Can AI Sell Your Home?

I had my first client reach out to let me know that they plan to use AI to sell their home. Their motivation? To save money. As a seasoned real estate agent, I have experienced losing past clients to other agents, the friend of a family member that just got their license. But never to a computer. I know this won’t be the last time a buyer or seller wonders if AI can help them buy or sell a home, which is why educating them before they make that decision is now becoming even more important.

What AI Can Do in Real Estate

AI can do a lot of the same things that I can. It can pull comps, review inspection reports, write listing copy and explain FIRPTA. I use AI for my real estate business. It has helped me summarize market data, research wildfire risk in specific neighborhoods, and edited listing copy. I have regained valuable time to focus on my clients, the most important part of my business.

What AI Can’t Do When You Buy or Sell a Home

But AI can’t do the heavy lifting that is required when you buy or sell a home. It is unable to negotiate on your behalf to prevent you from overpaying for a home. It can’t provide accountability if something goes wrong during the final hours before closing. It does not know which home inspector is thorough, which lender closes on time, or the best time of day to show a home in the foothills. AI carries no legal responsibility, has no fiduciary judgement, nor does it carry Errors & Omissions insurance should a real estate transaction end up in court. AI also can’t be there when you have an unrepresented buyer in your home asking disclosure questions. It doesn’t know the emotional state of the other party because it cannot have a conversation with the other agent.

These are all examples of the many complexities of a real estate transaction that require a human. Someone that will represent you during the biggest purchase of your life. A person with experience to manage every requirement from contract to closing table.

People Need People For Big Decisions

I heard someone say recently that people need people for life’s big decisions. Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make and outsourcing it to a data processor may be a risk that you can’t afford to take. AI is a powerful tool but that’s where its value ends. You need someone to provide you with the guidance that a chatbot cannot. In the end using AI will not save you money. Without a skilled negotiator and risk mitigator in your corner, you give up the very expertise that gets you top dollar for your home.