Have you seen this article? If not, you need to read it. And, sorry, but it’s going to make you mad.
“I Tried to Sell My House With a Chatbot – Over five frantic days, I gambled my family’s life savings on a hunch that A.I. could outperform a real estate agent.”
You need to read this May 28 New York Times article by Stuart A. Thompson because you need to know what the consumer media is saying about you. You need to know what the general public is consuming. And you need to prepare for the reality of how AI may impact your livelihood.
I realize that this article may be just another installment in what really feels like a New York Times crusade against the residential real estate industry. But it’s not ok to just rant and rave and dismiss this as “fake news.” What we should do instead is look more closely at Thompson’s article so that we can defend against it with facts not feelings—and also learn valuable lessons from it.
Here’s the story
In his article, Thompson relates the experience of selling his home using only the assistance of an AI chatbot. As a technology journalist, Thompson was fairly confident that AI was up to the task.
Thompson also admits that he had “harbored doubts” about the value of a real estate agent, and after discussing the list price with two agents who told him he would probably sell at a loss, he questioned why he should have to pay commission on a losing proposition.
That’s when Thompson decided to use the $7.99 per month Google chatbot Gemini (a service he gets for free from his employer) to write a listing description for his home, which resulted in what he described as “glowing prose.” That’s when he fully committed to using AI instead of a human.
Thompson explained his line of reasoning: “So much of a real estate agent’s job seemed straightforward,” he wrote. “Follow the rules; take cues from comparable homes. Any human edge that agents may have once provided seemed archaic. They no longer have total control of listings or home sale data, and the personal networks that once helped a property sell have long since been obviated by websites like Zillow and Redfin.”
Armed with this oversimplified, fuzzy understanding of how real estate functions, Thompson proceeded to use AI to guide him through the various stages of selling his home, from photo and staging advice to handling showings and offers. He did have to pay $200 to get his listing distributed online via Homecoin (a flat fee MLS service, which he either did not acknowledge or did not understand relied on the hard work and infrastructure created by real estate professionals), claiming that his listing appeared instantly on Zillow and blended in perfectly with the homes represented by actual agents.
“It was impossible to tell that I had no idea what I was doing,” he wrote.
As Thompson continued to engage AI to get deeper into the process, the chatbot morphed from simply providing information to “something closer to wisdom,” he wrote, eventually making it “almost impossible for me to make a decision without getting A.I.’s opinion.”
Thompson began to get concerned, however, after a flurry of early interest in his home came up empty. As he experienced this bump in the road, he “yearned for some human empathy.” But not to worry—Thompson talked to his wife and a few reassuring friends who assuaged his concerns. “And they didn’t ask for a commission,” he added.
Before too long, Thompson received three offers “for a lot more than the asking price.” While the idea of embarking on contract negotiations filled him with dread, it turned out AI made it simple as pie, and even supported his idea to ask the buyers to pay their agent’s commission instead of him, and they readily agreed to (I guess he didn’t realize they were probably already contractually obligated to do so).
Offer accepted, Thompson did begin to wonder if he could’ve squeezed more out of the deal had he used a human agent. But his chatbot pointed out that securing peace of mind was much more important than earning a few extra dollars. That’s great, but most sellers need the maximum return possible out of the biggest investment of their life.
While Thompson did have to pay what he referred to as a “small fee” for a lawyer to handle the closing, all things considered, he was delighted with the financial results.
“In the end, using A.I. netted me more than $90,000,” wrote Thompson. “That includes the premium over the asking price, plus the roughly $36,000 in fees I didn’t pay.”
Here’s the reality
I’m sure you’re spitting nails at this point, so let’s get to the reality check:
– He had a time advantage. Thompson wasn’t your average guy using AI to sell his house. He’s a journalist on assignment, therefore, using AI to sell his home doubled as his day job. The average person buying or selling a home has a full-time job to contend with, and would never have the luxury of time to handle their own home sale, no matter how much assistance they received from AI.
– He had a knowledge advantage. Not only is Thompson a journalist, he’s a technology journalist. With the New York Times. His level of familiarity and comfortability using AI is not easily replicated by the general public (at least not yet). Not only did he use the Gemini chatbot, he used a browser from Perplexity. His AI expertise and experience in the digital world made this endeavor possible.
– He had a market advantage. While it varies by county and town, of course, New York’s Hudson Valley is a prime real estate market. According to Triangle Movers, “The Hudson Valley housing market is dramatically outperforming national trends across nearly every measurable metric. While national home prices are forecast to appreciate just 1-4% this year…Hudson Valley counties are seeing appreciation rates of 4.3% to 6.9%.”
The degree of difficulty to sell your home in a prime market cannot compare to selling your home in an average market where the nuanced skill of a human professional makes a critical difference. Also worth noting, Thompson says that interested buyers waived inspection and appraisal, which vastly streamlines and simplifies the transaction.
Here’s the takeaway
Despite these realities, do not make the mistake of ignoring this article, as it serves as an important cautionary tale. Consider the things that drove Thompson away from working with a real estate agent and into the arms of AI:
– He didn’t trust real estate agents. Based on the countless real estate professionals I’ve spoken to over the course of 23 years at RISMedia, it’s hard to imagine this person who leaned on the kitchen counter and told Thompson he’s going to lose money. But you know better than anyone that such less-than-professional types are out there—and they’ve been dragging down the reputation of the entire industry for years. Make sure you are leveling up your listing presentations and come armed with a wealth of statistics, market data and nuanced information to support the list price you suggest.
– He didn’t feel commissions were worth it. Thompson’s line at the end of the article speaks volumes: “Maybe I could have sold for more with a human’s help, but that wouldn’t have necessarily benefited me…The only people guaranteed to gain would have been the real estate agents.”
The ongoing perception that real estate agents make tons of money for doing relatively little kills me. Why is the general public unaware that the average Realtor® makes $58,100 per year (according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2025 Member Profile)? It’s critical that you remind clients and prospects that, unlike an attorney who bills for every minute, you don’t see a dime until/unless the home sells. As we confront the increasing usage of AI, you must explain in great detail the work you will do on your client’s behalf. Prove to them that the commission you earn is more than fair.
– He didn’t have to wait for answers. Now is not the time to let your communication lag. A big part of the attraction of using AI is that you can get answers immediately at any time. Make sure you are accessible to clients and that they feel well communicated with. And make sure you’re addressing the particular pain points that are unique to them. Thompson seemed to have made a trusting connection with his AI chatbot, and this is exactly how AI is designed to work. Now more than ever, you must ramp up the human touch.
Perhaps the most ominous part of the article is the closing, where Thompson hypothesizes that real estate agents will go the way of the travel agent. “Once essential to navigating an opaque process, they could soon become more of a nice-to-have for busy people who want a more carefree experience,” he wrote.
While this is a misguided statement because the cost spent on even the most luxurious vacation can’t compare to the investment in a house, Thompson’s article should serve as a wake-up call. Don’t dismiss it as a New York Times bias piece, because the poor perception of our industry transcends any one media entity—and that’s because we’ve done a lackluster job of demonstrating and communicating what makes us essential. It is critical that we start now, in a big way, because Thompson’s way of thinking combined with the rapid advancements in AI are going to be a growing force to contend with. If you don’t want to go the way of the travel agent, get busy getting better at the tasks and qualities that AI cannot provide.
