Center for REALTOR® Development 113: Center for REALTOR® Development: AI for REALTORS® with Matthew Rathbun and Craig Grant: Part 2
Welcome to the Center for REALTOR® Development podcast. I'm Monica Neubauer, your host. Everyone's favorite topic these days is AI. In our last episode, Matthew Rathbun and Craig Grant saved you lots of time with their tips for improved productivity and agent and customer experience.
Today, they're going to help you again and show you how they make AI work for them in practical ways. Practical ideas are my favorite takeaways! We're going to give you a few more apps. We're still going to stick with the basics of ChatGPT and Google Gemini, but we're going to get into a few more apps that you may want to invest in.
Craig Grant is the CEO of RETI.us, the real estate industry's online home for technology education. He's been a national technology speaker, educating us through many tech changes. He's a tremendous mentor for speakers and educators. This passion has led him to offer a Train the Trainer program and co-found the BEATS Alliance, promoting education for both the educator and education directors at associations.
Matthew Rathbun is the Broker and Executive VP of a Northern Virginia Coldwell Banker office. He's the President of the Real Estate Business Institute and an international speaker in the real estate industry. He helps tech make sense, and he has a balance in his communication style of being straightforward, telling it like it is, and also, really encouraging to help us to actually do it.
We are releasing this interview in two episodes. This is Part 2. Each one of these episodes stands alone, but we encourage you to start with Episode 1 or go back to it for some more context.
Important: Be mindful of the limitations and risks of using generative artificial intelligence and protect personal, financial and confidential information from being shared with an AI platform. Keep in mind that content produced by generative AI tools is not always correct. Avoid using AI for legal advice and engaging in the unauthorized practice of law; always seek appropriate advice from actual professionals. Do not use AI to create content you wish to copyright, as AI-generated works are not protectable under U.S. copyright law.
[1:27] Craig Grant is a tremendous mentor for speakers and educators. This passion has led him to offer a Train the Trainer program and co-found the BEATS Alliance, promoting education for both the educator and education directors at associations. Welcome back, Craig!
[2:02] Matthew Rathbun helps tech make sense, and he has a balance in his communication style of being straightforward, telling it like it is, and also, really encouraging to help us to actually do it. Welcome back, Matthew!
[2:21] Matthew recaps the first episode. It covered creating GPTs, being an AI-forward leader, and being an example to your agents. Associations can also help themselves by creating GPTs of these tools. Think about things differently, do your job better, and help the agents do theirs better.
[3:06] Craig tries to guide most people in the industry either to ChatGPT or Google Gemini. All AI platforms have similar capabilities, but Craig says to succeed in real estate, leverage one of the two main platforms. Matthew prefers ChatGPT while Craig uses Gemini more.
[3:41] Craig says that ChatGPT focuses on third-party tools and integration. Google isn't trying to do any integration. It's about making you more effective inside Google. Craig runs his business through Google with Gmail, Google Docs, Drive, and Calendar through Google.
[4:02] Gemini makes Craig so much faster and more effective with the tools he's already using to run his business. He uses ChatGPT for fun things, but if it's business-related, he uses Gemini, and it creates emails and documents the way he wants them, in his brand voice.
[4:22] Craig uses Google to run his business, so he focuses on Gemini. He believes that whichever you end up using, whether it's Gemini or ChatGPT, the two main ones, Craig believes the possibilities of what you can do with them are endless. You can create anything you want.
[4:36] Monica has learned so far that although she mostly uses ChatGPT, she can put more Gemini into her regular Google Suite use.
[5:00] Monica is a ChatGPT user. She has just hired a virtual assistant, and they're still working out how they will work together. She wants her VA to have a quality AI program to build something custom with Monica. She wants to keep it separate from her ChatGPT.
[5:45] Craig suggests Monica could create a custom GPT with a different profile from her GPT as a template to share with her VA.
[6:43] Matthew speaks of having teams in ChatGPT or Gemini. Craig says it costs $5.00 more a month for the leader.
