Every real estate agent has AI now, how sellers spot real expertise

A homeowner recently asked me to review a listing presentation prepared by another real estate agent. It was impressive. The pricing analysis was organized, the marketing plan included video, social media and buyer targeting, and the language was polished throughout.

A few years ago, a presentation like that might have shown how much time and thought an agent had invested before the appointment. Today, much of it could have been produced in less than an hour with artificial intelligence.

That does not make the presentation weak. It does make it a less reliable measure of the agent’s actual ability.

AI is giving nearly every real estate professional access to tools that can create polished market reports, listing descriptions, presentations and marketing plans. That will improve the basic quality of what consumers see. It will also make it harder for sellers to distinguish strong presentation from strong representation.

For much of my 22 years in real estate, the quality of an agent’s materials offered at least some indication of preparation. AI is narrowing that gap. A professional presentation should now be the beginning of the conversation, not the reason for making the hiring decision.

A polished listing presentation is becoming like a well-designed résumé. It may get someone into the room, but it does not prove they can do the job. The better question is whether the agent can explain and defend the thinking behind it.

Can the agent defend the price?

Almost every agent can produce a comparative market analysis. The more important test is whether the agent can explain why certain sales matter and why others do not.

Two homes may have similar square footage, bedroom counts and lot sizes and still compete very differently. One may have a better floor plan, more natural light or greater privacy. Another may look similar in the data but have road noise, insurance concerns or deferred maintenance that is not obvious in the photographs.

AI can organize the numbers. The agent still has to explain what the data leaves out. Sellers should ask why specific comparable sales were selected, which property is most similar to theirs and what would cause a buyer to pay more or less. An experienced agent should welcome those questions.

I have sat at many kitchen tables where the market-supported price was below the homeowner’s expectations. Producing the data was never the hardest part. Explaining what it meant without losing the seller’s trust was much harder.

Pricing a home is not simply a mathematical exercise. It involves timing, expectations, emotion and often years of personal history. AI can organize the evidence, but the agent must still deliver honest advice in a way the client can hear and use.

Does the agent understand the buyer?

Many listing presentations promise broad online exposure. Exposure is useful, but it is not the same as strategy. A home does not need to appeal equally to everyone. It needs to reach the buyers most likely to purchase it.

The seller should ask the agent to describe that buyer. Is the home most likely to attract a local move-up buyer, investor, retiree, relocating executive or second-home purchaser? Which features will matter most, and what concerns will that buyer probably have?

Those answers should influence how the home is priced, photographed, described and promoted.

AI can suggest several possible audiences. The agent still has to determine which one is most realistic and how the property should be positioned against its direct competition.

A strong listing agent should be able to explain not only where the home will be marketed, but why that marketing is likely to reach the right buyer.

What happens when the plan stops working?

Nearly every agent can describe an initial marketing launch. Fewer can clearly explain what happens if the market does not respond as expected.

Buyers may view the home online but not schedule appointments. Showings may occur without second visits. Agents may repeatedly object to the same issue. A quiet response does not automatically mean the home is overpriced. It does mean the agent should know what information to examine next.

Sellers should ask what indicators will be monitored, how a pricing problem will be distinguished from a marketing problem and what would trigger a change in price, photography or positioning.

After more than 600 transactions, I have learned that the initial plan matters. The ability to read the market’s response and make the right adjustment often matters more. The same is true once a property goes under contract. Inspections, appraisals, insurance, financing, title issues and open permits can quickly change the direction of a sale.

AI can suggest possible responses. It cannot always tell an agent that a buyer’s representative has changed tone, the seller is becoming defensive and the transaction may be close to falling apart.

That recognition comes from experience.

AI should strengthen judgment, not replace it

I use AI in my own real estate work. It helps me organize information, identify patterns, test ideas and work more efficiently. But a polished market analysis can still rely on poor comparable sales. A professional marketing plan can still target the wrong buyer. A well-written recommendation can still be wrong.

The agent remains responsible for the advice.

Artificial intelligence will make real estate agents more productive. It will also make their marketing materials more polished and more similar.

The best-looking listing presentation may no longer belong to the most experienced or capable agent. It may belong to the person who used the best prompt, template or software.

The better test is whether the agent can defend the price, identify the likely buyer, explain how the strategy will change and demonstrate sound judgment when a transaction becomes difficult.

AI can help every agent look better. It cannot ensure that every agent knows what to do next.

Gary Lanham is an AI-Certified Realtor®, Broker Associate and Fort Lauderdale listing agent with 22 years of residential real estate experience and more than 600 completed transactions. He founded Lanham & Associates, which was acquired by Coldwell Banker Realty in 2014, and is a member of the Master Brokers Forum.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.

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