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Who is your co-pilot?

By
Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty

Yesterday, I "wrote" a post that was a little uncommon for me.  It's here.

As a good friend of mine, here in the Rain, put it for me... it didn't have a whole lot of "Alan" in it.  I posted it to see how it would be received, and to be honest I really didn't put a whole lot of effort into it, so I don't feel too bad that it only got 3 generic comments.  They were nice comments, but they didn't really connect, because quite honestly the post didn't really connect.

It wasn't my usually effervescent Alan-type of post, loaded with graphics and spice.  And I think my regulars, if there are any of those out there, could tell, and didn't really have anything to say in response to that post.  It didn't sound like me, and they didn't have anything to say to "that" me.

There's a good reason it didn't sound like me... because it wasn't.  It was 100% written by A/I.  I went to Microsoft Co-pilot (I prefer it to ChatGPT), and asked it to: "Write a post about real estate", and that's what it came up with.

It was 'okay'.  Not good, not bad, just neutral, and worthy of exactly three comments.  In fact I wouldn't have been surprised, or offended if it'd gotten no comments at all.

I was introduced to Co-pilot through my office, and dragged kicking and screaming into using it.  I tried it one day when I was "blocked" and asked it to write the copy for a townhouse description I was having trouble with.  I said "write a description of a townhouse with lots of open space on the first floor, and a patio and three balconies."  It did a remarkable job.

I then said.. "add in a skylight & bonus room on the third floor".  It smoothly integrated those too.

It's a brave new world, folks. I may never break a sweat again.

-50

Comments(15)

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Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

Hmmm Alan- is this you? I have used Chat GPT when I'm trying to make a paragraph a little more user-friendly, rather than my run-on sentences, like this one. And for that, I thank Chat GPT. 

So, did you or your CoPilot lose the 50???

Oct 16, 2025 05:48 PM
Alan May

Oh... trust me... it was me, not Co-Pilot.  I feel the burn.

Oct 17, 2025 04:22 AM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Dwell time on your blog. Watch time, audience retention, click through rate on a video.  Connecting emotionally with your audience means make it all about them, not you in whatever you upload for the World to glean Alan May.

kitten puppy

Oct 17, 2025 02:48 AM
Alan May

An emotional connection is def. what's missing with Co-Pilot.  (did you use Co-Pilot to write that comment, Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573?)

Oct 17, 2025 04:24 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Alan - yeah, the shift continues.. Again.

Oct 17, 2025 03:46 AM
Alan May

.. and the "f" is still missing.

Oct 17, 2025 04:25 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Alan May ,

I have to admit I read your post yesterday and it didn't sound like you! Found it difficult to write a comment ..no fun message or one of your observation missals to chuckle at. AI has it's place but is not going to exhibit your personality and the day it does we are done!

Oct 17, 2025 04:20 AM
Alan May

Yep... and that's exactly what I found... No real "Alan" in the post to respond to.  (missals, eh?)

Oct 17, 2025 04:25 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Too funny because I read your blog also and couldn't find anything to say so didn't respond. I have noticed quite a few AR writers who share posts that I'm sure are written by AI maybe with a few tweaks. And most of them are boring.

Oct 17, 2025 05:11 AM
Alan May

That's exactly the experience I anticipated.

Oct 18, 2025 04:15 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Friday morning, Alan. Enjoy your AI adventures and have a great day.

Oct 17, 2025 05:25 AM
Alan May

Why thank you, Roy.

Oct 18, 2025 04:15 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Alan. Read your post and no matter who wrote it, it let me know AI was here to stay and consumer expectations have changed. Less optimistic than many of you posts but they hit home with me. Just the plain facts. 

Oct 17, 2025 06:30 AM
Alan May

Just the facts, man.  Just the facts.

Oct 18, 2025 04:17 AM
Kelly McGovern
Realty Concierge International - Bellingham, MA
Working with Kelly is a good move

I agree with Dorie Dillard Austin TX and Kat Palmiotti that I also read the blog and couldn't bring myself to comment on anything.  I really tried too!  haha

Oct 17, 2025 10:08 AM
Alan May

I'm sorry to have put you through that.

