SPARK Round-up
Here’s what you might have missed
I’ve been on the road a fair bit this month, so even though there may have been one or two fewer emails than usual, I’ve still been posting regularly in Spark, including:
A prompt that puts ChatGPT o3 into maximum reasoning mode (and extracts some seriously good thinking from it!)
Something a bit more fun that allows you to get ChatGPT to do a competitor copy and colour audit (and perhaps exploit their weaknesses)
A tool which automates open home walk-throughs (not quite up to scratch yet!)
The New Elite Agent ‘Belt’ Ladder (which allows you to get recognition for sharing and engaging)
Additional scripts, prompts and tools for paid members on what to do if you’ve been challenged by a ChatGPT real estate expert (May’s member drop), a full rundown of Google NotebookLM and how we produced so much content at AREC 2025, plus all the slides, prompts and video replay of the from Leads to Listings series.
Ready to become a paid member of our community? Click here.
Prompt of the Day
How To Get Your Buyers Unstuck
TLDR;
Remember Brian Buffini's classic advice about never leaving buyers "on the fence"? Here's how to use AI to figure out exactly WHY they're stuck. Record your buyer meetings (with permission), feed the transcript to ChatGPT/Claude with a specific prompt, and get instant analysis of what type of fence they're on (Financial, Emotional, Market, etc.) plus a 1-10 readiness score. The AI identifies patterns you might miss - such as when partners aren't aligned or buyers keep deflecting. Same timeless wisdom, now with AI-powered insights to help you guide buyers to a decision faster.
If you started in real estate a while ago, you might have had coaching CDs or tapes you played in your car. Then, along came grainy YouTube videos from 2010 to 2018, which shaped an entire generation of agents. Tom Ferry in his home office. Mike Ferry with his whiteboard. Brian Buffini's Irish charm and relationship-first approach.
The principles they taught are timeless…take this quote from Buffini:
"When a buyer is on the fence, so is the agent... Being on the fence is the worst case scenario for the customer and devastating for the agent."
Buffini’s core philosophy: Help buyers make decisions - either into a home or off the fence not to buy. But never leave them on the fence.
(Side note: I hope they never remove these videos - I do love a good chalkboard!)
However, it's 2025, and it's undeniable that the tools have advanced considerably, so I thought I might try my hand at an AI update for the concept of nobody being “on the fence”.
The AI-Powered ‘Fence Detector’ Analysis
The Framework
Transform your buyer conversations into actionable insights using AI to identify exactly where your buyers are stuck and what's keeping them on the fence.
Step 1: Record Your Buyer Consultation
Use any AI note-taker (Fathom.ai, Plaud.ai, or even your phone's voice recorder) to capture your buyer meetings. (Get permission to take an audio note of the meeting from the client - eg “I've started recording my client consultations so I can focus 100% on you instead of taking notes - Is that Ok with you?)
Step 2: The Fence Detector Prompt
Once you’re done with the meeting, use this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude along with your transcript:
You are an expert real estate coach trained in Brian Buffini's methodology. Analyse this buyer consultation transcript and identify:
1. FENCE INDICATORS - Red Flags:
- Vague timeline statements ("maybe in a few months")
- Excessive "what ifs" without resolution
- Comparing to unrealistic scenarios
- Bringing up new objections repeatedly
- Avoiding specific commitment language
2. FENCE TYPE - What's Really Holding Them Back:
- Financial Fence (affordability fears)
- Emotional Fence (fear of commitment)
- Market Fence (waiting for prices/rates to drop)
- Analysis Paralysis Fence (too many options)
- Relationship Fence (partners not aligned)
3. READINESS SCORE (1-10):
- 8-10: Ready to buy, just need guidance
- 5-7: On the fence, need specific intervention
- 1-4: Not ready, need education or different timeline
4. OFF-THE-FENCE ACTION PLAN:
Based on the fence type identified, provide:
- 3 specific questions to ask in the next meeting
- 2 educational resources to share
- 1 decisive action to propose
5. BUFFINI WISDOM APPLICATION:
Suggest how to apply Brian's principle of helping them either:
a) Move forward into a home, OR
b) Make a clear decision NOT to buy right now
Remember: "My job is to help people make decisions... be a rock emotionally, be the steady hand and keep the process moving along."
[TRANSCRIPT]
[Paste your buyer consultation transcript here]Step 3: What the AI Reveals (and What to Do About It)
The magic happens when you get the AI analysis back; instead of wondering why buyers aren't moving forward, the AI may pick up patterns you might have missed. And even better, give you some ideas about how to get your potential buyer off that imaginary (or real) fence.
The Buffini Principle + AI Advantage
Buffini’s original wisdom remains unchanged: Never stay on the fence together.
But now you can:
Identify what type of fence they're on
Track progress meeting by meeting
Predict outcomes based on conversation patterns
Personalise your approach to their specific hesitation
That’s it for today - Happy Hunting! 🚀
Samantha McLean | Co-founder of Elite Agent
Creator of 30 Days of Practical Property Prompts
Creator of The Complete Conversion System
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P.S. Need an intro to AI for Real Estate? Take the Crash Course and avoid the five biggest mistakes agents are making with AI.
🔒 AI Ethics Reminder: Never input client names, addresses, or identifying information into public AI tools. Always anonymise data or use private enterprise versions for sensitive information. Your clients trust you with their data - honour that trust.
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