Custom Instructions

If you have been following this course, you have probably noticed a pattern: every time you start a new ChatGPT conversation, you have to re-explain who you are, what you do, and how you want responses formatted. You paste your Brand Voice Card, mention that you are a real estate agent, specify your market, and describe your preferred tone. Every single time.

Custom Instructions eliminate that repetition entirely. They are a built-in ChatGPT feature that lets you set persistent context that applies to every new conversation automatically. Set them up once, and ChatGPT always knows who you are before you type your first prompt.

What Custom Instructions Are

Custom Instructions are a set of background details that ChatGPT reads before responding to any of your messages. Think of them as a brief that your assistant reviews every morning before starting work. They do not appear in the conversation, but they shape every response.

OpenAI designed Custom Instructions around two questions:

1. What would you like ChatGPT to know about you?
2. How would you like ChatGPT to respond?

Each field has a character limit (roughly 1,500 characters), so you need to be concise and strategic about what you include.

Where to Find the Setting

Here is how to access Custom Instructions:

1. Open ChatGPT at chat.openai.com
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
3. Select “Customize ChatGPT” (previously called “Custom Instructions”)
4. You will see two text fields --- one for each question

On the mobile app, tap your profile icon, then tap Settings, then Personalization, then Customize ChatGPT.

Custom Instructions are available on both free and paid ChatGPT plans.

What to Put in “What Would You Like ChatGPT to Know About You?”

This field is for context about who you are, what you do, and what you typically need help with. Here is an example optimized for a real estate agent:

I am a licensed real estate agent in [City, State] specializing in [residential/luxury/first-time buyers/investment properties]. I have been in the business for [X] years and work primarily with [buyer/seller/both] clients. My brokerage is [Brokerage Name]. My market covers [neighborhoods or areas]. My typical client is [brief description]. I use [CRM name] for contact management. My main content channels are [Instagram, email newsletter, Facebook, etc.]. I need help with listing descriptions, client emails, social media content, market summaries, and marketing materials.

Notice how specific this is. The more relevant detail you provide, the better ChatGPT can tailor its responses without you having to repeat this information in every prompt.

What to Put in “How Would You Like ChatGPT to Respond?”

This field controls the style, format, and behavior of ChatGPT’s responses. Here is an example:

Write in a warm, professional, conversational tone. Avoid corporate jargon and buzzwords like “turnkey,” “stunning,” or “boasts.” Use “home” instead of “property” and “neighborhood” instead of “community.” Keep sentences concise --- mix short and medium lengths. When writing client-facing content, be personable but never salesy. When I ask for lists, use bullet points. When I ask for emails, include a subject line. Always write for a general audience, not industry professionals, unless I specify otherwise. Do not add disclaimers or warnings unless I ask. Do not use emojis unless I request them. Default to the NAR Clear Cooperation format when I ask for MLS descriptions.

This is essentially a compressed version of your Brand Voice Card. The advantage is that it loads automatically --- you do not have to paste it.

A Complete Example for a Real Estate Agent

Here is how the two fields might look together for an agent named Sarah:

Know about you:

I am Sarah, a residential real estate agent in Austin, TX, specializing in the 78704 and 78745 zip codes. I have 8 years of experience and work with both buyers and sellers, primarily in the $350K-$750K price range. My brokerage is Compass. I use Follow Up Boss as my CRM. I post on Instagram 4x/week and send a monthly email newsletter to about 2,000 subscribers. I need help daily with emails, social content, listing descriptions, and market analysis.

How to respond:

Conversational and warm but professional. Short paragraphs. Avoid cliches and overused real estate phrases. Use active voice. When writing social content, keep it under 150 words. When writing emails, always include a subject line and keep them under 200 words unless I ask for more. When I give property details, default to writing an MLS description unless I specify otherwise. Skip preambles --- go straight to the content I asked for.

When to Update Your Custom Instructions

Your Custom Instructions are not set-and-forget. Update them when:

• You change markets or specializations --- If you shift from residential to luxury, your instructions should reflect that
• You refine your brand voice --- As you improve your Voice Card from Lesson 5.1, update the response instructions to match
• Your business changes --- New CRM, new brokerage, new content strategy
• You notice patterns --- If you keep correcting ChatGPT about the same thing, add an instruction to prevent it
• Seasonally --- Your content needs in January are different from June. Some agents update quarterly to match their marketing calendar

A good habit is to review your Custom Instructions once a month, the same way you would review your CRM settings or marketing calendar.

The Compound Effect

Custom Instructions may seem like a small feature, but they save a surprising amount of time. If you use ChatGPT 10 times a day and each setup takes 30 seconds, that is 5 minutes per day, 25 minutes per week, and over 20 hours per year --- just on re-explaining who you are. Custom Instructions reclaim all of that time on day one.

More importantly, they make your output more consistent. When ChatGPT always knows your market, your voice, and your preferences, the quality of every first draft improves. You spend less time editing and more time executing.

Try It

Open ChatGPT right now and set up your Custom Instructions. Use the examples in this lesson as a starting point, but personalize them with your actual market, brokerage, specialization, and voice preferences. Then open a brand-new conversation and type: “Write me a social media post about why now is a good time to buy in my market.” Notice how ChatGPT uses your specific details without you mentioning them.

Want the full system? The Real Estate Agent AI Playbook has 150+ enterprise workflows built on these foundations.

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