Recently, I had an experience that perfectly illustrates both the promise and the shortcomings of AI use in apartment marketing. A customer we work with implemented a new technology platform. In theory, it seemed like a great idea. They were told it could optimize the maintenance of their Google Business Profile, a vital component of modern SEO strategy. Somehow, it got lost that we were already doing this for them, and only because we were actively working on them, we noticed that some of the carefully crafted Google Business Profile (GBP) overviews we had written and optimized for their properties were overwritten.
These weren’t just overviews we slapped together. Our team has a proven process that involves researching each property and optimizing every description to balance SEO and marketing appeal and ensure accuracy. Our carefully crafted overview was replaced with content that somehow managed to squeeze irrelevant, inaccurate, and incorrectly optimized content into 750 characters. Suddenly, a leasing opportunity turned into a liability: their online profiles no longer reflected what made the community unique and no longer mentioned where they were actually located.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this happen. I see a lot of website content that is completely AI-generated. How do I know? I drop it in ChatGPT and ask. And if I can do this, so can Google. It’s not a stretch to think they could decide to deprioritize content they deem as completely AI-generated in a future algorithm update. If they do, you could find your organic search and AI traffic evaporate.
The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Apartment Marketing
This moment captures the current state of AI. It’s very powerful. It automates the creation of content. It greatly reduces the time and cost of producing copy, images, and other digital assets. But it hallucinates, and since it’s synthesizing all the information it finds online, it doesn’t really know what to prioritize. Without oversight, it can cause real damage, which in this case would mean a drop in leads when they really need them.
Why Human Guardrails Are Essential for AI Marketing
That’s why human oversight is not optional. Without people setting the direction, reviewing the output, and making refinements, AI-generated content can quickly become a liability and be riddled with inaccuracies or off-brand messaging. And, as in this case, it can wipe away work that was already performing well. Poorly optimized or inaccurate online content directly affects visibility in search, credibility with prospects, and ultimately leasing performance.
The Future: AI + Human Expertise Working Together
None of this is to say AI isn’t the future. It absolutely is. Eventually, AI will be good enough to handle this kind of work end-to-end, moving from strategy to post with accuracy and contextual awareness. But we aren’t there yet.
Right now, the winning formula is AI plus human expertise. AI provides the speed and scale, and humans provide the guardrails that ensure the output is not only correct but compelling. Until this technology evolves further, that partnership is the only way to get the best results.
From the desk of Ellen Thompson, Co-founder and CEO of Respage >> Since its founding, Respage has helped over 10,000 communities attract, engage, and retain residents. Its platform assists properties in generating leads, automating leasing, and managing reputation and social media. Thompson is also the Founder of Results Repeat, a digital marketing agency that has helped hundreds of companies create a digital presence and use SEO and paid marketing to generate more business online.