[7:17] Craig offers an example. You use ChatGPT to help you respond to a customer's upset email on Yahoo. You copy the message, put it in ChatGPT, write a prompt to have ChatGPT defuse the situation, copy the response, and paste it into Yahoo to send. You have wasted time.
[7:57] With Google Gemini, it's already in your inbox, reading the emails. The second you click on an email, Gemini has read it and has a prepared response ready for you. It will ask if you want to use it or write your own response.
[8:11] Craig says he can respond to that testy email from the customer in under 10 seconds if he wanted to, using Gemini, without having to go back and forth. From a productivity side, that's why Craig uses Gemini the way he uses it.
[8:35] Next, Craig talks about Canva Pro, the paid version of Canva. Craig says it has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years. It probably includes more AI than any other tool on the market. It includes Branda for creating your logo and brand, colors, and brand voice.
[9:07] That way, you can redesign any template in the library in seconds. There are many tools that Canva keeps adding that will do the design work for you.
[9:27] Canva has teams. Monica added her VA as a team member.
[9:37] Craig talks about Magic Media for creating AI imagery, animations, or videos within Canva. Using Canva Magic Resize, if you designed something for Facebook, with one click, you can resize it for TikTok or any other site.
[9:55] Monica asks for tips to Resize, to get better results.
[10:13] In Magic Resize, the big thing is that to look its best, the size you start with and the size you end with should be a similar shape and orientation. If you pick something of a very different size, you can expect to have to go into it to tweak it to look good.
[10:45] Also, under Magic Resize, there is the ability to translate to different languages, so you could have a campaign in English, and with one click, you could have it in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, or other language you want.
[11:04] Another tool Craig loves is Bulk Create. It's not AI. It allows you to merge information into a Canva design. You can mock up a design, like Reasons to Move to Your Town, ask ChatGPT or Gemini for 100 reasons to move there, and then merge them for 100 designs done in seconds.
[11:35] Between the Bulk Create tool and Magic Resize, you could knock out a year's worth of content, multi-media, in multiple languages, in minutes. You always want to make sure the content is accurate before you publish it! Monica says, Always proofread before publishing.
[12:30] Craig repeats something he said in the first episode. Always treat everything AI creates as a first draft. It does 90% of the work; you have to do the last 10%. Proofread it, make sure it's accurate, that the sources are right and not vested, and that it doesn't violate the Code of Ethics.
[12:52] You've got to do the last 10% every time you create something with AI.
[12:58] Matthew loves the Canva Layout tool. Docs to Deck is one of his favorites. Choose a Doc, hit the forward slash, and it brings up an AI dialogue box. Tell it about the presentation you want, like for first-time homebuyers moving into Richmond, VA. It will create the outline.
[13:23] The next step is to ask it to create a presentation deck for you. You can resize the deck into a pamphlet, brochure, or guide. Or go into the AI and ask it to write a blog post on something like keeping house plants alive. It will give you templates and content based on your brand.
[14:01] Matthew suggests concepts for creating content in minutes. Not everyone in your newsletter system is looking to buy or sell soon. They want to know how to make their lives better. AI does a good job of building that content, so you can just tweak it and post.
[14:17] Monica asks about setting up page breaks in a Canva document. Monica's advice to brokers and agents: If you're stuck on something in Canva, go find a video to help you learn it. Don't let one small problem derail you.
[15:21] Craig talks about GrammarlyGO, the paid version of Grammarly. Besides correction, it now does AI content creation, as well. GrammarlyGO learns your brand voice so it crafts content that sounds like you.
[16:54] Discussion on AI avatars. Barbie didn't go well for Monica, and Ken didn't work for Craig. He uses a tool called HeyGen that does more than avatars. Upload pictures of yourself, record some speech, then enter text, and it creates a video of your avatar speaking in your voice.
