Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way real estate information is delivered to consumers. The new tools promise faster searches, clearer price signals and greater transparency throughout the buying and selling process. This progress is real and must be welcomed. Yet amid this enthusiasm, an important truth emerges: As technology becomes more powerful, the value of trusted human experience becomes even more pronounced.
Real estate professionals have always played a vital role in helping buyers and sellers navigate complexity. They interpret market conditions, negotiate under pressure, and guide clients through decisions that are both financially and emotionally significant. This role is not diminished by AI, but it is accentuated by it.
Recent studies suggest that AI could automate or significantly expand nearly 40% of current work activities over the next decade, improving the efficiency of the entire economy. In real estate, this change translates into faster access to information and a reduction in manual steps in the transaction process. For consumers, this means clearer data sooner and fewer delays. For professionals, this means more time spent on judgment, strategy and relationships, the human elements that ultimately shape results.
AI has already transformed the early stages of the home buying journey. Algorithms now analyze preferences, budgets and browsing behavior to surface more relevant listings and optimize valuable time spent searching. Virtual and augmented reality tools allow buyers to tour homes remotely, experience staging and narrow down choices before even entering a property. Information about neighborhoods, from schools and amenities to safety data and future developments, is more accessible than ever. Automated assessment models, which are more accurate, although still imperfect, provide immediate opinions.
Sellers benefit from many of the same efficiencies. AI-powered tools help inform pricing and positioning strategies, improve marketing efforts, expand digital exposure, and more precisely target potential buyers with predictive analytics.
At Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, we began this journey some time ago by developing a proprietary AI model based on OpenAI technology, which we named Premier GPT. Over the past year, he has been trained to understand our iconic brand, our distinct markets and our elevated customer profile. It helps our advisors develop buyer personas, craft distinctive marketing campaigns and much more. We are particularly proud to have received the prestigious Inman Award for the best innovation in the sector. And this is just the beginning. In the coming year, we will further integrate AI into our operating platforms and introduce open language search capabilities to our consumer website. The pace of innovation will continue to accelerate.
In real estate, AI can confuse instead of clarify
But technology alone doesn’t solve the realities shaping today’s real estate market, nor does it answer the deeply personal questions buyers and sellers face. While AI can model scenarios and make projections, it can’t help a buyer decide how much uncertainty they’re willing to accept or how a purchase fits into a larger life plan. It can’t assess emotional readiness, reconcile competing priorities, or guide someone through the disappointment of a deal that doesn’t come to fruition. These are human conversations that require experience, empathy and judgment.
There is also a growing risk of information overload. Automated assessments, forecasts and risk scores often appear definitive, but different models can produce different conclusions for the same property. Without context, more data can confuse instead of clarify.
This partly explains why affluent, repeat buyers continue to place a premium on seasoned advisors. Surveys consistently show that buyers and sellers rank real estate professionals as their most trusted source of information, well ahead of online tools. These consumers understand that while AI can inform decisions, it does not support them.
The most effective use of AI in real estate is to complement human expertise, not replace it. By handling data analysis and repetitive tasks, technology allows professionals to focus on what truly adds value: insight, negotiation and attention. Together, technology and the human experience create better results than either could do alone.
Trust remains the foundation of successful real estate transactions. And trust is built through relationships, accountability and human judgment, qualities that no algorithm can replicate. Ultimately, you can’t trust technology. Score one for humans.
Budge Huskey is Chairman and CEO of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.