New Inman contributor Ryan Garson writes that, while AI won’t replace your expertise, it can help you organize your thoughts, research real-world perspectives and identify existing content gaps.
Four years ago, writing a real estate book took me almost a year. My most recent one took a weekend.
Same author. Same voice. Same market knowledge. Completely different process.
And no — AI didn’t “write my book for me.” It did something far more valuable: It gave me my time back.
I’m a Manhattan-based agent and team leader, content creator and the founder of a real estate marketing agency. Like most agents, my days used to be eaten alive by listing copy, CMAs, follow-up emails, content ideas and prep work that had to get done before the real work — clients, negotiations and deals — could even begin.
That’s what pushed me toward AI in the first place. Not curiosity. Survival.
From skeptic to power user
My first experience with AI was underwhelming. I asked ChatGPT to write a listing description. It was generic. Polished, sure — but lifeless. I almost wrote the whole thing off.
The breakthrough came when I stopped treating AI like a magic trick and started treating it like a junior assistant.
Instead of asking it to do my job, I asked it to:
I kept the parts only I can do:
- Market nuance
- Strategy
- Decision-making
- Human judgment
That shift changed everything.
How I actually wrote the book
When I decided to write AI for Real Estate, I didn’t sit down with a blank page. I orchestrated a system.
- I used Perplexity to research trends, questions agents were asking and gaps in existing AI content.
- I used Grok to scan real conversations agents were having online.
- I used ChatGPT to interview me — 25 questions about my experience, my workflows and what agents really struggle with. I answered by voice memo, not by typing.
- I used Claude to organize everything into a clean structure.
AI didn’t invent ideas. It surfaced patterns faster than I could alone. What used to take weeks of outlining and rewriting happened in hours.
The real takeaway isn’t speed — It’s leverage
Writing the book that fast wasn’t the point. The point was realizing that the same system works everywhere in my business.
Today, I use custom AI setups — what I call custom GPTs — for specific roles:
- Market analysis
- Pricing narratives
- Listing drafts
- Negotiation prep
- Content planning
- Client communication
Each one is trained on my voice, my standards and my market. That’s the key distinction most agents miss.
Generic AI gives generic results. Customized AI gives leverage.
What AI is great at (and where it falls apart)
Here’s the honest truth agents need to hear: AI is exceptional at:
- First drafts
- Research synthesis
- Structuring messy information
- Saving hours on prep work
AI is terrible at:
- Reading a seller’s emotions
- Navigating a co-op board
- Understanding why one side of the street trades differently
- Making judgment calls under pressure
That’s why AI doesn’t replace agents, but agents who use it well absolutely replace agents who don’t.
What this means for the future of business
We’re entering a phase where agents are dividing into two camps. One group uses AI to offload busywork and double down on relationships, strategy and negotiation. The other group keeps doing everything manually — and wonders why they’re burned out.
The agents who win won’t be the most tech-savvy. They’ll be the ones who know where AI stops and human value begins.
That’s what this book is really about. Not tools, not prompts, but how to think differently about leverage in a relationship-driven business.
AI won’t replace your expertise, but it will absolutely expose whether you’re using it.
Ryan Garson is an agent at Compass New York City and CEO and founder of @verysocialnyc. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.