Source: https://agentshelf.com/guides/ai-first-steps
Published: 2026-01-08
Author: Jason Hernandez
Category: Getting Started
Skill level: Beginner

# Getting Started with AI: A Beginner's Guide for Real Estate Agents

If you don't know where to start (or if AI terrifies you) but you want to see what all the hype is about, here are some simple first steps to get you on your way.

## Why Start with ChatGPT?

**Start with ChatGPT.** It's the most well known. Just like "Google" became synonymous with internet searches, ChatGPT is what a lot of people think of when they hear "AI."

## Getting Set Up

### Step 1: Create Your Account

1. Go to [openai.com](https://openai.com) and create an account
2. It's **free to use**, although there are Plus and Pro subscriptions available for a monthly fee
3. If you do decide to pay for a subscription, just know you can cancel at any time and restart it at any time
4. There are **no contracts** or minimum months to pay for

### Step 2: Download the Apps

- Download the **desktop app** from your computer's app store
- Download the **smartphone app** from your provider's app store

## How to Use It

**Use it.** It's that easy.

- Tell it what you want it to do by entering a _prompt_ and it will do it
- If you don't like the answer, tell it what you don't like about it and ask it to try again
- Short of asking how to do something illegal or unethical, there are **no limits** to what you can ask

> Just remember that if you have the free plan you will have usage limits or you might be limited during high usage times.

### Voice and Visual Features

It has a **voice mode** as well so you can chat with it like you're talking to a person _(it's not a person)_. You can also:

- Share your screen
- Allow it to access your phone's camera
- Take pictures directly in the app

## Your First Assignment

Here's your first assignment:

1. **Take pictures** of one of your listings and upload them into the chat
2. **Prompt it** to write a property description for your _(X)_ bedroom, _(X)_ bath, _(X)_ square foot house using the attached pictures
3. **Read through** the description it gave you
4. **Make adjustments:**
   - If it forgot to include any details, ask it to include them
   - If you don't like the wording in some places, change it
   - If you forgot to ask it to include details about the neighborhood, give them and ask it to generate it again
   - You can even ask it to try it again and take parts from the two different versions and combine them

You'll save yourself some valuable time by not starting with a blank page, because **it's a lot easier to change something than to come up with something from scratch.**

## Sample Prompt to Get You Started

**Here's a sample prompt you can use:**

> "You are a professional real estate copywriter. I'm uploading photos of a property that is about to go on the market. Please write a compelling, detailed listing description that highlights the most attractive features shown in the images. The tone should be professional, warm, and engaging, appropriate for a [insert type: luxury home, cozy starter home, modern condo, etc.]. Emphasize things like natural light, outdoor space, updates, finishes, layout flow, curb appeal, and anything else notable from the photos. Keep it around 150–250 words."

### Optional Add-Ons to Improve Results

Add the following details to get even better results:

- **Number of bedrooms and bathrooms**
- **Square footage**
- **Neighborhood name**
- **Unique selling points** not visible in the photos (e.g., "new roof in 2023," "walking distance to parks")

Specify whether the tone should be:

- **Luxurious**
- **Family-friendly**
- **Investor-oriented**
- **First-time buyer focused**

**Happy prompting!**

_Jason_