Oct 18, 2025 04:17 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

I have found as I use AI more and more it is getting used to my style, and even says this is written in your voice and style. I have found it is great with descriptions, you do have to check them especially for local restaurants it inserts when they are more than 30 miles away. But it is useful. I have also found you can use it to create the outline of a post and the write your own words but it gets you over the writers block or what do I write about today.

Oct 17, 2025 11:42 AM
Alan May

so... I put into Co-pilot: make a brief response to Nick's comment, and it came back with: 

Great insights, Nick! It's amazing how AI can adapt to your voice and help spark ideas—definitely a game-changer for staying consistent and creative, especially in real estate marketing.

then I asked: Make it more playful

Love that, Nick! Sounds like your AI is basically your new writing sidekick—minus the coffee breaks. Totally agree on the restaurant recs though… sometimes it thinks 30 miles is “just around the corner.” But hey, if it helps kick writer’s block to the curb, I say let the bots brainstorm while we close the deals!

then: make it funnier

Haha love it, Nick! Sounds like your AI is basically your new ghostwriter—minus the haunting and plus a few questionable restaurant suggestions. “This is written in your voice” is AI-speak for “I’ve been secretly binge-reading your emails.” But hey, if it helps dodge writer’s block and makes you sound like a genius, I say let the bot babble while you sell the dream homes!

I'm telling you Nick... it can write in your own words... you just have to work at it.  It didn't quite understand that I'm "responding" to your comment... but hey, nobody's perfect.

Oct 18, 2025 04:23 AM
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

I guess that I will skill up on AI one of these days but so far I have not dived into AI.

Oct 17, 2025 04:26 PM
Alan May

Try co-pilot... there is very little learning curve.  Believe me, if I can manage it... you can manage it.

Oct 18, 2025 04:25 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.WarrenCountyOhioRealEstate.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

My first thought with the other post would have been, okay, who hijacked Alan's blog and had an engineer write for him??  The human aspect that you bring to your posts is always quite present, and it was obviously absent.

For me so far, AI is more of an awareness thing.   I've dabbled with Nightcafe.   My engineering job company is working on an officially approved version of ChatGPT (e.g. we do NOT want all our data running around on the internets, so things need contained).  I like writing as a change of pace, although there are times the marketing remarks for what I call a "vanilla" home can be personally challenging, so maybe that would be worth giving a shot with Copilot or equivalent.

Oct 18, 2025 06:11 AM
Alan May

Do you really think it was that absent of human emotion that it was written by an engineer?  [ducking].

Our office officially attached copies of copilot to each of our Outlook accounts.  it's been fun playing with it.

Oct 18, 2025 09:07 AM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Author, Golfer, Retired Broker, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Alan,
I use ChatGPT to get ideas and outlines for posts. My M.O. is to tell it to give it some general information about the subject I want to write about and have it ask me questions to answer. This helps me formulate a more complete post when I put it together.  

I can tell an AI-written post (and comment) from a mile away. I don't usually respond but sometimes do, just to keep a connection with that person. 

Oct 18, 2025 08:47 AM
Alan May

I use copilot to give me ideas to add to my own.  I find it helpful.

Oct 18, 2025 09:09 AM
Peter Mohylsky, www.athome30a
Property Management Inc.-Destin - Sandestin, FL
Call me at 850-517-7098

Love that airplane, let’s go fly., it is always nice to have a copilot if only someone to talk to

Oct 18, 2025 09:03 AM
Alan May

Ooh... me, too.

Oct 18, 2025 09:09 AM
Lew Corcoran
Better Living Real Estate, LLC - East Bridgewater, MA
Expert guidance. Exceptional results.

This was such a refreshingly honest share, Alan May. I really appreciated the peek behind the curtain and your willingness to test the waters with AI while still keeping your voice front and center. Thanks for letting us ride shotgun on your creative journey.

Oct 18, 2025 10:16 AM
Alan May

I am way behind the curve (spell that as eight-ball) when talking technology... but I had to dip my toe into A/I.

Oct 20, 2025 10:14 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Retired Broker/Owner - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Alan like Carol said I can tell a mile away it the post or comment is AI written.  It lacks connection and personality.  But I do find something about AI helpful......kind of.  I really enjoy creating photos!

Oct 20, 2025 10:04 AM
Alan May

I have been playing with NightCafé, and I must say it has been fun.

Oct 20, 2025 10:15 AM