Proptech companies and industry leaders have touted artificial intelligence as a technology that can transform everything from lead generation to transaction management. Depending on who you ask, this is either the greatest opportunity agents have ever had or an existential threat to the profession.
But beyond the hype, more important questions remain. What is actually happening on the ground?
To find out, Inman spoke to agencies and industry experts across the country about how AI is being used, where it’s providing real value, and where it’s lacking. Many people wanted to share their opinions, and while the answers weren’t as dramatic as the headlines, they were much more significant.
In summary, AI is not replacing agents, but it is rapidly reshaping the way agents work and raising expectations for everyone.
The most obvious use case: time savings
For most agents, AI’s biggest impact isn’t futuristic automation. It’s efficiency.
Cody Schuiteboer, president and CEO of Best Interest Financial, said one of the most practical applications is lead qualification. Instead of chasing hundreds of inbound inquiries, agents can use AI tools to prioritize leads that are most likely to convert.
“This is one of the clearest use cases to date,” he said. “The key is not to replace agents, but to work smarter.”
Agents use AI to write listing descriptions, draft emails, generate social media content, and analyze market data, essentially easing the type of repetitive tasks that used to take hours each week.
“This is becoming a virtual assistant,” said Ben Mizes, licensed agent and co-founder of Clever Offers. “It has eased the burden on administrators, allowing them to focus on negotiations and building relationships.”
Tim Gaasch, real estate specialist and vice president of account management at Clever Offers, described a similar change. Tasks that once took up a significant amount of your day can now be completed in minutes.
“We can now create more sophisticated marketing materials in less time,” he said, noting that AI has also made conversations with customers more data-driven.
Ryan Fitzgerald, real estate agent and owner of Raleigh Realty in North Carolina, said the time savings are real, even if it’s not as drastic a change as some vendors suggest.
“I use AI every day, but I don’t know if I’m using it in the innovative ways that vendors are promising,” he said.
Like many agents, he uses tools like ChatGPT and Claude for writing, editing, and idea generation. The result will be simple but meaningful. You’ll spend less time on routine tasks and more time with your clients.
Alexei Morgado, a South Florida real estate agent and founder of Lexawise Real Estate Exam Prep, said much of the use of AI happens before you even pick up the phone. By analyzing data upfront, you can approach the conversation with a clearer understanding of what buyers and sellers actually want.
“AI allows us to focus on those situations,” he said, referring to negotiations and customer-facing moments. “Buyers still want genuine negotiation and someone who can read the atmosphere.”
Reclaim your time and reinvest in your customers
Robert Hlinniewiczki of HRLS Partners at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty said he is always looking for more ways to harness the power of AI in his business.
“If you break down the day-to-day responsibilities of a luxury real estate agent, outside of client-facing duties, most of the work is reactionary or trigger-based,” Hryniewiczki told Inman in an email. “So AI has become a very powerful tool for codifying what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and how it’s done.”
Hryniewicki said his team is using a custom AI system built by operations director Peter Calomeris to improve speed, efficiency and accuracy while maintaining a great customer experience.
These tools are evolving to help you quickly create market analyzes and create complete contract documents in minutes. Calomeris also trained its AI based on past marketing, allowing it to create on-brand content with minimal editing.
“Ultimately, AI will give us back dozens of hours throughout the year that we can reinvest directly into our customers,” Hryniewicki said.
promise and reality
Even if AI clearly improves efficiency, it may fall short of many of the industry’s boldest claims.
Schuiteboer said there is still a large gap between what vendors promise and what actually works. In one case, an agent tested a platform that claimed it could generate $50,000 a month in new business. Instead, hundreds of unqualified leads were generated, creating more jobs instead of fewer jobs.
That skepticism is deep-rooted. “Most of it is just hype,” Eric Leland, a broker with Realty First, said bluntly. In his view, many “AI-powered” products are just chatbots layered on top of existing tools.
Fitzgerald sees a similar trend. “‘AI-powered’ is now a buzzword for all proptech vendors,” he said, even though the underlying technology hasn’t changed much.
For Leland, the biggest red flag is when companies position AI as an agent replacement rather than a support tool. “I don’t feel comfortable handing my clients over to bots,” he says. “Clients want to know they are working with a real person.”
Conversations about artificial intelligence in the real estate industry often oscillate between two extremes. Some see this as overhyped, while others see it as an existential threat to agents. But for others in the industry, the reality is more grounded and down-to-earth.
When asked whether AI is hype or a threat, Hryniewiczki said: “Neither.” “AI is one of the biggest opportunities for both high-volume teams and single agents to free up time currently spent on repeatable, non-client-facing tasks.”
Rather than replacing agents, AI is increasingly being used to streamline operational aspects of business. Agencies say it’s this change that has real value. AI doesn’t change the conditions for successful agents, it just increases the amount of time we rely on it.
“AI is not a threat in the real estate industry; it is a tool that enhances what good agents are already doing well,” said Hryniewicki. “The core of this business remains relationship-driven.”
Email Nick Pipitone