[18:47] HeyGen has an avatar spokesmodel library. Pick an avatar of the gender, nationality, and language you want and create content. HeyGen can also convert your video from English into other languages, using your face and voice. It syncs your mouth to the chosen language.
[19:30] HeyGen can merge from a list into your video, so you can greet prospects by name. It can create a podcast from your content or a video about a website page. Craig says they keep adding new features to the tool. It has a video editor built in and a template library.
[20:18] Matthew says you can use an avatar of a client for a testimonial about yourself. Craig notes the interactive avatar.
[20:55] Matthew and his wife are going to France. Using HeyGen, Matthew made several French videos that he can play on his phone in emergencies.
[22:07] Craig says he did an event in Milan, and AI helped him plan the entire trip. He used HayGen to create promotional videos of himself speaking Italian, using the translation feature.
[22:45] Craig explains that an AI assistant is almost like a clone of yourself to help you do your job. It can check your email inbox, manage your calendar, do outbound communications, and all sorts of other things. In the last year, vendors have been popping up selling AI VA packages.
[23:32] Craig or Matthew, with their knowledge, could create their own AI VA, but the average real estate agent is probably unable to do that without help. They can buy one from Productive.ai, Oppy AI, Whisper AI, or others. You sign up and get an assistant to help you do your job better.
[24:23] Craig is a huge believer that any real estate professional not using AI is going to get run over by one who is. An agent leveraging AI will be better at customer service, communication, and marketing, and will outpace a real estate professional who's not using it.
[24:44] Matthew says for $20.00 a month, you can have an army of experts in your pocket. There are a lot of tools, but if you just start with Google Gemini and use it appropriately, you'll outpace any other agent who isn't using AI.
[25:21] Craig says when agents ask him which of the many tools he shows them do they need to buy, he tells them their first decision is to pick between ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Buy one of those two. Then get Canva Pro. The combination of one of those and Canva Pro is incredible.
[26:03] Once you have AI and Canva Pro, if you want to add video, get HeyGen or Synthesia.
[26:53] How does AI work with MLS data? Matthew says the only problem he's had with adding content to AI is the size limitation. A GPT can only include 20 documents. You can combine multiple documents into a PDF and upload it. Canva can handle files of 100 MB or less.
[28:26] A spreadsheet with a lot of macros and formulas can cause glitchiness. For everyday stuff, it's usually OK. Don't overwhelm it.
[28:39] Matthew has a prompt that takes a listing and makes a coloring book from all the pictures of the house for kids to pick up when they're in the house.
[29:03] Craig says when you do any kind of prompt work in AI, control the narrative. It can do online research and pull from sources you don't control. So, give it the data you want it to use, and you know you will get accurate information back, versus online research.
[29:54] Craig shares an example. During an event in Montana, AI gave a wildly inaccurate estimate of rental cost for a property in the area until he fed the AI an appropriate data set, and it gave a realistic response for what the rent for the property should be. Control the data.
[30:47] Matthew adds that he has a prompt he uses for CMAs and a prompt to do listing descriptions. In the prompt, he gives the GPT data to work with and tells it that he wants it to emulate an expert marketing content writer.
[31:35] Craig mentions tools your MLS can purchase and integrate within your MLS system. Restb.ai uses computer vision to take your uploaded photos, identify what part of the property it is, including flooring and appliances, and write a listing from it. The agent has to check the details.
[32:49] Matthew and Craig agree that the MLS systems need to be doing these types of things to remain relevant.
[33:25] Craig mentions Property Shield. It scans the internet looking for inconsistencies in property listings. If something is listed in MLS as a sale and on Facebook Marketplace as a rental, Property Shield notifies the agent that the property may be involved in a scam.
[34:36] Listing scams are a huge scourge. The average agent doesn't know about a scam until it's already a big problem. Property Shield in your MLS can alert agents to scams before they cause problems.
