AI Mistakes Every Seller Should Avoid

AI is everywhere right now, including real estate. Sellers know it. Buyers definitely know it. But knowing AI exists and knowing how to use it well are two very different things.

Used thoughtfully, AI can help you price strategically, anticipate buyer objections, and market your home more effectively. Used poorly, it can quietly cost you money, credibility, and momentum.

Here are seven common AI mistakes I see sellers make, and how to avoid them.

1. Hiring a Realtor Who Doesn’t Actually Understand AI

Most people know how to use ChatGPT to write an email. Far fewer know how to use it to write well. There’s an art to prompting AI not like the computer equivalent of a bland bowl of oatmeal. AI is capable of so much more than text creation. Data analytics, strategy, and summarizing long documents are invaluable tools. When used correctly, AI can help home sellers make more money. Sellers like that.

2. Undervaluing Authenticity

There’s a fine line between polished and misleading. Some sellers use AI-enhanced photos or virtual staging so aggressively that buyers feel deceived the moment they walk through the door. Think online dating, but for houses. Heavily filtered photos might get the first click, but disappointment kills trust fast. Polished? Yes. Unrealistically perfect? Not advisable.

3. Not Challenging Bias

Data analysis is only as good as your prompt, so if you don’t challenge it, if iyou keep pushing it to match your rationale, Ai might just tell you what you want to hear. So challenge your assumptions. For Example, ask AI the following:

“What blind spots might be affecting my analysis?”

“What assumptions am I making that could be wrong?”

Take ego out of the equation for best results.

4. Forgetting the Importance of Storytelling

Buyers care about bedrooms, square footage, taxes, and commute times. But those details rarely create urgency on their own. What does? How a home feels. Morning light in the kitchen. A quiet corner for reading. Friends gathered around a fire. When a buyer’s eyes light up with possibility and you add, “and there’s a new furnace, a newer roof, and meticulous maintenance records,” that’s when the magic happens.

Important caveat. Focus on the buyer’s story for best results. The glass chandelier you bought in Italy, the family dinners in your dining room, or the way your cat loves the sunshine in the front window matter a lot to you. To buyers, not nearly as much. Unless you’re a celebrity. Different terms apply.

5. Forgetting Buyers Use AI Too

When buyers get home from touring your house, they’re running silent price checks, estimating repairs, crunching their numbers, and using AI to strategize negotiations. It’s a good idea to optimize the listing for AI searches. Not sure how to do that? See point one.

6. Trusting AI Too Much

AI is really good for interpreting the data you feed it, but sometimes when AI needs to go and fetch information or data from the internet, user beware. Sometimes it just makes up data that feels real. If you have AI find information for you, cross-check it. Verify it. Ask for its source. You won’t hurt the computer’s feelings. Promise.

7. Not Understanding That Doubt Is the Real Deal Killer

Buyers rarely walk away because a house is objectively bad. They walk away because uncertainty creeps in.

You can’t control how buyers use AI, or their personal bias spirals. You can control how much uncertainty is left on the table.

Strong listings anticipate doubt and meet it head-on.

Pre-inspections calm fears before they grow. Transferable warranties on roofs, HVAC systems, or appliances reduce perceived risk. Honest disclosures and clean documentation build trust. Appropriate pricing anchors the conversation in reality instead of forcing buyers to justify a stretch.

The best agents help you do all of this.

Final Thoughts

When strategy, storytelling, data, and honesty work together, sellers win. When they don’t, doubt fills the gaps.

And yes, while I’m a lawyer, I’m not your lawyer. I am, however, open to becoming your real estate advisor. Drop a message.

Everything above reflects my opinions, and my opinions alone. They do, however, tend to make my clients money.