This tutorial shows how AI can help you, the tools you need, and a ready-to-use workflow you can plug into your day.

Why inspections chew up hours

• Travel and keys: Driving, parking, unlocking.

• Missed photos: Forget one room and you’re back tomorrow.

• Typing reports: Manually labelling 100 + images.

• Owner follow-up: Collating maintenance notes and next steps.

Agencies that swap to AI-guided inspections report time savings of 60–80 % per property. Yahoo Finance

How AI fixes the pain

The tech in plain words

• Computer vision – The app “looks” at your photos and knows it’s a kitchen tap or a cracked tile.

• Natural language processing (NLP) – Dictate notes; AI converts speech to tidy text.

• Generative AI – Turns raw findings into an owner-friendly summary with polite wording.

• 360-camera stitching – One spin of the lens captures an entire room for later virtual walk-throughs.

“One-Hour Run” workflow

1. Schedule & remind

   • CRM books dates; SMS reminds tenants 48 h before.

2. Arrive & start capture

   • Open inspection app; checklist shows required rooms.

   • 360° spin or standard photos as guided.

3. Live AI prompts

   • Pop-up says, “Take ceiling photo – possible mould.”

   • Dictate notes: “Window latch loose.”

4. Instant report

   • AI sorts images, writes condition notes, flags maintenance.

   • Draft ready on phone before you leave the driveway.

5. Owner summary

   • Generative AI creates a plain-English overview with top three action items.

   • Email auto-sends with secure link to full report.

6. Maintenance hand-off

   • Flagged issues push straight into the maintenance system for quoting.

Average hands-on time: 15 – 20 minutes per property; report turnaround: same day.

Implementation steps

1. Audit current process – Count hours spent driving, shooting, typing.

2. Pick hardware – Smartphone, tablet or 360-camera compatible with your chosen app.

3. Pilot five properties – Compare old vs new time and owner satisfaction.

4. Train team – Short walkthrough on framing shots and voice dictation.

5. Set guard-rails – Manager reviews all AI-flagged damage before sending the report.

6. Update templates – Add your brand tone and required compliance wording.

7. Roll out portfolio-wide once KPIs improve.

KPIs worth tracking

• Report turnaround time (target: same day).

• Images missing per report (aim: zero).

• Owner satisfaction score (quick 5-star poll).

• Maintenance issues caught early (should rise).

• Team hours per inspection (goal: < 20 min).

Risks & easy fixes

What’s next for inspections

• Drone fly-overs: Quick roof checks after storms.

• Digital twins: 3-D copies of each unit for remote asset planning.

• Voice-only reports: Wearable mics that narrate and file notes in real time.

• Predictive alerts: AI warns of likely mould growth from past humidity readings.

The technology will keep improving, but the goal stays the same: clear evidence, fast reports, and safer homes.

Author – Ken Hobson.