With over 20 years of experience, Shannon Murree is an agent and team leader at REMAX Hallmark Chay Realty Brokerage, in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Here, she shares her thoughts on how AI plays an important role in her career…to a point.
Michael Catarevas: What is your general opinion of AI?
Shannon Murree: To be perfectly honest, AI is great in some aspects, but I’m still the one in service. My business is about people, and no technology replaces the human nature of wanting to go above and beyond for a client. That part won’t change. Where AI works well for me is behind the scenes. It helps me streamline, brainstorm and refine communication so I can focus on being present with clients.
That said, AI isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are many tools out there, and figuring out which one is “best” depends on the job you need it to do. One platform might be great at content, another at marketing ideas and another at visuals. And as much as AI is evolving, these tools don’t exactly “talk to each other” seamlessly yet, so you still need a human in the middle, managing it all and making sure the output actually makes sense.
AI has a place, and it’s only going to grow, but it’s not a magic fix. It’s a tool that helps me deliver better service, not a replacement for the service itself.
MC: Has AI become more useful than you originally thought it would be?
SM: Initially, I was hesitant about AI because I pride myself on being quick-thinking and creative, with a high emotional IQ and the ability to structure solutions on the fly for my clients and team. I didn’t want to rely on AI and risk losing the natural skill and intuition that have been critical to my work. That said, I’ve come to see that AI can be incredibly helpful when used strategically. It’s a tool to enhance my work, not replace it.
I’m finding it extremely helpful now that I have learned to embrace it, refine it and use it as a tool to my advantage, adding to what I already know. Are there times that it is less helpful? Yes. Sometimes it does not give you the “foolproof” answer or response and it still takes tweaking and refining. Also, remember that it’s not a replacement of professional standards as a real estate agent and it can get things wrong. Given that it’s our responsibility and liability, we definitely need to ensure factual information.
MC: How do you see AI helping/hindering agents and brokers going forward?
SM: AI has the potential to streamline certain aspects of our work and business—research, marketing, drafting clauses, and for me personally, tailoring communications. It also helps me when I’m too wordy or have run-on sentences, making sure my message is clear. For some of my buyer agents, where English isn’t their first language, it’s been a great tool to help them communicate more effectively and confidently with clients.
But real estate is a service industry built on relationships, trust and understanding human emotion. Buying or selling a home is a deeply personal decision, and the human element—guiding, educating and supporting clients, sometimes even hand-holding or putting a hand on their shoulder when they need to vent or lean on our experience, is irreplaceable.
Sure, there are still some “old-school agents” who prefer the one-on-one ways of paperwork and doing everything manually. But the truth is, consumer expectations are changing. Clients want efficiency, responsiveness and clarity, and AI can help us deliver that faster. Where it stops short is in emotional intelligence. AI won’t catch the hesitation in someone’s voice, it won’t sense the stress behind a decision and it won’t build the trust that comes from lived experience in this business.
Where I think AI can hinder is when people rely on it too heavily and forget to use their own tool—their brain—for critical thinking. That kind of on-your-feet thinking is often needed in our business, especially in the middle of negotiations or important client conversations.
In my opinion, both personally and professionally, agents who embrace AI thoughtfully can enhance their efficiency and service. It’s great for streamlining, but it’s not the differentiator. We are. The real value comes from our ability to problem-solve, to connect and to stand in the gap for clients when things get hard. AI can support us, but it doesn’t replace us.
MC: What do you see as pros and cons of AI in general, and in real estate?
SM: From an agent perspective…
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, ready for our social media strategist, so we’re efficient and consistent.
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.
From a consumer’s perspective…
Pros
- Perhaps faster access to information—consumers 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).
Cons:
- Consumers 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.”
MC: How specifically do you use AI?
SM: Truthfully, I’ve found AI incredibly helpful, especially after experiencing a concussion from a motor vehicle accident last year. If there’s a super long article, I’ll copy and paste it and ask AI to summarize it or put it into point form so I know exactly what I need.
When dealing with a very emotional customer or agent, I often have a response in mind, but rather than react defensively or emotionally, I’ll enter it into AI and direct it to draft a professional, neutral version for me. I also use AI to interpret long emails or text messages, helping me respond efficiently and respectfully. In today’s world, with fewer phone conversations, generational gaps and varying communication styles, this approach has been extremely effective. It reduces misunderstandings and streamlines my workflow.
That said, I still rely on my brain, my emotional intelligence and my critical thinking. I’m blessed to have a creative, analytical mind and 21 years as a licensed real estate agent. Those lived experiences, both personally and professionally, are things that can be taught, but they can’t be replaced by AI. I often joke with friends, family and colleagues that AI “made me nicer.” The truth is, I’m already a nice person, but sometimes text or email doesn’t carry tone well. AI gives me an extra layer, a filter, so my messages are better received. It helps reduce misunderstandings and ensures my intent comes across clearly, without changing what I actually want to say.
MC: Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
SM: AI is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, so we either adapt or get left behind. 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. That part is human, and is not changing.
Most importantly, it helps me improve my communication. We all have very different personalities and learning styles, and sometimes that creates friction. A direct message can be taken the wrong way depending on the recipient’s mood or perspective. For example, I had a young professional tell me she thought one of my texts “wasn’t very nice,” when in reality, it was just factual and straightforward. She was someone who communicated heavily with emojis, whereas that’s not my style. In moments like that, I’ll take what I’ve drafted, run it through AI and say: “Keep the context, but make this softer for someone with X personality type.” It helps bridge the gap.
