Listing Descriptions Beginner 10 minutes

How to Write Listing Descriptions with ChatGPT

RW
Ryan Wanner

AI Systems Instructor • Real Estate Technologist

Quick Answer: Load your Context Card into ChatGPT, use the HOME Framework to structure your prompt with property details, and specify your voice constraints. You'll get a listing description in 2 minutes that sounds like you, not like a robot.

Listing descriptions are the single most common task agents hand to AI, and the single easiest way to spot an agent who doesn't know what they're doing with it. Generic AI listings all sound the same: 'Welcome to this stunning home...' This guide shows you how to load your Context Card, structure your prompt with the HOME Framework, and get descriptions that sound like you wrote them on your best day.

What You'll Need

Tools Needed

ChatGPT (Free or Plus) and your Context Card

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Build or Load Your Context Card

Your Context Card is the foundation. It tells ChatGPT who you are, how you write, what you never say, and what your brand sounds like. Paste it into Custom Instructions or create a Custom GPT with your Context Card built in. Without this step, every listing description will sound like every other agent's listing description.

Tip: Include 2-3 examples of your best past listing descriptions in your Context Card. ChatGPT learns your voice from examples faster than from rules.

2

Gather Your Property Materials

Before you prompt, collect the facts: bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, lot size, year built, recent updates, neighborhood highlights, school district, and anything unique about the property. The more specific materials you give AI, the more specific the output. Generic input equals generic output.

Tip: Walk through the property and voice-memo 5 things a buyer would notice first. Those details make listings memorable.

3

Structure Your Prompt with HOME

Use the HOME Framework: Hero (you are a luxury real estate copywriter), Outcome (write a 150-word MLS listing description), Materials (paste all property details), Execute (specify tone, word count, what to avoid). This structure ensures ChatGPT has everything it needs in one prompt instead of a back-and-forth conversation.

Tip: Always include a 'Do Not Say' list in the Execute section. Ban words like 'stunning,' 'boasts,' 'nestled,' and 'don't miss out.'

4

Review with the OODA Loop

Observe the output. Does it match your voice? Orient against your brand standards. Decide what needs changing. Act: either publish or refine with a follow-up prompt. Most agents need one refinement round, not three. If you need more than two rounds, your Context Card needs updating.

Tip: Read the description out loud. If it doesn't sound like something you'd say at a listing appointment, it's not ready.

Real-World Example

See It in Action

Prompt
[Context Card loaded via Custom Instructions]

Using the HOME Framework:

Hero: You are a real estate copywriter who specializes in Nashville suburban properties. You write in a conversational, confident tone.

Outcome: Write a 150-word MLS listing description.

Materials:
- 4BR/2.5BA in Franklin, TN
- 2,800 sq ft on 0.4 acres
- Built 2019, one owner
- Open floor plan, quartz counters, gas range
- Primary suite with walk-in closet and double vanity
- Finished bonus room above garage
- Covered back porch overlooking fenced yard
- Williamson County schools (Grassland Elementary)
- 8 minutes to Cool Springs Galleria

Execute: Conversational but professional. Lead with lifestyle, not features. No 'stunning,' 'boasts,' 'nestled,' or 'welcome home.' Under 150 words. End with a factual call to action.
AI Output
Four bedrooms, one owner, zero projects on the to-do list. This 2019 Franklin home was built right and kept right. Open main level with quartz counters, gas range, and enough space to cook while your family actually stays in the room. Primary suite upstairs with a walk-in closet and double vanity. Bonus room above the garage—office, playroom, whatever you need it to be. The covered back porch is where you'll end up most evenings, looking out at a fenced yard with mature trees. Grassland Elementary. Eight minutes to Cool Springs. 2,800 square feet on almost half an acre. Schedule your showing before the weekend.

Pro Tips

1

Create a Custom GPT called 'My Listing Writer' with your Context Card, Do Not Say list, and 3 sample descriptions pre-loaded. You'll never have to paste your Context Card again.

1

Vary your opening lines. If every listing starts with the bedroom count, ask ChatGPT to lead with the lifestyle benefit instead.

1

For luxury listings, increase the word count to 200-250 and ask ChatGPT to emphasize craftsmanship details and neighborhood exclusivity.

1

Run your final description through a readability checker. Aim for 6th-8th grade reading level—the same level used by most major publications.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using ChatGPT without a Context Card, getting generic output that sounds like every other agent

Fix: Always load your Context Card first. It takes 30 seconds and transforms the output quality.

Pasting a bullet list of features and saying 'write a listing description'

Fix: Use the HOME Framework to specify role, outcome, materials, and constraints. Structure gets you 80% of the way there.

Accepting the first output without reading it out loud

Fix: Apply the OODA Loop. Read it aloud, check it against your brand voice, then refine or publish.

Including every single feature of the property in 150 words

Fix: Pick the 5-6 details that matter most to your target buyer. Leave the full feature list for the MLS fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an MLS listing description be?
Most MLS systems allow 250-1000 characters. Aim for 120-180 words. Long enough to create a feeling, short enough that buyers actually read the whole thing. ChatGPT tends to write long, so always specify a word count in your prompt.
Will buyers know I used AI to write my listing?
Not if you use a Context Card. The whole point of the Context Card is to make AI output sound like you, not like AI. Generic prompts produce generic output. Context Card prompts produce output in your voice.
Should I use ChatGPT Free or Plus for listing descriptions?
Free works for basic descriptions. Plus ($20/month) gives you Custom GPTs where you can save your Context Card permanently, better writing quality with GPT-4o, and voice mode for dictating property notes on-site.
Can I use the same prompt structure for every listing?
Yes, that's exactly the point. The HOME Framework is a repeatable structure. Change the Materials section for each property, keep everything else consistent. This is how you build a system, not just a shortcut.

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