[34:35] Craig, thank you for bringing us these specific additions. Matthew, I think you have a final word for us, and remind people about the REBI AI class. [35:01] Matthew mentions Academy.openai.com. It's a fantastic free tool from OpenAI designed for you. They have a section for beginners, advanced coders, senior citizens, everyday use, and more. It's a good learning platform. AI tools will help you with personal branding and supporting your agents.
[35:38] Matthew stresses the importance of investing in your education and development. He says his and Craig's podcasts are designed to trigger thoughts and give you a ton of awesome stuff. Learn to use them, one by one. Keep a list. They build on each other.
[35:53] The REBI has an eight-hour AI certificate program in three modules. Associations can hire it for three half-days or one day. Craig, Matthew, and Marki Lemons Ryhal are all speakers. It takes you from original concept and history to risk management, productivity, marketing, and more.
[36:27] AI is very important for you to understand and master, not only for your benefit but to do it safely. Education and exploration are the only ways you're going to learn to do those things well.
[36:37] Craig loves that the REBI AI certification course gives Matthew, Craig, and Marki enough time to explore. Instead of just lecturing, they can demo and show you how to do things and leverage these tools.
[37:01] Thank you so very much to Matthew Rathbun and Craig Grant for coming to share your expansive knowledge. For our listeners, you can see we have just touched the tip of the iceberg. Don't forget to go back to the prior episode to hear us talk about some more uses specifically for brokers.
[37:22] Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Monica Neubauer for NAR's Center for REALTOR® Development podcast. Level up your skills! Go sell some more houses!
Tweetables:
"Because I use Google to run my business, I focus more on Gemini. But whichever one you end up using, whether it's Gemini or ChatGPT, the two main ones, to me, the possibilities of what you can do with them are endless." — Craig Grant
"Not everybody in your newsletter system is looking to buy or sell in the next five to seven years, nonetheless right now. They want to know how to make their lives better. And AI does a good job of building that content so you can just tweak it and post." — Matthew Rathbun
"I've consulted with a few different associations where they're like 'We can never get our president to come in to the board to do content. We can't get our AE on camera. Well, this is the easiest solution for that, right? Get your broker on camera, get yourself on camera, just create an avatar." — Craig Grant
"I don't think AI is going to wipe out a real estate professional, but I do think any real estate professional not using it is going to get run over by one who is." — Craig Grant
"Listing scams are a huge scourge. The average agent doesn't know about it until it's way too late, until it's already out of control." — Craig Grant
"It's important that you invest in your own education and development. Our podcasts are designed to trigger thoughts. Craig will give you a ton of awesome stuff. Pick one and work on it until you feel you've got it, and go to the next one. Keep an ongoing list." — Matthew Rathbun
Guest Links:
Matthew Rathbun, President of the Real Estate Business Institute
Craig Grant, CEO of RETI.us
NAR Resource Links
Ep. 106: "AI Trends in Real Estate with Dan Weisman: Part 1"
Ep. 107: "AI Trends in Real Estate with Dan Weisman: Part 2"
Additional Links:
Learning.REALTOR — for NAR Online Education
Training4RE.com — List of Classroom Courses from NAR and its affiliates
CRD.REALTOR — List of all courses offered
Host Information:
Monica Neubauer
Speaker/Podcaster/REALTOR®
Monica's Facebook Page: Facebook.com/Monica.Neubauer
Instagram: Instagram.com/MonicaNeubauerSpeaks
Guest Bios
Craig Grant is the CEO of RETI.us, the real estate industry's online home for technology education. He's been a national technology speaker, educating us through many tech changes. He's a tremendous mentor for speakers and educators, and I have been the beneficiary of his wisdom over the years. This passion has led him to offer a Train the Trainer program and co-found the BEATS Alliance, promoting education for both the educator and education directors at associations.
Matthew Rathbun is the Broker and Executive VP of a Northern Virginia Coldwell Banker office. He's the President of the Real Estate Business Institute and an international speaker in the real estate industry. He helps tech make sense, and he has a balance in his communication style of being straightforward, telling it like it is, and also, really encouraging REALTORS® to actually do it.