A recent New York Times article by technology reporter Stuart A. Thompson generated considerable discussion in the real estate industry. In the article, Thompson describes using artificial intelligence to help market and sell his home.
If you read the article carefully, you’ll notice something else.
The agents Thompson interviewed weren’t particularly impressive. They leaned on the counter, quoted automated valuation ranges, offered little strategic insight, and failed to demonstrate much conviction. So Thompson did what many smart consumers would do when the professionals in front of them aren’t earning their fee: he looked elsewhere. In his case, he turned to a chatbot.
That’s not a story about AI replacing agents. That’s a story about agents losing a listing to a bot because they showed up as the bot would.
Here’s the part of the job that those agents didn’t show Thompson. The part that earns the fee.
Real Estate Is More Than Information
Pricing, for example, looks simple on the surface. Ask AI, Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and three experienced agents what a home is worth, and you’ll get several different answers. Automated valuation models (AVM) often produce ranges so wide they’re difficult to act on. An AVM may estimate a home value between $634,000 and $804,000. That’s a huge difference!
Experienced agents don’t always agree either, but their opinions are often shaped by things that never appear in the input data. I’ve seen homes sell for $50,000 more than they should because they showed beautifully, and buyers immediately began imagining themselves living there. They pictured hosting Super Bowl parties, summer BBQs, all before settlement. The reality is that once the furniture and décor are removed, the house may never look quite the same. Yet the emotional connection has already been made.
I’ve also seen homes underperform because of clutter, poor presentation, or details as simple as an old rusty chain-link fence. AI can analyze facts. It can identify patterns. What it cannot measure is human emotion. Despite all our technology, people still buy homes emotionally and justify the decision logically afterward.
Even something as simple as writing a listing description involves more judgment than many people realize. AI can generate words, but an experienced agent decides which features deserve attention, which details make the property stand out from competing homes, and how the property should be positioned in a crowded market.
The goal isn’t simply to describe a home. The goal is to make the right buyer stop scrolling or be found by AI.
The Questions AI Can’t Answer
Then comes the contract.
A buyer submits an offer with 20% down. Many sellers assume that makes the offer stronger. But an experienced agent immediately starts evaluating questions such as:
- Has the lender verified proof of funds?
- Is the down payment already available or tied to another transaction?
- Can the buyer change the amount they put down before settlement?
- If the appraisal comes in low and the buyer has not waived the appraisal contingency, does that 20% down really make the offer stronger?
- Does a higher offer actually carry more risk than a lower offer with fewer contingencies?
These aren’t data questions. They’re judgment questions.
The same is true for inspections, financing, title issues, HOA documents, reserve studies, capital contributions, special assessments, and negotiations.
AI can read the documents. Experience knows what to look for.
An AI tool can summarize an HOA package. An experienced agent can direct the buyer to review reserves, recurring maintenance issues, upcoming assessments, litigation, insurance concerns, restrictions that may affect future resale value, or meeting minutes that reveal problems buyers may not discover until after closing.
What Clients Are Really Paying For
One of my real estate memories happened during a listing presentation many years ago.
The seller was a successful businessman with a strong personality. After I finished my presentation, he looked at me and asked, “What exactly are you going to do for me that’s worth $42,000?”
At the time, his home was worth about $700,000, and he was referring to the commission.
I paused for a moment and said, “If you’re looking for a dollar-by-dollar breakdown of everything I’m going to do, that would never add up.”
He looked at me curiously, so I continued.
“You’re not paying me for signs, advertising, brochures, or open houses. You’re paying me for what’s between my ears. One mistake you make could cost you far more than my fee.”
He looked at me for a few seconds and said, “You’re hired.”
Looking back, I think it captured something important. The value of a professional isn’t usually found in the tasks they perform. It’s found in the judgment they bring and the mistakes they help clients avoid.
It’s All Good Until It’s Not
Can someone sell a home without an agent? Absolutely.
Can AI help? Absolutely.
Consumers are smart, and technology is improving rapidly. Transactions are relatively straightforward…until they aren’t. That’s when experience matters. That’s when trust matters. That’s when clients need to know you genuinely care about the outcome.
My father used to say, “It’s all good until it’s not.” The longer I’m in this business, the more I realize how true that is.
If this article has a takeaway, it’s not that AI is replacing real estate agents. It’s that AI is forcing agents to define and demonstrate their value clearly.
As agents, we can no longer assume consumers understand the value we bring to a transaction. We must be able to explain it, demonstrate it, and deliver it. Knowledge matters. Trust matters. And clients need to know you genuinely care about the outcome.
The best agents will embrace it and use it to better serve clients. But technology doesn’t replace judgment, experience, trust, or care.
And that’s usually the moment people discover what expertise is worth.
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About the Author
Adriene Pessel is a lifetime Top Producer with more than three decades of experience, serving Fairfax County and Alexandria, VA. She is also the Director of Education at CENTURY 21 New Millennium. She has coached more than 1,500 professionals and focuses on elevating standards through the practical application of emerging tools and clear client communication.
Educational Resources
Adriene also produces short educational videos on emerging real estate topics, including responsible AI integration, market analysis, loan assumptions, CMAs, and navigating complex transactions. These videos are designed to help consumers and professionals better understand the decision process behind modern real estate practice. They are available on her YouTube channel, Real Life Real Estate, or on Spotify, Real Life Real Estate: Where Experience Matters.