property descriptions. Most started in the past twelve months.

The tools vary. Some are using general-purpose models like ChatGPT directly. Others have adopted property-specific platforms like REA Group’s AI listing tools or third-party PropTech solutions built for real estate copy. A few have had custom solutions built — one agency in the Eastern Suburbs worked with team400.ai to create an AI system trained specifically on their past high-performing listings.

The outputs range from “needs significant editing” to “ready to publish with minor tweaks.” But here’s the thing that surprised me: the time savings on writing aren’t the main benefit agencies are reporting.

The real benefits (and they’re not what you’d expect)

Consistency across agents

This is the one that keeps coming up. In a typical agency, you’ve got agents with wildly different writing abilities. Your senior agent writes polished, compelling copy. Your newest agent writes descriptions that read like they’re listing ingredients. AI levels that playing field.

One principal I spoke to in Mosman put it bluntly: “I used to spend an hour every weekend editing my team’s listings. Now I spend ten minutes reviewing AI-generated versions. They’re not perfect, but they’re consistently decent, which is better than occasionally brilliant and frequently terrible.”

Speed to market

In a hot market — and parts of Sydney are still very hot in early 2026 — the speed at which you get a listing live matters. A property photographed on Monday used to wait until Wednesday or Thursday for the copy to be written. With AI, an agent can generate a draft description at the property while the photographer is still packing up.

One agency told me they’d reduced their average time from photography to live listing from 3.2 days to 1.1 days. That’s not trivial in a market where the first weekend of marketing can determine the campaign outcome.

Multilingual descriptions

This one’s flying under the radar. Sydney is a multicultural city with significant buyer pools who prefer property information in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, or Hindi. AI translation of property descriptions — when reviewed by a native speaker — has opened up a cost-effective way to produce multilingual listings that previously would have required professional translation services.

Two agencies I spoke to in Chatswood and Hurstville are now producing every listing in English and Mandarin simultaneously. The cost? Essentially zero, compared to the $80-150 per listing they were paying for human translation.

Where AI descriptions still fall short

Let me be clear: AI-generated property copy is not ready to publish without human review. Not even close. Here’s where it consistently stumbles.

Local knowledge. AI doesn’t know that the “park across the road” is actually a dodgy reserve that nobody uses after dark. It doesn’t know that the “vibrant shopping strip” is three empty shopfronts and a kebab shop. It doesn’t know that “moments from the station” means a 15-minute walk up a steep hill. Local knowledge still requires a human.

Emotional storytelling. The best property descriptions tell a story. They help a buyer imagine living there. AI can produce competent, accurate copy, but it rarely produces the kind of description that makes someone book an inspection on the spot. That emotional resonance still comes from an experienced agent who’s walked through the home and understood what makes it special.

Legal accuracy. Property descriptions in Australia need to comply with fair trading legislation. Misleading claims can result in fines and legal action. AI tools will happily describe a property as having “ocean views” when it’s got a sliver of blue visible if you stand on the toilet. A human needs to verify every claim.

Differentiation. When every agency is using similar AI tools, the descriptions start sounding the same. “Sun-drenched interiors,” “effortless indoor-outdoor flow,” “whisper-quiet street.” If you want your listings to stand out, you still need a human touch — or at least a human who’s good at prompting the AI with distinctive angles.

My take on where this is heading

AI isn’t replacing property copywriters. It’s replacing bad property copywriting. And honestly, that’s a good thing. Buyers deserve accurate, well-written descriptions, and if AI raises the floor, everyone benefits.

The agencies that’ll win aren’t the ones using AI to cut costs on copywriting. They’re the ones using it to reallocate time. If your agent is spending an hour writing a description, that’s an hour they’re not spending calling prospects, doing appraisals, or building relationships. AI handles the description; the agent does the work that actually wins listings.

I expect that within two years, AI-assisted property descriptions will be the norm, not the exception. The differentiator won’t be whether you use AI — it’ll be how well you use it, and how effectively your humans add the local knowledge and emotional intelligence that AI can’t replicate.

Twenty-seven years of writing property descriptions, and I’m genuinely excited about where this is going. The tools are getting better. The smart agents are adapting. And the listings — for buyers at least — are improving.

That’s a win all round.