Melbourne’s ChatGPT rental listing blunders revealed

If you thought finding a home amid a rental crisis was tough before, now multiple agencies using ChatGPT to write rental listings are falling afoul of unintended inclusions. See the worst.

22 Capel Ave, Capel Sound has been listed for $950 per week.

A litany of ChatGPT gaffs on Victorian rental listings has revealed the perils of advertising and artificial intelligence, with multiple agencies left red-faced by copy-paste mistakes.

At least three rental listings around Victoria have come with ‘ChatGPT’ references still in the copy on major rental listing sites.

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One listing for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in North Melbourne listed for $650 showed the AI software in full swing again.

1002/91-93 Flemington Road, North Melbourne has been listed for $650.

Halfway down the listing a command to ChatGPT has made its way into the listing: “User advertising copy for 2 bedroom 1 bathroom 1 car park apartment furnished in 1002/91-93 flemington road, north melbourne. good location. modern apartment. ChatGPT”.

Despite the words featuring in one of his listings, property manager Lakely Shu denied using ChatGPT for anything other than small tasks.

“I think preparing formal advertising works better,” Mr Shu said.

“I would only use ChatGPT for smaller tasks rather than a whole listing.

“I think preparing formal advertising works better and has better results.”

22 Capel Ave, Capel Sound, has been listed for $950 per week.

22 Capel Ave, Capel Sound, listed for $950 a week had some unexpected extras in its listing.

Another listing for a $950-a-week home in Capel Sound on the Mornington Peninsula began with the words “User write a rental copy for 22 Capel Ave Capel Sound, Spacious, grand, modern, 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home with in the ground pool”.

It was seemingly a ChatGPT command written by Investors Choice Property Doncaster, who are the listing agents for the property.

ChatGPT then generated a full-fledged description of the home, labelling it as “thoughtfully designed to reflect modern living at its finest. Every detail exudes contemporary charm.”
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom rental was listed by Investors Choice property director of sales Joe Sortino, who has been contacted for comment.

Advertising copy for 1002/91-93 Flemington Road, North Melbourne, reveals a copy paste gaff.

506/112 Adderley St, West Melbourne, has been listed for $900 a week.

Property manager Eva Cai from U & Plus Real Estate Glen Waverley defended ChatGPT and said she was actively using it to paraphrase advertisements to assist her in her work.

“I currently have a listing in West Melbourne where I used ChatGPT, and I put several points like the floorplan, the area, and the price,” Ms Cai said.

“ChatGPT then writes an essay around the points I provide. It’s not perfect; I edited it after it offered the advertisement.

“I think all agents will eventually use ChatGPT.”
There are further incidents of ChatGPT requests in listings containing the word ChatGPT, suggesting they may have been written by the artificial intelligence with the humans involved in the process editing out the details of their command.
A 900-a-week home in Balwyn North, about 10km east of Melbourne’s CBD, caught the attention of renters due to the bizarre description.

After one sentence boasting about the “sun-drenched double-storey solid brick residence”, the description is interrupted by what appears to be a conversation between Maximum List real estate agent, Sienna Toso, and ChatGPT.

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