Author – Ken Hobson.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming many areas of real estate, but one of the most overlooked (and powerful) areas is the humble property inspection. Whether it’s a one-on-one private showing or a busy Saturday open home, AI tools can dramatically improve the efficiency, personalisation, and follow-up of every inspection—without adding to your workload.

Here’s how you can use AI to enhance every stage of the inspection process: before, during, and after the event.

Before the Inspection: Smarter Planning & Preparation

1. Predicting Buyer Intent

AI can help you prioritise the most promising attendees. Integrated with your CRM or website, AI tools can analyse behavioural data such as:

• How often a buyer has viewed the listing

• Whether they’ve used the mortgage calculator

• What suburbs or price ranges they typically search

• If they’ve saved similar properties

With this data, you can score buyers for intent and follow up accordingly. A high-intent buyer can be offered a private showing or fast-tracked for further engagement.

Example: You receive 15 enquiries for a new property. AI flags 3 of them as high intent based on their digital activity. You prioritise these buyers for a personalised one-on-one walkthrough before the weekend open.

2. Creating Custom Inspection Briefs

Using AI like ChatGPT, you can quickly create tailored walkthrough scripts or notes for each property. These can highlight:

• Key selling points specific to buyer profiles

• Objection handling prompts (e.g. “What if they say the backyard is too small?”)

• Neighbourhood insights that matter to families, investors, or downsizers

This ensures you walk into every inspection fully prepared to highlight what matters most to that buyer segment.

3. Automated Reminder Sequences

AI can help automate SMS or email reminders in the lead-up to the inspection. You can use tools integrated into your CRM or smart messaging apps to:

• Confirm the buyer’s attendance

• Offer directions, parking instructions, or digital brochures

• Remind them to bring any co-decision makers

This reduces no-shows and creates a more professional impression.

During the Inspection: Enhancing the Experience in Real Time

4. Virtual Co-Agent Support

With tools like voice-to-text AI, you can use smart devices (like your phone or wearable tech) to:

• Record comments from the buyer during the walkthrough

• Ask voice prompts to log questions or feedback

• Trigger quick answers to frequently asked questions (e.g. strata fees, rental returns)

Some CRMs now offer AI-enabled apps that listen during inspections and auto-log the interaction into the buyer profile for future follow-up.

5. Instant Personalisation On The Spot

AI-powered mobile apps can pull up relevant data in real time, helping you answer tricky questions like:

• What did the last similar property in this street sell for?

• Are schools within a 2 km radius?

• What’s the weekly rent estimate for this home?

Rather than saying “I’ll get back to you,” you can provide data-backed answers on the spot—building trust and authority.

6. Interactive Digital Tools

QR codes linked to AI chatbots can be placed throughout the home. When a buyer scans the code in the kitchen or backyard, they can receive area-specific information such as:

• Renovation history

• Appliance brand and age

• Energy efficiency or smart home features

• Video walkthroughs or AR models of potential upgrades

This makes the experience feel modern, engaging, and information-rich without needing extra staff.

After the Inspection: Seamless Follow-Up & Lead Nurturing

7. Automatic Feedback Collection

Rather than chasing feedback manually, AI-powered survey tools can send a personalised message or email shortly after the inspection asking for thoughts like:

• “What did you like most about the property?”

• “Is this home still in consideration?”

• “Would you like to be notified of similar listings?”

This data can be summarised and scored by AI to identify hot prospects, common objections, or whether a buyer is cooling off.

Tip: You can even generate summary reports to share with your vendor each week, showing open home feedback in a professional and insightful format.

8. Follow-Up Emails & SMS Scripts

AI can draft follow-up messages tailored to the buyer’s actions. For example:

• “Hi Jess, thanks again for coming to 8 Smith Street today. You mentioned you’re looking for something with more yard space—can I send you a few other options?”

• “Thanks for visiting 20 Oceanview Rd. If you’d like to revisit or bring a partner for a second look, let me know. Here’s the property brochure again.”

With just a few clicks, these can be sent out while you’re still packing up your signs.

9. Buyer Segmentation and Next-Step Suggestions

Using AI-powered CRMs, you can now automatically group attendees into follow-up paths such as:

• “High interest—book second inspection”

• “Interested but not ready—nurture with new listings”

• “No fit—ask for referral or alternate needs”

This ensures no potential buyer is forgotten, and every inspection adds to your database intelligence.

Bonus Benefits: For Vendors and Time Management

10. Vendor Reporting Made Easy

Every inspection creates a data trail. AI can turn these into elegant, vendor-facing reports that summarise:

• How many buyers attended

• Who showed strong intent

• What questions or objections were raised

• Next recommended steps

You can present this weekly or after each inspection, strengthening vendor trust and positioning yourself as a proactive agent.

11. Time-Saving Admin Automation

Let’s face it—admin after open homes can be painful. AI can help with:

• Logging who attended

• Updating contact records

• Adding inspection notes

• Scheduling next actions

Instead of spending Sunday night doing data entry, your AI assistant can have most of it ready before you get home.

Getting Started: What You’ll Need

You don’t need expensive or complicated tech to begin using AI for your inspections. Start with:

• A CRM that integrates basic AI features or plugins

• A free or low-cost AI writing tool (like ChatGPT)

• QR code generator for inspection signage

• A note-taking or voice recorder app with transcription

• A clear follow-up process that AI can plug into

Once your process is in place, you’ll notice inspections become more efficient, more professional, and more powerful for both buyers and vendors.

Your point of difference often comes down to experience and follow-through. AI enhances both—without replacing the human side of the job.

With AI, you can:

• Predict and prioritise the right buyers

• Personalise the experience with data

• Reduce time on manual admin

• Deliver better feedback to vendors

• Improve your follow-up and conversion rates

Whether you’re selling $700,000 units  or multimillion-dollar homes, AI can elevate your inspections from basic to brilliant.