The sentence you’re reading right now? Not only did I write it, but I composed this one as well! In fact, the whole story that follows was 100% brain-generated, without the slightest use of AI. Up to very recently all AI might have meant to me was Acquired Information.
Not that I couldn’t have employed AI to string some of these words together. And the way things are going, it may not be long before AI does a lot more ‘writing’ than we journalists prefer. Fortunately for those of us who rely on our scribbling skills for a paycheck, AI is still a basics-only work in progress.
What about you? Have you delved deep into the AI-algorithm realm? That would make a lot of sense, as new and varied AI programs are constantly hitting the market, with some specifically improving or streamlining tasks you must do continually.
RISMedia asked real estate pros to share where they stand regarding the usage of AI. Opinions ranged from a mild disdain all the way to ‘where would I be without it?’ For the most part, there was agreement that AI is not going away, so we might as well use it and get used to it.
“ChatGPT has saved our team a lot of time on crafting emails, listing descriptions and some of the labor-intensive work that is unnecessarily time-consuming in an industry where we need to be hyper focused on how we dedicate our resources,” says Tali Berzak, as associate broker with Compass. “Our time needs to be spent on researching (listings, comp sets, new client presentations), and showing up (in person) for clients, whether buyers or sellers.
“We’re excited at the prospect of AI virtual staging and floorplans, which has yet to be perfected, but it’s getting closer. This will be an incredibly helpful tool to help clients envision themselves in a home that may be a white box, and AI floorplans would be a dream considering the 2025 mentality of ‘I want to see photos / floorplans now, not in 3 days.’ “
Tessa Hilton, co-CEO of luxury L.A. brokerage Hilton Hilton, also lauds AI’s uses, while recommending agents not get too caught up in it.
“I see how AI can help newer agents with productivity, things like organizing CRM notes, writing follow-ups or generating talking points,” she says. “However, there’s a risk in becoming over-reliant. The agents who will stand out moving forward are the ones who use AI as a launchpad and not a crutch. Our clients are more connected, educated and discerning than ever. Authenticity and presence matter more now, not less.
“AI enhances efficiency, but it’s not a substitute for the deeply human side of real estate. We’re using AI to organize client databases and analyze market trends, but final decisions still come down to intuition, taste and trust. AI can help agents scale their efforts from faster response times to personalizing content, but the risk is losing the personal touch that builds long-term relationships. Agents still need to lead with empathy, creativity and connection. The most successful brokers will be those who blend AI’s speed and scale with their own authenticity and judgment.”
Jeffrey Decatur, a broker associate with REMAX Capital in upstate New York, makes the interesting point that not only are agents using AI, but so too are buyers.
“I had a client ask AI how much to offer on a particular home,” he says. “I have to admit I was impressed with the answer. The price was way off, and we laughed about that part. But some of the other advice it gave on how to present the best offer was pretty good. It opened up a lot of dialogue and great questions.
“AI is an amazing tool; it is almost like having an assistant. It can write property descriptions, write and send emails. I take contracts and upload them and ask AI to create a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation guide to explain forms or contracts to clients. The uses are endless. But I caution everyone to read anything AI-created to make sure it isn’t breaking a law or misinforming. For example one of the things it said was to write a ‘love letter’ and most of what it suggested was against fair housing. It also doesn’t know everything in real life and can sometimes make up some interesting scenarios and comments.”
That good AI/bad AI opinion is seconded by Pam Rosser Thistle, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® in Philadelphia.
“AI is embedded into Google searches and many of the tools that consumers and agents use on a day-to-day basis,” she says. “I leave it at that. My value is my real estate and life experience that I share with clients, my motherly guidance through a transaction. AI makes the back end more efficient, but I don’t strive to have AI take over the steps of a transaction that we all enjoy, which is the journey. We have gone far enough with AI. The good will soon be outweighed by the downsides.”
Erica Sachse, co-founder of Powered by DMT, a marketing and real estate brokerage in New York and Florida, rubber stamps the positivity of AI.
“It is fundamentally changing how we approach sales and marketing in real estate, and we see it as a powerful tool for optimization and efficiency,” she says. “We’re leveraging AI to analyze market data faster, personalize outreach at scale and identify the right buyer profiles for each property. This allows our agents and brokers to focus on the high-value parts of the process including relationship-building, negotiations and strategic decision-making, while AI handles much of the data-heavy legwork.
