Even with minimal design experience—and no previous exposure to AI tools—you can build a strong, consistent brand with the help of AI. So said Carrie Little, designated managing broker of CarMarc Realty Group LLC, in West Chicago, Ill., speaking before real estate professionals attending the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings in Washington, D.C., this week.
During her June 1 session, “Canva: Your AI Real Estate Coach,” Little drew on her extensive experience in both real estate and tech education to offer attendees a fresh perspective on how to use Canva's powerful AI tools to simplify content creation and strengthen their marketing game. In this exclusive Q&A, Little expands on the session takeaways and offers practical tips for embracing AI without losing the personal touch.
1. What’s the biggest misconception real estate pros have about AI tools in general?
That they’re difficult to use, that AI will eventually replace agents, and that every AI-generated response is always accurate. In reality, AI is a tool—not a replacement—and when used properly, it can enhance your business without taking away the human touch that real estate requires.
2. What’s one easy way an agent can create a consistent brand identity using Canva?
An easy way to build a consistent brand in Canva is by creating a Brand Kit. Agents can upload their company logo, set their brand colors and select consistent fonts. Then, with just a few clicks, they can apply these elements to any template, ensuring cohesive branding across all marketing platforms.
3. What types of social media content perform best for real estate, and how can Canva help that creation process?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but content that performs best in real estate usually combines consistency with authenticity. Posts that educate or entertain, while also showcasing the human side of your business, tend to generate the most engagement. Canva helps streamline this process by offering ready-made templates and AI tools that make content creation faster and easier—even for beginners.
4. Can you walk us through how an agent might use Canva AI to create multiple types of marketing assets—a social post, a reel, a flyer, etc.—for a recent listing.
Similar to ChatGPT or Copilot, agents can use Canva AI to generate content ideas. Start by prompting Canva AI to create three social media post captions in table format. Then, copy that content into Canva Sheets. From there, select a social media template and use the “bulk create” feature to quickly generate those posts. This process can scale from three posts to hundreds in just minutes. Canva makes it easy to build out full campaigns, including social posts, reels and flyers—all in one platform.
When agents have a listing, they can upload all of their listing photos, and Canva AI will generate videos in seconds. Canva AI will add text to the images for any video for TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
5. Do you have a success story or example where Canva helped an agent stand out or win business?
Yes! We’ve used Canva to design blog posts for LinkedIn, combining market data from our MLS with visually branded content. These posts have helped us get noticed—leading to listing appointments and even an invitation to serve on our city’s economic development committee. Canva made it easy to look professional and share insights consistently.
6. With AI advancing so quickly, how do you see tools like Canva shaping the future of personal branding in real estate?
Even before AI was available to the public, Canva helped real estate professionals establish their personal brands through easy-to-use templates for graphics, videos, websites and presentations. Now, with AI, agents can create content in minutes, giving them more time to focus on clients. I believe we’ll see agents publishing books, guides, journals, even building websites with AI support. Tools like Canva are leveling the playing field, allowing solo agents and small brokerages to compete with big brands. One of my favorite Canva AI features is the ability to generate graphics from prompts—imagine creating a children’s book to explain real estate! The creative potential is endless.
7. Do you have any advice for agents who might feel intimidated by AI or overwhelmed by all the new tech options?
My best advice is to start small and use one AI tool daily. Don’t upload confidential information. And, if you're inputting original ideas, you can direct the tool not to make that data publicly searchable. I use AI as a brainstorming partner and to help streamline time-consuming tasks. If you’re hesitant, take time to learn how it works—because your clients are already using it. Understanding AI will help you stay ahead and better serve today’s tech-savvy consumers.
