At our recent Texas REALTORS® Winter Meeting, AI was one of the hottest topics that was being discussed. AI has entered just about every aspect of our businesses. Every time we turn around, there appears to be a new aspect and application for AI.
As I absorb the immense amount of information and changes within our industry, it strikes me that there are still many, many reasons that AI will not be able to replace live, breathing humans. There are many variables that only a human who has experienced, has knowledge of, and can provide information that could only be known because of having personally encountered.
Here are some examples:
LOCAL VALUE - No amount of information can truly reflect that of a person who knows an area intimately. Those who live and work in an area will be able to provide information such as the history of the area based on first-hand knowledge. For instance, you know the land owner who has the property adjacent to the neighborhood, and you have spoken to them about them possibly selling to a commercial, strip-center developer. You possess this knowledge because you know the players. AI can only provide you with information that is "in the system".
HUMAN SENSORY VALUE - A computer cannot convey human sensory information, such as how a place smells, that the nearby trash site smells badly when the prevailing winds are active, or the eyesore at the entrance to the neighborhood is under investigation. As humans, we collect much-needed experiential data that I don't believe can ever be replaced.
EXPERIENCE VALUE - No machine-driven data can or will replace good, old-fashioned experience. Those of us who have experienced the various markets, both good and bad, can offer advice based on "being there". A human who has spent the time negotiating and working through a myriad of issues on hundreds of transactions will bring a value that will always exceed that of a machine.
STREET-SMART VALUE - There is a lot to be said for being "street smart". What I mean by this is having the experience to pivot when needed based on a particular outcome. Sometimes this means understanding how to read your client's body language. Listening to their true needs. And knowing when to move on or fight for the deal.
EMOTIONAL VALUE - I spoke about this aspect in a prior post regarding AI and the lack of emotional or moral intelligence. A HUGE aspect of our job is interacting with our clients on an emotional level. Real estate transactions are so much more than data and numbers. We could be dealing with a divorce, a spousal loss, aging parents, or needing to downsize. Because we are humans, we have the ability to listen and engage at an emotional level with our clients. THIS is THE most important aspect of why we do what we do. If we lose that human connection, I believe we are sunk.
Although there are aspects of AI that can certainly make our jobs easier, I don't believe it will ever replace the human value we bring to real estate. What value are you bringing to your clients? Keeping relationships over transactions is a great step in conserving the human value in real estate.
*This post was written personally by Paula McDonald and was NOT AI-generated.
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