Here's the number one objection I hear from agents when I bring up AI: "I don't want my clients to know I'm using it." Or the variation: "I don't want to sound like everyone else." I get it. You've built your reputation on being genuine, on showing up as yourself, on the relationships you've earned over years of hard work. The idea that a robot might flatten your voice into something generic is uncomfortable. It should be.
But here's the good news: the problem isn't AI. The problem is how most people use AI. When you learn to use it as a first draft — a starting point, not a finished product — you get the time savings without losing your voice. In fact, you might end up communicating better than before, because you'll have more time and energy to put into the pieces that matter.
I'm Kim Donahue. I've spent over 30 years in real estate building relationships one conversation at a time. I'm not about to let a robot undo that. But I'm also not going to spend three hours on tasks AI can handle in five minutes. That's the balance I've learned to strike — and it's exactly what I teach other agents to do.
The 80/20 Rule: Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting
Here's how I think about AI for client communication and marketing: let the AI do 80% of the work, and you do the 20% that makes it human.
The 80% is the research, the structure, the first draft, the formatting — all the work that's repetitive and time-consuming but doesn't require your personal touch. The 20% is your voice, your local knowledge, your understanding of the client's specific situation, and the small personal details that make someone feel seen.
When you follow this approach, the final product is better than what you'd produce alone — because AI gives you a strong foundation faster, and you add the warmth and specificity that no machine can generate. You're not cutting corners. You're optimizing your workflow.
How to Train AI to Sound Like You
One of the most powerful things you can do with ChatGPT or Claude is teach it your voice. Most agents skip this step and then complain that the output sounds generic. That's like complaining that a new assistant writes generic emails when you've never shown them how you communicate. AI is the same — it needs examples.
Here's how to create a simple "voice guide" that AI can follow:
Step 1: Feed It Your Past Writing
Copy and paste three to five examples of your best emails, social posts, or listing descriptions into a new ChatGPT conversation. These should be pieces you're proud of — ones that sound like you.
Step 2: Give It Instructions
Tell the AI: "Here are examples of my writing. Study my tone, word choices, sentence structure, and personality. When I ask you to write for me in the future, match this voice. Don't sound robotic, formal, or generic."
Step 3: Test and Refine
Ask it to write a sample email or social post. Read it out loud. Does it sound like you? If not, tell it what's off — "Too formal," "More conversational," "I would never use that word" — and it'll adjust. After two or three rounds, you'll have an AI that genuinely approximates your voice.
Will it be perfect? No. That's where the 20% comes in. But instead of starting from a blank page, you're starting from a solid draft that's already 80% there. You just need to add the final touches — and that's the fast, enjoyable part of the process.
When NOT to Use AI
This is just as important as knowing how to use AI. There are moments in real estate where AI has no business being involved, and you need to recognize them.
High-emotion moments
When a client is dealing with a death in the family, a divorce, a job loss, or any situation where the transaction is wrapped up in real human pain — you write those emails yourself. You make those phone calls yourself. No AI, no template, no shortcut. This is where being human matters most.
Complex negotiations
When the deal is on the line and you need to read between the lines of what the other agent is saying, that's pure human instinct. AI can help you prepare for a negotiation, but it shouldn't be in the room when it happens.
Delicate seller conversations
When you need to tell a seller that their home isn't going to appraise at their asking price, or that their staging needs serious work — that's a conversation that requires tact, empathy, and relationship context that only you have.
Anything requiring real-time judgment
When a deal is shifting, a client is panicking, or a timeline is compressing — you need to be fully present, making decisions based on your experience and gut instinct. AI is a preparation tool, not a real-time decision-maker.
The difference between efficiency and shortcuts: efficiency is using AI to prepare for a difficult conversation so you show up informed and confident. A shortcut is letting AI have the conversation for you. Clients can tell the difference. They always can.
The Practical Workflow: AI Drafts, You Refine, You Send
Let me walk you through three real examples — a listing description, a buyer follow-up email, and a social media post — showing the AI draft and then the final human version with personal touches added. This is exactly how I work, and how I teach my coaching clients to work.
Example 1: Listing Description
"Welcome to this stunning 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in the heart of Sarasota. This beautifully updated property features a modern kitchen with quartz countertops, a spacious screened lanai, and a heated pool — perfect for Florida living. Located just minutes from Siesta Key Beach, this home offers the ideal blend of comfort and coastal lifestyle. Don't miss this opportunity to own a piece of paradise."
The problems: Generic. Factual, but flat. Sounds like every listing description you've ever read. No personality, no story, no reason for a buyer to remember this one over the hundred others they've browsed.
