If your content feels mundane, it shows a lack of effort, and that’s a direct blow to your credibility as a communicator, writes Holly Brink.
Open any text-heavy social media app like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Substack, and AI is everywhere. Same tone. It’s the same structure. Even the same “insightful” posts somehow all sound the same.
I’m so tired right now and so disappointed.
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What’s worse is that many of them are from people whose voices and experiences we respected. Now it feels like content is automated and pushed as quickly as possible.
If it’s obvious, I rarely go beyond the second line. It just feels lazy when no one stops and thinks, “Does this really look like me?”
Needless to say, you can run ChatGPT yourself. You are not needed for that. And if I’m not worth your time…Would you like to give me what’s mine?
It’s time to stop relying so heavily on AI for communication. Every time we ask an AI to do better, we lose a little bit of our own voice.
Problems with AI-generated content
Artificial intelligence has made content creation faster, easier, and more accessible. When everyone uses the same tools without adding their own voices, experiences, and opinions, everything starts to sound the same.
Real estate is firstly a relationship business and secondly a sales business. Using AI garbage directly impacts how people perceive your expertise, credibility, and ultimately your value.
This had a serious impact on actual writers as well. For years, writers have been using em dashes, Oxford commas, or spaces in sentences for emphasis. Unfortunately, even if your content appears to be an “AI blunder,” it will be removed immediately and you will not be given the benefit of the doubt.
9 common red flags to avoid looking like you’re regurgitating AI slosh
These are current (May 2026) patterns that are increasingly associated with content generated by or heavily edited by AI. After a few words, our brain moves on. I don’t get the same emotional connection, warm fuzzyness, or even anger when I know I’m reading an AI.
1. Structural pattern
Real people don’t always communicate with perfectly balanced thinking. Natural writing has rhythmic changes, interruptions, and imperfections. Please note the following:
One sentence per paragraph Overly balanced or symmetrical sentence structure Excessive use of short, punchy lines for emphasis Transforming simple ideas into overly organized lists or frameworks
2. Predictable phrases
Once you notice it, you can’t look at it again. Phrases like “Honestly,” “This is the point,” and “Let’s be real” have become the equivalent of a flashing neon sign that says “A robot helped write this.”
When every caption, LinkedIn post, and “thought leadership” thread starts using the same wording, people stop paying attention. Some of the serious offenders are listed below.
“And honestly?” “Here’s the thing.” “Let me tell you the truth…” “It’s not this, it’s that…” “This is the part you can’t say out loud…” “After all…” “In today’s fast-paced world…” “Please…”
3. Hedges and contrast fillers
These very frequently used fillers are a total bonus.
“In theory…” “Actually…” (combined neatly with “In theory”) “Probably…” “In many ways…” “To some degree…”
4. Overused vocabulary
There is a phrase that AI always relies on. That’s because they sound professional, polished, and impressive. Unfortunately, everyone using AI now uses the same vocabulary. Here are some examples to add to your list of banned words.
Leverage Delve Seamless Robust Dynamic Customize Transformative Optimize Streamline Enhance
5. Formatting and style instructions
Every thought becomes a bullet point, its own paragraph, or a heading. Real people don’t always speak or write that way naturally, and readers are starting to realize that. Please be sure to specify the following items.
Too many unnecessary bullet points Too many headings for simple ideas Dramatic spacing with frequent line breaks Too many ellipses
6. Tone and voice issues
People connect with individuality, imperfection, humor, frustration, and lived experience. avoid:
Overly neutral or sympathetic tone Lack of strong opinions or personal perspectives General “insightful” statements without real examples Overconfidence without specificity
7. Content-level issues
When you start reading a long caption or post, you’ll notice that it’s just repeating the same thing in a slightly different way. It also struggles with details, as real people tell the stories, mentioning strange details, awkward moments, and real conversations.
AI typically predicts patterns and generalizes rather than remembering specific moments, so it stays broad-based. These are red flags.
No real-world examples or stories Surface-level explanations sound deep but have little substance Repeat or restate the same ideas over and over Over-explain obvious concepts
8. Technical and linguistic anomalies
AI also has a habit of over-correcting everything. Ironically, its perfection is what makes it stand out. Humans are inconsistent. we use slang. We break the rules. We make small mistakes. AI tends to strip them all away, and the results often feel sterile. Avoid the following criminals.
Random insertion of non-English words and characters Grammar that is too perfect for the platform Repetitive transitional phrases such as “furthermore” and “furthermore.” Boldening seemingly random words
9. Emoji overuse and predictability
Emoji are also part of it. AI always uses these in the same way. One for emphasis. One is for a call to action. There is one at the end of each point. After a while everything starts to look the same.
Common “AI-encoded” emojis
🚀 (growth, success, momentum) 🔥 (popularity, trending, high performance) 💡 (idea, insight) ✅ (approval, completion) 👇 (call to action) 📈 (business growth)
If your content feels generic, it’s a sign of a lack of effort. When you lose your individuality, you become forgotten. And when it becomes easily forgotten, the ability to build trust is lost. For real estate professionals, this hits directly at credibility.
Clients aren’t looking for the most sophisticated writing. They are looking for someone who is genuine, knowledgeable, and personable.
AI isn’t going anywhere. When used strategically, it can be one of the most powerful tools available to us. However, these AI tools don’t replace your voice. These should help you amplify your voice, organize the clutter in your life, and become more efficient.
AI should not be a writer. It should be the editor.
