By Budge Huskey
Chief Executive Officer of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how real estate information is delivered to consumers. New tools promise faster searches, clearer pricing signals and greater transparency throughout the buying and selling process. That progress is real, and should be welcomed. Yet amid the excitement, an important truth is emerging: 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 customers through decisions that are both financially and emotionally significant. That role is not diminished by AI but is sharpened by it.
Recent studies suggest that AI could automate or meaningfully expand nearly 40 percent of current work activities over the next decade, improving efficiency across the economy. In real estate, that shift appears in faster access to information and fewer manual steps in the transaction process. For consumers, it means clearer data earlier and fewer delays. For professionals, it means more time devoted to judgment, strategy and relationships, the human elements that ultimately shape outcomes.
AI has already transformed the early stages of the homebuying journey. Algorithms now analyze preferences, budgets and browsing behavior to surface more relevant listings and reduce wasted time. Virtual and augmented reality tools allow buyers to tour homes remotely, experiment with staging and narrow choices before ever stepping inside a property. Neighborhood insights, from schools and amenities to safety data and future development, are more accessible than ever. More accurate, though still imperfect, automated valuation models provide immediate opinions.
Sellers benefit from many of the same efficiencies. AI-powered tools help inform pricing and positioning strategies, enhance marketing efforts, expand digital exposure and more precisely target likely buyers through predictive analytics.
At Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, we began this journey some time ago by developing a proprietary AI model built on OpenAI technology, which we named Premier GPT. Over the past year, it has been trained to understand our iconic brand, our distinct markets and our elevated customer profile. It assists our advisors in developing buyer personas, crafting distinctive marketing campaigns and more. We were especially proud when it received a prestigious Inman Award for Best Innovation in the industry. And it is only the beginning. In the year ahead, we will further integrate AI across our operating platforms and introduce open-language search capabilities on our consumer-facing website. The pace of innovation will continue to accelerate.
But technology alone does not resolve the realities shaping today’s housing market, nor does it answer the deeply personal questions buyers and sellers must confront. While AI can model scenarios and run projections, it cannot help a buyer decide how much uncertainty they are willing to accept, or how a purchase fits into a broader life plan. It cannot assess emotional readiness, reconcile competing priorities or guide someone through the disappointment of a deal that does not come together. Those are human conversations requiring experience, empathy and judgment.
There is also a growing risk of information overload. Automated valuations, forecasts and risk scores often appear definitive, yet different models can produce different conclusions for the same property. Without context, more data can confuse rather than clarify.
This helps explain why affluent and repeat buyers continue to place a premium on seasoned advisors. Surveys consistently show 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 may inform decisions, it does not stand behind them.
The most effective use of AI in real estate is as a complement to human expertise, not a replacement. By handling data analysis and repetitive tasks, technology frees professionals to focus on what truly adds value: insight, negotiation and care. Together, technology and human judgment create better outcomes than either could alone.
Trust remains the foundation of successful real estate transactions. And trust is built through relationships, accountability and human judgment, qualities no algorithm can replicate. In the end, you cannot tech your way to trust. Score one for the humans.
