Let’s just say it out loud:
AI feels a little weird at first.
If you’re in that 40–60 range, you didn’t grow up with this stuff.
You watched the internet happen.
You adapted to smartphones.
You figured out social media (or at least tolerate it).
And now here comes AI acting like it skipped a few steps and went straight to:
“write me a business plan in 10 seconds.”
Cool. Cool cool cool.
But also… a little intimidating.
So let’s fix that.
This is not a hype piece.
This is a practical, real-world, slightly sarcastic guide to actually using AI, specifically ChatGPT and other LLMs, in your everyday life and business.
And we’re going to do it in a way that actually makes sense.
First: What Is This Thing?
At its core, AI (like ChatGPT) is a pattern matcher.
It’s not magic.
It’s not “thinking.”
It’s seen a massive amount of information and is very, very good at predicting what comes next based on patterns.
That’s it.
Which is actually great news, because it means:
The better direction you give it, the better the output.
And that leads us to the single most important concept in this entire guide…
The Secret Sauce: It’s All About Direction
I realized this at 5am on a Sunday morning (you know, when your brain starts the day without you).
Back in middle school, I learned how to write essays using something simple:
Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
Used it all the way through school.
Tested out of language arts classes in college.
It worked.
And guess what?
It’s the exact same thing with AI.
There is no one “right way” to use AI…
but there is a better way to get better results.
Prompting 101: The Who / What / Where / When / Why / How Framework
1. WHO — Who is this for?
This is where most people mess up.
Are you writing for:
Owners?
Tenants?
Your internal team?
And if it’s owners…
Is it:
The accidental landlord?
Or the institutional investor?
Those are VERY different people. This changes everything about how the AI should respond.
Also think about:
Reading level (we aim ~5th grade for blogs)
Tone (formal vs conversational)
Avoiding acronyms for beginners
2. WHAT — What are you trying to create?
Not just what… but what is it for?
Blog post?
Email?
Internal training doc?
Social media post?
What’s the goal?
In this case:
A deep-dive blog
An email
Repurposable content (video, social, cheat sheet)
Be specific. AI can’t read your mind (yet).
3. WHERE — Where will this be used?
Your website?
Someone else’s platform?
Internal docs?
Do you need to match:
Brand tone?
Length requirements?
Formatting expectations?
Context matters more than you think.
4. WHEN — Timing matters
Is this tied to an event?
A future release?
Or is it evergreen?
AI doesn’t assume timing unless you tell it.
5. WHY — The big one
This is usually the longest and hardest part.
Why does this exist?
For me, it’s simple, I want people who are afraid of AI to realize this can be their +1, their level-up, their superpower.
I use AI every single day for:
Writing emails
Building slide decks (cut from half a day to ~15 minutes)
Understanding how to better communicate with my team
Even learning how my kids think (surprisingly insightful)
And here’s the truth:
This is not going away.
Just like smartphones. Just like social media. If you don’t start now, it only gets harder to catch up.
Let me ask you something:
If you’re hiring two people with identical experience, but one knows how to use AI and the other doesn’t…
Who are you hiring? Exactly.
6. HOW — The part everyone wants (and skips ahead to)
Let’s break this into two parts:
A. How you instruct AI
When prompting, tell it:
What role to play (“act as a marketing expert”)
What you want (clear outcome)
Who it’s for (your audience)
If you don’t know how to write prompts? Ask it to be a prompt engineer and teach you.
Seriously.
B. How YOU actually learn to use it
Let’s get real: No one gets good at this by reading one blog post. You get good by using it.
Start here:
Plan a vacation
Write a difficult email
Summarize a long article
Ask it to explain something like you’re 12
I used to spend hours reading technical SEO blogs. Now? I get a summary and decide if it’s worth my time. Game changer.
Prompting 201: Now Let’s Level It Up
1. Give it YOUR voice
Upload blogs you’ve written
Share your LinkedIn
Use voice-to-text (highly underrated)
You can literally train it to sound like you.
2. Set your rules (this is huge)
This is YOUR AI. Treat it like an extension of you.
Examples:
Don’t make things up
Tell me when you don’t know
Cite sources when possible
Challenge my thinking
Play devil’s advocate
Because here’s the thing:
AI LOVES to agree with you.
Don’t let it.
3. Ask for better thinking
Tell it to:
Show what you missed
Offer alternative perspectives
Expand your ideas
This is where it becomes a real tool, not just a shortcut.
4. Use it to interview YOU
One of the most underrated tricks. Have AI ask you questions. You answer naturally.
Then say:
“Ask me 5 more.”
Do that a few times. Now you’ve got expert-level content straight from your own brain.
5. Save your settings
Most tools allow custom instructions. Use them. Every prompt gets better automatically.
Want a Head Start?
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay… but I still don’t know what to actually type into ChatGPT,” you’re not alone.
We’ve put together a list of LLM prompts specifically for property managers built from real use cases like the ones you just read.
Download the prompt library and skip the guesswork
Start using AI faster (and better) without staring at a blank screen.
Let’s Talk About Security (Because This Matters)
Quick reality check inside the reality check: AI tools may use conversations to improve models depending on your settings.
So:
Don’t paste sensitive owner/tenant data
Don’t drop full financials
Generalize when needed
If you’re using team or enterprise tools, you can often:
Turn off training
Keep data private
Build custom GPT workflows
Meaning:
Drop in an address → get listing copy
Drop in a URL → get a summary
Standardize your team’s process
It’s like a playbook that actually runs itself.
AI Isn’t Just for Writing (This Is Where It Gets Wild)
Most people stop at content. Big mistake. This thing is a pattern matcher so use it for patterns.
Data Analysis (Without Being a Data Analyst)
You can:
Upload spreadsheets
Paste datasets
Drop in charts or graphs
And ask:
What’s happening here?
What stands out?
What am I missing?
What should I do next?
Real Use Cases for Property Managers
Analyze rent trends across your portfolio
Compare owner performance
Identify underperforming properties
Spot maintenance cost patterns
Then ask:
“What should I do next?”
That’s where this becomes an unfair advantage.
The Reality Check
AI does make things up sometimes. It’s called hallucination. Sometimes that’s fine. Sometimes it’s not.
Your job is to know the difference.
Final Thought (and Your Next Step)
Anyone can tell you AI is powerful. But power without direction doesn’t do much.
So here’s your move:
Open ChatGPT
Use the Who / What / Where / When / Why / How framework
Try ONE real task from your day
That’s it. Don’t overthink it. Just start. Because the people who get comfortable with this now? They’re the ones who are going to look like geniuses later.
Bonus: What This Can Turn Into
This single piece of content can become:
A podcast follow-up
Email campaign
Social posts
Video script
Prompt cheat sheet
Team training material
And yes… AI can help you create all of that.
Pretty cool, huh?
Skip the Blank Screen
If you’re thinking, “Okay… but what do I actually type?” start here.
We’ve put together a prompt guide for property managers built from real, everyday use cases.
No fluff. Just prompts you can copy, tweak, and use immediately.
- Write better emails
- Create clearer content
- Explain your value without sounding generic
Download the prompt guide and start using AI without the guesswork
