When this is useful
AI Search accepts free-form text and converts it into MLS filters. That text doesn't have to be something you write from scratch. If a contact already has a basic or advanced search that's close to what you need — but you want to add a location, update the price range, layer in new requirements, or adapt it for a different client — you can copy those criteria directly into the AI Search prompt field and modify them before submitting.
This technique is useful when:
A client's existing search is producing poor results because it was set up with basic filters only (status, price, property type, location shape) and you want to enrich it with MLS-specific fields
You are building a search for a new client whose needs are similar to an existing one, and you want to start from a proven filter set
You want to update a search that was drawn on a map by replacing the drawn shape with a named city, zip code, or neighborhood
Note: This workflow does not modify the original search. Copying the criteria and pasting it into AI Search is read-only. The original alert on the contact's profile stays exactly as it is.
Step 1: Open the existing search and copy its criteria
Criteria text is accessible from any contact's active Listing Alert.
Navigate to https://www.realscout.com/agent/contacts and open the contact whose search you want to use
Click the Email Alerts tab
Locate the alert you want to repurpose and click View Criteria
A panel opens on the right side of the screen showing the full filter list for that alert. The text reads as a structured list of conditions: status, property type, structure type, price range, beds, baths, location, and any additional MLS fields that were set
Click anywhere in the criteria text to select it, then copy all of it (Cmd+C on Mac, Ctrl+C on Windows)
Close the panel by clicking Close
The copied text looks something like this when pasted:
All conditions All conditions Status contains any: Active, Coming Soon Property Type contains any: Residential Structure Type contains any: Detached, End of Row/Townhouse List Price: 450,000 to 950,000 Bedrooms Count: 3+ Bathrooms Total Count: 2+ HOA Fee: 1,000– (+ zero/blank) Location in:
AI Search reads this structured text and interprets each condition as a filter input. You don't need to reformat it.
Step 2: Paste into AI Search and modify before submitting
Click Search in the left sidebar, then select AI Search
Click the prompt field (the one that reads "Example: 3-bedroom home near downtown, under $500k...")
Paste the copied criteria (Cmd+V / Ctrl+V)
Edit the pasted text directly to add or change what you need. Common modifications:
What to change | How to edit the text |
Add a city or neighborhood | Add "in [City, State]" or "near [Neighborhood]" anywhere in the text |
Replace a drawn shape with a named location | Delete the "Location in: Drawn Shape" line and add the city or zip code instead |
Update the price range | Change the numbers inline (e.g., "450,000 to 950,000" → "500,000 to 1,100,000") |
Add a must-have (pool, views, garage) | Add it as a new line: "must have pool" or "needs two-car garage" |
Expand beds or baths | Edit the count inline |
When the prompt text reflects everything you need, click the submit button (arrow icon) to run the search
Note: Do not press Enter inside the prompt field to add new lines.
Pressing Enter on some keyboards may submit the prompt before you are done editing. Instead, use Shift+Enter to add line breaks, or compose the full prompt as a single block of text before submitting.
Step 3: Review what AI Search did with the criteria
After submitting, AI Search generates a filter set from your prompt:
A few things to check:
The filter names in the Search Criteria tab may differ from your original labels. AI Search maps your text to the nearest MLS field names, which sometimes use different terminology than the basic search builder. Confirm the generated filters reflect your intent by clicking Search Criteria at the top of the AI Search panel.
Location handling. If your original search used a drawn map shape and you replaced it with a city name, confirm the location filter in the Search Criteria tab is reading the city correctly. AI Search resolves named locations using official city boundaries plus text fallbacks, which usually produces a wider and more accurate area than a manually drawn shape.
Result count. If results are significantly lower than expected, use Insights to identify which filter is over-restricting. Click More > Insights to enter Insights mode, which labels each filter group as either narrowing results significantly or not limiting at all.
What AI Search does and doesn't carry over
When you paste structured criteria text, AI Search interprets it as natural language. Most standard fields translate cleanly. A few do not.
Copies cleanly | May not translate or may need manual re-add |
Status (Active, Pending) | Drawn map shapes (replace with city/zip text or add a map shape. |
Property type and structure type |
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Price range (min/max), HOA fee logic with zero/blank modifiers |
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Beds and baths count |
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MLS-specific lookup values (pool type, view type, school codes) |
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Named cities and zip codes |
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For anything that didn't translate correctly, use the Add Filters button in AI Search to locate the MLS field by name and set the value manually. See How to find a filter from your MLS for guidance on locating the right field name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does copying and pasting criteria change the original alert on the contact's profile?
No. Copying the criteria text from View Criteria is a read-only action. The original alert is not modified, paused, or deleted. If you save the AI Search result as a new alert on the same or a different contact, both alerts exist. You can disable the previous alert if needed.
Can I copy criteria from one contact's alert and use it for a completely different client?
Yes, and this is one of the most practical uses of this technique. Open any contact who has a search that's close to what the new client needs, copy the criteria, paste it into AI Search, modify any details specific to the new client (location, price, must-haves), and save it to the new contact. The source contact's alert is unchanged.
The pasted text includes "Location in: Drawn Shape." What should I do with that?
Replace Drawn Shape with a named location: a city, zip code, or neighborhood name. Drawn shapes cannot be interpreted as text.
For example, writing "Santa Monica, CA" or "90401" in the prompt gives AI Search something it can resolve to a real boundary. Confirm the location result in the Search Criteria tab after the search runs. Add a drawn map shape after reviewing search criteria.
What if the price range doesn't translate correctly?
If the generated price filter doesn't match what you entered, click the Search Criteria tab, find the List Price filter, and edit the min/max values directly. You do not need to re-run the prompt to fix an individual filter.
Tip: Use History to recover a previously-submitted prompt.
Can I use this approach to repurpose an AI-generated search I already saved? Yes. Use the same steps: go to the contact's Email Alerts tab, click View Criteria on the AI-generated alert, copy the text, paste it into AI Search, and modify as needed. The copied criteria from an AI search will already include the natural language filter structure AI Search generated, which re-prompts cleanly.
Does this work for Market Activity Alerts?
No. This workflow is specific to Listing Alert criteria. Market Activity Alerts use a different filter structure. Learn more here.