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Before the Client Call, Let ChatGPT Ask the Hard Questions
Good morning, NREB readers.
As always, we’re here to keep real estate professionals informed while cutting out the fluff. Let’s get right into it.
Imagine a seller who is tired of last-minute showing requests. They work from home, getting the house ready is disruptive, and they want more notice.
You understand why access matters. You also understand why they are frustrated. The difficult part is having a conversation that gives both concerns a fair hearing.
Before making that call, try a short rehearsal with ChatGPT. Ask it to play the seller, raise questions, and wait for your answers.
The useful moment is when it asks something you were not prepared to explain.
Give the practice a real purpose
“Help me convince my seller” starts with the assumption that agreement is the goal.
A more useful assignment is to practice understanding the seller’s constraints and explaining the options clearly. Perhaps you have been talking about showing access while the seller has been talking about being interrupted during work. Those are related concerns, but your explanation needs to address both.
Give the tool a simple, fictional situation and a specific role. Describe what the seller is worried about, what remains undecided, and what you want to practice. OpenAI’s prompting guidance emphasizes clear goals, relevant context, and refining the conversation as you go.
Then have it respond one turn at a time. Reading a finished dialogue lets you see an answer. Taking your own turn makes you come up with one.
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Try one conversation, not a whole presentation
Here is a starting prompt for the fictional showing scenario:
Play a seller who works from home and is frustrated by last-minute showing requests. You want more notice but are open to discussing options. I am your listing agent. Respond one turn at a time and wait for my answer. Keep the discussion focused on scheduling; do not invent market statistics or property facts. After three exchanges, pause and identify any concern I left unanswered or assumption I made.
Now answer in the language you would actually use on the phone.
A question worth practicing is: “What happens if I can’t leave during the workday?”
That asks you to do more than repeat that flexibility helps. You need to understand the schedule, discuss workable arrangements, and be clear about what you can and cannot promise. The exercise may reveal that you need to ask the seller another question before proposing anything.
If the simulated seller agrees immediately, ask for a reasonable follow-up concern. If it becomes pointlessly combative, redirect it. You are practicing a professional conversation with someone who has legitimate priorities.
Review what you said
After a few exchanges, look back at your own answers. Three questions are enough:
Did I acknowledge the concern? Look for the point where you addressed the disruption to the seller’s day.
Did I explain a tradeoff? Discuss what an arrangement allows and what it may make harder, without inventing consequences.
Did I leave room for a decision? The client should have an opportunity to ask questions and express a preference.
Ask ChatGPT to point to specific sentences when giving feedback. Then decide whether that feedback is fair.
A polished response can still miss the question. You may discover that you offered reassurance when the seller needed a practical answer, or proposed a schedule before asking when they were available.
Those are useful things to notice before the real call.
Keep the rehearsal separate from the facts
Use a tool your brokerage permits, and keep identifying or confidential client information out of the exercise. Fictional details are enough to practice.
NAR’s coverage of brokerage AI policies highlights inaccurate output, inappropriate use of client information, and the need for human review. If the conversation produces a claim about contracts, access rights, or market conditions, verify it through the appropriate source before using it.
The simulated seller’s reaction also tells you nothing certain about how your actual client will respond. Treat the exchange as a chance to examine your explanation.
Before your next difficult call, try a few turns. Leave with one clearer explanation, one question you need to ask, and any facts you still need to check.
Then call the client and listen to their answer.
Sources
OpenAI: Prompting. Guidance on defining the task, supplying relevant context, and refining responses.
National Association of REALTORS®: Why Every Brokerage Needs an AI Use Policy. Discussion of accuracy, client information, approved tools, and human oversight.