"This is the one your friends are going to ask about. A 3/2 in Sarasota with a kitchen that actually impresses people — we're talking quartz counters, soft-close cabinets, and the kind of layout that makes you want to host Thanksgiving even if you've never hosted before. Step outside to a screened lanai with a heated pool, and you'll forget you're five minutes from Siesta Key Beach. My seller upgraded the pool heater last year and added landscape lighting that makes the whole backyard feel like a resort after dark. If you've been waiting for the right 3/2 in this neighborhood, this is it — and I don't say that lightly."
Same property. Same facts. But the second version has a voice, tells a story, and includes details only someone who's actually been to the home would know — the pool heater upgrade, the landscape lighting, the layout that works for hosting. That's the 20% that makes it real.
Example 2: Buyer Follow-Up Email
"Hi Jennifer, thank you for taking the time to tour properties with me today. I hope the homes we visited gave you a good sense of what's available in your price range. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the properties and discuss next steps. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you."
The problems: It's fine. It's professional. But it could be from any agent to any buyer. There's nothing that shows Jennifer you were actually paying attention to what she cared about.
"Jennifer — still thinking about that second house. The one on Bayshore? You lit up when you walked into that backyard, and honestly, so did I. The pool area is exactly the kind of space you described for the kids. I know the kitchen felt a little smaller than the first place, but the layout actually works better for daily life once you picture your家具 (furniture) in it. I pulled a few more comps from that street and the one two blocks over — the numbers are solid. Let me know when you want to talk through it. No rush, but I'd hate for you to sit on it too long."
Now Jennifer feels heard. You remembered what she responded to, you referenced the kids, you acknowledged her concern about the kitchen and addressed it, and you gave her a reason to act without being pushy. That's a follow-up email that builds trust — and it took two minutes to refine.
Example 3: Social Media Post
"🏡 Just listed! This beautiful 3-bedroom home in Lakewood Ranch is now available. Features include a modern kitchen, spacious backyard, and prime location near top-rated schools. Contact me today to schedule a showing! #JustListed #LakewoodRanch #RealEstate #SarasotaRealEstate #DreamHome"
The problems: It's the most generic listing post in existence. Every agent in America posts exactly this. It doesn't stand out, it doesn't tell a story, and it doesn't give anyone a reason to engage.
"I walked into this Lakewood Ranch listing and immediately thought: this is where someone's going to have their best chapter. 3 bedrooms, a backyard that actually fits a real family (not a 'family yard' that fits a patio set and a prayer), and it feeds into Greenbrook Elementary — which, if you know, you know. The sellers put genuine care into this home. I'm bringing it to market this weekend and I'd love to show it to you before the open house. DM me if you want first access."
Same property. Completely different energy. The second post feels like a real person talking about a home they genuinely like. It includes a specific detail (Greenbrook Elementary), a personal observation, and a clear call to action that creates urgency without feeling like a sales pitch. And it took three minutes to revise.
The Kim Donahue Standard
I've spent 30 years building relationships in this business. I know what a great listing description sounds like because I've written hundreds of them. I know what a good follow-up email feels like because I've sent thousands. And I know the difference between communication that builds trust and communication that erodes it.
That's why I'm not anti-AI — I'm pro-AI done right. I use AI every day in my own business. I use it to draft content, prepare for client meetings, organize my thoughts, and save time on repetitive tasks. But I never send anything that hasn't been reviewed, refined, and made unmistakably mine. That's the standard I teach.
The agents who struggle with AI are the ones who treat it as a set-it-and-forget-it tool. They let AI write their posts, their emails, their listing descriptions — and they send them without a second look. That's how you end up sounding like everyone else. That's how clients start to feel like just another transaction.
The agents who thrive with AI are the ones who treat it as a partner in their workflow — a fast, tireless first-draft generator that gives them a head start on every piece of communication. They review everything. They add their own voice, their own knowledge, their own personality. The result is content that's faster to produce but better than what they were creating before.
That's the standard. Not anti-AI. Not blindly pro-AI. Pro-AI done right. That's what I teach, and that's what works.
Your Next Step
If you want to learn how to build this balance into your daily workflow — how to use AI as a first draft, refine it to sound like you, and know when to put the tools aside and show up as the human your clients hired — that's exactly what coaching is for.
I don't just tell you to "use AI." I show you how, step by step, in a way that fits your business, your voice, and your clients. We'll build your voice guide, create your go-to prompts, and establish a workflow that saves you hours every week while keeping every client interaction authentically yours.
Ready to stop choosing between saving time and sounding real? Book a free strategy call and let's build a system that does both.
Written by Kim Donahue
Kim Donahue is a REALTOR® with Medway Realty and a coach with 30+ years of experience across real estate, mortgage, and business ownership. She specializes in helping agents leverage AI, marketing, and modern strategies to build stronger businesses.
Learn more about Kim