Property descriptions have always been one of those tasks that sits uncomfortably in agent workflows. Important enough that bad ones hurt your listings, but repetitive enough that writing them feels like drudgery after a few hundred properties.

AI has changed this equation. Tools can now generate property descriptions in seconds—grammatically correct, feature-complete, and ready to post. The question isn’t whether AI can write listings. It’s whether those descriptions serve vendors and buyers effectively.

What AI Does Well

Let’s acknowledge the genuine strengths of AI-generated property descriptions:

Speed and Consistency

AI produces descriptions instantly. For agencies processing high volume, this represents meaningful time savings. A task that might take 20-30 minutes per listing becomes seconds.

Consistency improves too. Human-written descriptions vary with mood, time pressure, and writing ability. AI produces reliably competent output regardless of circumstances.

Feature Capture

AI excels at systematically covering property features. Given a list of attributes—bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, key improvements—AI ensures nothing is omitted. Human writers sometimes forget to mention features that matter to specific buyers.

Grammar and Structure

AI doesn’t have off days. It produces grammatically correct, properly structured prose every time. For agents whose writing skills are stronger in other areas, this represents genuine improvement.

Variation at Scale

AI can produce multiple description variants quickly. Need different versions for different platforms or marketing angles? AI generates alternatives without the cognitive load of creative rewriting.

What AI Gets Wrong

AI descriptions have consistent weaknesses:

Generic Language

AI defaults to safe, familiar phrasing. “Sun-drenched living spaces,” “seamless indoor-outdoor flow,” “highly sought-after location”—these phrases appear in thousands of AI-generated descriptions. They communicate nothing distinctive.

Buyers reading AI descriptions sense the sameness. Properties blur together rather than standing out.

Missing Emotional Connection

Property purchase is emotional. The best descriptions evoke how it feels to live somewhere—the morning light through bedroom windows, the neighbourhood sounds, the sense of arrival walking through the front door.

AI struggles with this emotional layer. It describes features competently but rarely captures experience.

Local Context Gaps

AI doesn’t know that this street has the best coffee shop in the suburb, that the park at the end hosts Saturday morning dog gatherings, or that the elderly couple next door have lived there for forty years. Local texture that makes properties feel real requires human knowledge.

Voice and Authenticity

Each agency and agent should have distinctive voice. AI descriptions often sound interchangeable—competent but anonymous. This undermines brand differentiation and personal connection.

Over-Polishing

AI tends toward uniformly positive framing. Every property becomes wonderful. This sameness erodes credibility. Occasionally acknowledging honest limitations (“the backyard is compact but private”) builds trust that relentless positivity doesn’t.

The Hybrid Approach

The smart solution isn’t AI versus human—it’s AI augmented by human judgment:

AI Draft, Human Polish

Use AI to generate initial descriptions that capture all features systematically. Then edit for:

• Distinctive language replacing generic phrases
• Local knowledge and context
• Emotional resonance and experiential description
• Authentic voice matching agency brand
• Honest acknowledgment of relevant limitations

This approach captures AI’s efficiency while adding human value.

Template Variation

Create AI prompts that generate descriptions in your agency’s voice. Train the AI (through prompt engineering) to avoid phrases you consider overused and emphasise aspects that matter for your market.

Different property types might warrant different templates: apartment descriptions emphasise different features than family homes.

Quality Control Process

Implement review steps before descriptions publish:

• Read descriptions aloud—do they sound natural?
• Check for generic phrases that should be replaced
• Verify local references are accurate
• Confirm distinctive features receive appropriate attention

This review takes minutes but prevents the sameness that harms listing quality.

Buyer Perspective

Consider descriptions from buyer standpoint:

Buyers read dozens, sometimes hundreds, of property descriptions during their search. The ones that stand out are distinctive—they convey something specific about the property and its potential as a home.

Generic AI descriptions don’t stand out. They’re processed and forgotten, providing information but not creating connection.

The goal isn’t just describing properties. It’s making buyers want to inspect them. That requires something AI alone can’t yet provide: the spark that makes one listing memorable among many.

Vendor Perspective

Vendors evaluate agents partly on marketing quality. Descriptions are visible evidence of how you’ll present their property.

Generic descriptions suggest generic service. Vendors may not articulate this concern explicitly, but they sense when marketing lacks distinction.

Conversely, compelling descriptions demonstrate commitment and capability. Vendors who feel their property is being presented thoughtfully become better advocates during campaigns.

Practical Implementation

For agencies adopting AI-assisted description writing:

Train Your AI

Spend time developing prompts that produce output closer to your ideal:

• Specify voice and tone preferences
• List phrases to avoid
• Include examples of excellent descriptions
• Define structure and emphasis priorities

This investment pays dividends across all subsequent descriptions.

Build Review Habits

Make editing AI output standard practice:

• Schedule dedicated time for review
• Create checklists for common improvements
• Track which edits you make repeatedly (these should inform better prompts)

Review shouldn’t be optional or hurried.

Measure Results

Track whether AI-assisted descriptions perform differently:

• Engagement metrics (views, saves, enquiry rates)
• Buyer feedback about listing quality
• Vendor satisfaction with marketing
• Time savings versus previous process

Data should guide continued evolution of your approach.

Stay Current

AI capabilities improve rapidly. Approaches that represent best practice today may become outdated. Stay aware of new tools and techniques.

Looking Forward

AI will continue improving at description writing. Future models may better capture local context, emotional resonance, and distinctive voice. The gap between AI output and excellent human writing will narrow.

But the fundamentals won’t change: property marketing that connects with buyers requires understanding what makes each property special and communicating that distinctively. Technology enables this work but doesn’t replace the need for it.

The agents who thrive will be those who leverage AI for efficiency while maintaining the human insight and authentic voice that make listings compelling. Neither pure AI nor pure manual approaches optimise outcomes. The hybrid path—technology plus humanity—represents the future of effective property marketing.

---

Linda Powers consults with real estate agencies on marketing effectiveness, including technology-assisted content development. Her 25-year career spans the evolution from purely manual to AI-augmented property marketing.