"Nestled in the serene, tree-lined hills of the coveted Collins View neighborhood, this meticulously expanded 5-BR, 3.5-BA gem offers a rare blend of vintage character and modern luxury. Boasting 3,321 sq ft on a lush .24-acre lot, the home’s thoughtful evolution provides unparalleled flexibility. A 2002 addition introduced the attached garage and a spacious primary suite. In 2015, the footprint grew to include a finished lower-level family room, additional bedroom, and full bath—perfect for guests or a gym. The transformation was completed in 2020 with a stunning second-floor addition featuring 2 bedrooms, a full bath, and a large bonus room. The main level offers a chef’s kitchen and light-filled living spaces that flow to an expansive deck overlooking private, territorial views. Central AC, top-rated schools (Capitol Hill/Jackson/Wells), and proximity to Lewis & Clark and Tryon Creek trails. Just minutes to Sellwood and downtown, this is the ultimate urban oasis!”

Look, we understand, AI is officially part of every industry now, and real estate is no exception. Most agents are using it somewhere in their business which is fine, but this is also a gentle reminder that before going on the market, homes deserve at least one human read-through before the listing goes live.

Readers, viewers and homebuyers can absolutely tell when the robot took the wheel, and that's not the look most of us are going for.

The giveaway usually starts somewhere around “nestled in the serene, tree-lined hills” before taking us on a journey through “meticulously expanded gems,” “thoughtful evolutions,” and “ultimate urban oases.” Toss in a few em-dashes, some aggressive capitalization, and a sentence that sounds like it was written by ChatGPT after binge-watching HGTV for 14 straight hours, and suddenly we’ve lost the plot entirely. And here’s the thing, this actually sounds like a lovely house. There’s plenty here to work with already without making the home sound like it’s applying for a luxury spa resort membership.

It's no secret that AI works best when it helps sharpen your own voice, not replace it entirely. The best listing descriptions still feel like they came from a real person who walked through the house and noticed something specific. The way the light hits the living room. The bonus room that every teenager is going to immediately claim. The deck that actually makes you want to sit outside.

A little personality goes a long way (so does editing). Because once the description starts reading like an auto-generated Zillow sonnet about “modern luxury” and “unparalleled flexibility,” buyers stop absorbing the actual details, get distracted and/or turned off and might move on entirely.