With its Haussmannian architecture and its world-famous monuments, Paris remains a safe bet for buyers of prestigious properties. An inimitable heritage that no generative artificial intelligence could surpass, and yet LLMs, major language models like Chat GPT, get a foot in the door of luxury real estate agencies. “AI makes it possible to correct a cloudy sky in a photo, or to carry out virtual home staging to show the potential of a property before work, underlines Anne Kuperfis, image director of the Junot group (home staging is a development intended to highlight an interior). In marketing, we can use AI to generate headlines or create print content. For example, it allows you to go faster in writing ads based on keywords. »
Zacharie Maille, social media manager at Barnes, cites the case “a completely empty 1,500 m2 penthouse in Dubai, where we were able to offer different layouts thanks to AI”. As in all professions, technology has established itself in real estate transactions as a tool for generating ideas, automatic translation or visualization of decor, without inventing false images. “AI strengthens our customer relationships, adds Thibault de Saint Vincent, president of Barnes. She will analyze a new client’s social networks and identify whether he is a fan of golf or contemporary art, or whether he frequents Saint-Tropez or Miami. This allows us to better target approaches, especially as we operate in 22 countries and across several activities, real estate but also yachting, classic cars, art…”
Between SEO and GEO
AI intervenes even further upstream. Engel & Völkers, a booming network in France, has strengthened its investments in digital marketing to accelerate its development. “ Customers are increasingly using generative engines to do research, then Google to consult the sites, explains Delphine Vié, communications and marketing director. We therefore have an SEO (search engine optimization) approach, always essential to optimize results in traditional search engines, but also GEO (generative engine optimization) which provides more personalized and contextual responses. » SEO, paid or organic, identifies keywords that refer to the brand, while GEO reacts to a semantic context. This requires reworking your content and brand attributes to emerge in online searches.
“AI is a very strong issue in our businesses, confirms Olivia Calcagno, communications and marketing director of Espaces Atypicals. We invest in innovation to improve the customer experience. For example, we are testing a chat bot called ARI, as a real estate search agent, which guides the customer intuitively in their search, using natural language. Next year, it will go even further with voice control and additional explanations around announcements. » The network has been moving upmarket for three years, with the arrival in its portfolio of extraordinary properties such as a 47 million euro villa in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Côte d’Azur.
At Daniel Féau, a family agency which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, “Chat GPT has entered the top 10 of traffic origins on our website, we trust in communication. We must therefore be even more efficient to be indexed by generative AI. » However, in a sector that demands notions of service, confidentiality and tailor-made, Chat GPT cannot replace human advice. “A robot acts like a Cartesian person, while luxury real estate is a market that works a lot on the irrational, continues the spokesperson. We had a client who was absolutely looking in the 6th arrondissement of Paris and who ended up buying in Vésinet (in the western suburbs). Only a human agent will know that this is possible. »
Instagram, new showcase
In addition to AI, social networks have established themselves as an image and lead generation tool (qualified contacts). At Sotheby’s Realty, Instagram is the second gateway to properties, after the agency’s sites and specialized portals such as Leading Real Estate, Luxury Portfolio or Properties Le Figaro. Alexander Kraft, its CEO, alone has 480,000 subscribers on his account which documents his travels, his collaborations with Ralph Lauren and Tod’s, his clothing brand and his own hotel-restaurant in Provence. “Thanks to Instagram, I know that my followers are 70% men, between 25 and 50 years old, based in London, New York, Paris, Dubai, he emphasizes. After the fashion of reels, now it is carousels that work, these formats which allow you to scroll through 20 photos showing the details of the property and its region. For a first contact, it is a very effective tool. » More than looking for a roof over your head, luxury real estate is an integral part of the art of living.
