At our ‘Unlock 2025’ conference, the conversation wasn’t about what might happen. It was about where the industry was already heading and what agents needed to do next.
A few months into 2026, those signals have turned into operating conditions. The agents who acted early aren’t just informed about what’s changing; they’re already ahead of it.
Here’s how that’s showing up:
- AI is reshaping how top agents operate
At Unlock, the message was clear: AI would accelerate faster than anything real estate has seen before. That’s proven true. According to Zillow’s 2026 Agent Trends Survey, nearly half of agents now use AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude at least daily—with agents on teams adopting them even faster. Agents who’ve built AI into their workflows as a system—automating follow-up, streamlining client communication, reinvesting that time into higher-value work—are running more efficient businesses. About a quarter of agents are still using these tools rarely or not at all, and that gap comes down to execution. It’s widening fast.
- Your next deal is more likely already in your database
One of the most actionable insights from Unlock: agents are leaving significant opportunities sitting in their existing contacts. Repeat buyers drive more than half of all transactions, yet only a fraction return to their previous agent. In today’s higher-cost lead environment, agents who went home and built re-engagement systems are seeing stronger pipelines without increasing spend.
Zillow Pro, previewed at Unlock, is designed to help here. The platform surfaces buyer and seller readiness signals from an agent’s sphere—showing when contacts are actively searching or showing signs of intent—so agents can reach out at the right moment rather than guessing. Extending My Agent to an entire contact database turns passive contacts into warm, trackable relationships. The pipeline was already there; the tools to activate it are now available.
- Sellers are optimizing for certainty, not just price
Zillow’s seller data, shared on stage at Unlock in 2025, showed a clear shift: today’s sellers care deeply about timing, predictability, and control—often more than top-line price. About a third cited timing as their top priority, and more than four in ten were open to offering concessions to reach the closing table faster. Agents who walked away from Unlock and updated their listing conversations to reflect that—leading with data, addressing timeline concerns directly, and framing concessions as strategy—are winning listings that agents with older playbooks are losing.
- Your brand is your business
At Unlock, Zillow’s Beverly Jackson was direct: the brand clients choose is the agent’s, not the brokerage’s. “You are the brand—your face, your personality, who you are, what you represent and how you show up.” Her framework for building it: clarity, consistency, and credibility. Engage over broadcast, post reliably where your clients live, and use Zillow Research and local data to tell market stories that prove you know the area.
That’s playing out in 2026. As Zillow VP of Agent Marketing Ericka Kurtz put it, agents with a consistent presence are getting chosen before the first conversation even happens—and consistency matters more than perfection. Tools like Showcase and Zillow Agent Profiles anchor a clear online identity; AI handles content creation and analytics so agents can focus on the storytelling that actually builds trust.
- A new generation of buyers has entered the market—and they find their agent online
Agents at Unlock learned it first: Gen Z now accounts for 18% of buyers, a third found their agent online before anywhere else—topping referrals—and half hired the first agent they contacted. Armed with that data, agents could leave Vegas and audit their digital presence accordingly: updating profiles, showing up consistently on the platforms where younger buyers spend time, and positioning themselves to be the first agent a Gen Z buyer encounters when searching. That’s a compounding advantage that only grows as this generation moves further into homebuying age.
What this means now
Agents who were in that room last October had a head start—and the ones who acted on what they heard used it. In a market where expectations are rising and change is compounding, insight creates an edge only when it’s followed by execution. The advantage goes to agents who can turn what they learn into systems that run consistently.
That’s exactly what Unlock is built to do.
Unlock 2026: The opportunity is now
This year’s event, happening Oct. 12-15 at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, is focused on what matters most: helping you see where the next opportunities are and walk away ready to win them. Not with more ideas but with clear direction, proven playbooks, and systems you can put to work immediately.
To register for the event, visit unlockconference.com.
