Build the competitive set - a repeatable recipe
Rung 4 of 10 · Recipe pattern
1 · Learn the move · Recipe pattern
A competitive set is a recipe you run the same way every time: define the comp criteria first - product type, size band, submarket, vintage - then list only the competitors you actually pasted, each with its sourced stats, and mark any stat you weren't given as UNKNOWN. The discipline is the fixed order. AI wants to round out a thin set with a plausible-looking property; don't let it. An invented competitor or a guessed occupancy corrupts the whole benchmark. Name the criteria, lay the pasted comps against them, flag the gaps, and note the set is limited to what you provided.
Pull together the comp set for my apartment building and tell me how it stacks up.
2 · Your turn. You write the prompt
You're benchmarking a subject multifamily asset for an investment brief. Subject: Harbor Point - 240 units, mid-rise, built 2019, Riverside submarket, asking rent $2,150, occupancy 94% (subject rent roll, June 2026). Competitors you've identified: The Larkin - 210 units, built 2020, asking rent $2,240, occupancy 96%, pool and coworking (CoStar, June 2026); Maple Row - 300 units, built 2018, asking rent $2,080, occupancy 92%, pool and dog park (CoStar, June 2026); Cedar & 5th - 185 units, built 2021, asking rent $2,310, amenities gym and rooftop (broker comp sheet, June 2026); you have no occupancy figure for Cedar & 5th. Write a prompt that states the comp criteria, builds the set from these three competitors only, marks Cedar & 5th's occupancy UNKNOWN, and notes the set is limited to the pasted comps.
Remember: the AI sees only your prompt, not this page. If the situation isn't in your prompt, it doesn't exist.
Optional. These shape the output when you run your prompt below, not your score.