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Most real estate professionals are using AI the same way: write me a caption, draft me an email, summarize this contract. That's fine, but it's the equivalent of buying a Ferrari and using it to run errands around the block.
The agents winning right now are using AI to create things: images, tools, marketing assets that would have cost hundreds of dollars and a two-week wait six months ago. They're doing it in an afternoon. Here's what's possible and how to start today.
The Viral Moment That Proves The Point
On April 26, an agent named Bryan Clapper posted a carousel of AI-generated images to Instagram. The concept: his real estate ad placed perfectly & seamlessly, inside unexpected real-world locations. Luxury stores. Bathrooms. Places people actually scroll from. Almost 53,000 shares. Millions of Impressions. Agents across every platform replicated it. The caption landed it:
Good marketing is about reaching consumers where they are and speaking to the moment. I think.
It was funny, it was smart, it was completely on brand, and it was made with AI. I saw it through another agent colleague first and thought it was real. I I thought it was genius, so I immediately did the same thing.
What I Made and How You Can Too
I created this: a real estate ad in the shape of a menu, placed inside an upscale coffee shop in the Miami Design District, next to a a pastry and a cafecito with the headline "Cafecito first. Bigger kitchen next." It stopped people mid-scroll. That's the job. Here's exactly how I did it, step by step, using ChatGPT.
The Step-By-Step (Do This Today)
Step 1 — Find an image that inspires you. It could be the ones that you see on this article, a competitor's ad you loved, or any visual concept you want to riff on. Save a screenshot.
Step 2 — Drop the screenshot into ChatGPT. Open ChatGPT (you need the paid version for image generation). Upload the image and type: "What is the exact prompt used to create this image? Give me the prompt and suggest ways to personalize it for a Miami real estate agent."
ChatGPT will reverse-engineer the prompt for you and hand you a starting point.
Step 3 — Personalize the prompt. Ask it to place your ad, your headline, or your branding inside the scene. Be specific: "Place a real estate marketing sign for a Miami agent inside a luxury handbag boutique in the Miami Design District. The sign should read: 'Cute bag. Still no walk-in closet.' Include the agent's name and contact info in a clean, editorial layout." My ChatGPT already knows me, so it actually gave me ideas based on my personality. That was a big win.
Step 4 — Iterate. The first image may not be perfect. Prompt it again: "Make the sign more readable. Keep the boutique background. Add a small headshot of the agent on the sign. Add my logos"
Two or three rounds is usually all it takes.
Step 5 — Add your real branding in Canva. Export the AI image and bring it into Canva to clean up your contact info, logo, and any text that didn't render exactly right. I use the Magic Layers feature, when needed. Five minutes, done.
Step 6 — Post it as a carousel. Start with the most unexpected placement. End with something that connects back to your market or CTA. Bryan Clapper ended in a bathroom. I ended with a fancy restaurant women's bathroom. You know your audience.
Why This Matters Beyond The Laugh
The image is the hook. But the real opportunity is what it teaches you about AI.
You don't need to know how to code. You don't need a graphic designer. You don't need to describe something perfectly the first time. AI responds to conversation; you prompt, it responds, you refine.
That same process works for building comparison tools for buyers, creating neighborhood guides, drafting investor decks, and generating marketing for listings. The skill is learning to describe what you want and iterate until it's right.
That's it. That's the whole shift.
The agents who figure this out first won't just have better content. They'll have more time, more leverage, and a brand that looks like it has a team behind it; even when it's just them and a good prompt.
What if you prepared ahead of time for the FIFA World Cup and ran ads? I tried it right before the Formula 1 weekend in Miami, and the result surprised me. I set the ads to run at night, and by the time that I woke up, I had dozens of messages in my WhatsApp.
The One Caveat Worth Saying Out Loud
AI gets it wrong sometimes. Review everything before it goes to a client. A funny image with a typo in your phone number is a problem. A calculator with wrong HOA data is a bigger one.
Use AI to move faster. Use your expertise to make sure it's right.
My Instagram post got 95 shares, 141 saves, and over 10,000 views. What if you did the same but made it your own? Click below for my Instagram post and use it for your inspiration. Happy prompting!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXxZEsVmSRK/?igsh=OWVhOTRkZDNva2Rh
Cindy Summer Perez is a Broker Associate with the Ivan and Mike Team at Compass and was the 2025 President of NAHREP South Florida. She hosts Beyond the Closing, a podcast on real estate, leadership, and what comes after the closing table. Follow her on Instagram @CindySummer.RE for weekly South Florida market intel.
