How Real Estate Investors Can Use AI for Bookkeeping (Exact Prompts)

Bookkeeping is one of the most common pain points for Real Estate investors. Not because investors don’t care about their numbers, but because the systems are often unclear, inconsistent, or poorly set up from the start.

ATTENTION:
The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and reflects personal experiences and opinions. It is not intended as legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Real Estate laws, tax rules, and regulations vary by state and situation. Always consult with a qualified attorney, CPA, or other licensed professional before making any Real Estate or financial decisions.

In this episode of AI for REI, Courtney Fricke sits down with Maria Giordano to walk through exactly how Real Estate investors can use AI as a thinking partner in their bookkeeping. This conversation is not about replacing bookkeepers, CPAs, or accountants. It is about using AI to ask better questions, structure cleaner chart of accounts, and create bookkeeping systems that actually reflect how Real Estate businesses operate.

The full prompts discussed in this episode are included below so you can copy, paste, and adapt them to your own business.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
-Why most Real Estate bookkeeping problems start with poor setup, not poor execution
-How to use AI to create a chart of accounts tailored to fix-and-flip investing
-The importance of prompting AI to slow down, ask questions, and work in phases
-How deal-level tracking differs between flips, rentals, and other strategies
-The difference between cash vs accrual accounting and why it matters for operators
-How AI can help you prepare cleaner financials before working with a bookkeeper or CPA
-Why AI should be used as leverage, not as a replacement for professionals
-How to turn AI output into SOPs and training manuals for your bookkeeping systems

About the AI for REI Podcast

AI for REI is a practical, operator-focused podcast for Real Estate investors and business owners who want to use AI in real-world scenarios. This series avoids hype, theory, and buzzwords and focuses on how active operators are actually using AI to think clearer, move faster, and reduce friction in their businesses. These conversations are grounded in real deals, real workflows, and real decision-making, not speculation or tech evangelism.

PROMPTS:

Prompt #1: Create a Chart of Accounts for a Fix-and-Flip Business
Use this to start from scratch and force AI to ask you questions instead of assuming.

I am a Real Estate investor who primarily buys, renovates, and flips properties. I am going to be hiring a new bookkeeper to take over my bookkeeping. Currently, I do not have an accurate chart of accounts and need to create one based on my business. Ask me any questions a seasoned, experienced bookkeeper who specializes in Real Estate investing, particularly fix-and-flip investing, would need to know in order to understand my business and create an accurate chart of accounts. Do not assume. Do not hallucinate. Ask questions first.

Prompt #2: Specify the Accounting Platform and Version
This prevents generic answers that don’t match your software.

This chart of accounts will be used in QuickBooks Online Essentials.
Please take into account the limitations and features of QuickBooks Online Essentials when making recommendations.

Prompt #3: Force AI to Work in Phases and Slow Down
This is critical for complex bookkeeping setup.

Break this process into phases.
Complete one phase at a time.
Ask for my confirmation before moving on to the next phase.
Do you understand?

Prompt #4: Clarify Exit Strategy and Deal Structure
This ensures the bookkeeping is aligned with flipping, not rentals or wholesaling.

This entity is used only for fix-and-flip investing.
Each property should be tracked individually so I can see deal-level performance.
I want to understand how each deal is performing before it sells, not after.

Remaining prompts in the comment section on YouTube.

Connect With the Hosts

Connect with Maria Giordano:
Facebook:   / mgiordano01  
Instagram:   / officialmariagiordano  
Tiktok:   / officialmariagiordano  
YouTube:    / @realestateprofitsystem1  
Website: https://www.realestateprofitsystem.com/

Connect with Courtney Fricke:
Instagram:   / courtneyfricke  
TikTok:   / courtney.fricke  
Facebook:   / courtneyfricke19  
X: https://x.com/courtneyfricke
YouTube:    / @courtneyfricke  
Website: www.CourtneyFricke.com for more resources.

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