“Far from replacing the human touch, AI is enhancing it by giving us better insights, faster turnarounds and more precise targeting, ultimately helping achieve stronger results in less time. In addition, we are using Generative AI for content ideation, creation and iteration, allowing us to exponentially increase marketing materials and design assets for each project/ listing at a fraction of the cost.”
Specific usages and platforms
Three agents from Coldwell Banker Warburg, in New York City, detail precisely how they utilize AI in ways that would have been labor-intensive just a few years ago when it was not available.
Jules Garcia: “I use AI for enhanced marketing on my listings. While I appreciate that it sounds generic or even standard practice these days, enhanced marketing for listings using AI is actually not. While many agents have been early adopters of the tech, few use it to truly focus on the most important item, which is the listing and not the listing agent. The real celebrity when it comes to marketing a listing should always be the listing. Some agents focus too much on their personal branding or try to give themselves and the listing equal attention.
“Lately, my default is Canva. The embedded AI capabilities give me the option to scale and automate a listing’s marketing without sacrificing the premium aesthetic and end-receiver’s experience. My ability to do quick and premium videos or infographics that I can quickly take to market has increased tremendously because of the intuitive AI and templates I’ve built out. This means that there is minimal lag time from me bringing an idea to the consumer masses about a listing.”
Alana Lindsay: “I use AI to do a number of tasks. I usually compile data myself for clients or customers to ensure it’s accurate for their search and then leverage AI to make a polished list, table, etc., when I do not have time to do it myself in Excel.
“AI also comes in handy when I want to make infographics quickly that are specific to a person and their home search. It has reduced these tasks that would have taken ages for me or someone else to do to a few minutes, allowing me to get back to people quickly and keep my follow-up schedule on time when things get busy.”
Julia Heinrichs: “A unique way I use AI is to edit objects out of listing photos. If I find little things I want removed from my listing photos and don’t want to pay the photographer extra to remove them, I upload the photo to ChatGPT and say, ‘Remove the soap bottle by the sink in this photo,’ This has not only saved money but has helped my listing photos look more professional and less messy.”
Shannon Murree, with REMAX Hallmark Chay Realty Brokerage, in Barrie, Ontario, provides AI pros and cons for agents and consumers.
Agent pros
- It makes research and communication faster.
- It can process huge amounts of data.
- It helps shape messages for different personalities.
- It’s useful for marketing strategy, getting a year’s worth of ideas into templates and ready for our social media strategist, so we’re efficient and consistent.
Agent cons:
- You must know your stuff. AI gets it wrong. I don’t use it for facts. If something matters legally, financially or strategically, I go to the source.
- Misinterpretation is easy. AI doesn’t read emotion, and written communication can be tricky.
- Over-reliance can dilute judgment and personal connection.
Consumer pros:
- Perhaps faster access to information. They can get answers quickly without waiting for a call-back.
- Communication can feel more tailored to their style, whether they like quick bullet points, a softer tone, or lots of detail, etc.
Consumer cons:
- They might assume what AI gives them is 100% accurate, and it’s not. If the data is wrong or out of context, it could create confusion or false expectations.
- AI can’t pick up on the nuance of what a buyer really needs. For example, it can’t sense when a client is overwhelmed, worried or needs reassurance.
- Over-reliance on AI-driven responses can feel impersonal, and buying or selling a home is one of the most personal transactions people go through.
- Consumers still need a professional to interpret, verify and apply the information. AI can give the ‘what,’ but not the ‘why’ or ‘how.’
Murree stresses that even with cons and well as pros, AI is something all agents must embrace.
“It is here to stay…it’s not going anywhere, so we either adapt or get left behind,” she says. “It’s going to keep evolving, and our job is to figure out how to use it to our advantage. For me, it’s a tool that helps me work smarter and faster. It saves me time on the background stuff so I can stay focused on what really matters—strategy, creativity and that personal touch clients actually hire me for. The key is that I stay in control. AI can throw out ideas, but it’s not going to build trust, it’s not going to hold a client’s hand through an emotional decision and it’s not going to think through the nuances of a deal the way I can. The part that’s human is not changing.”
