Just a few years ago, the idea of neural networks replacing real estate agents seemed like something out of science fiction. Today, the question is no longer whether AI will enter the profession, but rather which tasks it can already perform faster and more efficiently than humans.
The answer may be surprising. AI is not yet capable of handling complex negotiations, understanding the nuances of a client’s motivation, or taking responsibility for a transaction. However, it excels at tasks that once consumed dozens of hours of an agent’s time each week: researching information, preparing materials, analyzing data, and handling routine inquiries.
As a result, AI is changing not so much the profession itself as the way agents spend their time. The less time devoted to routine work, the more time remains for clients and genuinely complex tasks that require human expertise: negotiating, understanding a client’s needs, developing purchasing or investment strategies, and guiding transactions through to completion.
The future of the market therefore lies not in competition between humans and technology, but in collaboration between them. Artificial intelligence is becoming a tool that allows professionals to work faster and more efficiently.
Today, the advantage belongs not simply to the realtor who opens ChatGPT first, but to the one who understands which tasks can be delegated to AI – and which still require human expertise. At Smarent, we are not trying to replace people with algorithms. Our goal is to eliminate routine work so that specialists can devote more time to analysis, negotiations, and client support. This is where the real value lies – the value clients are willing to pay for.
How is AI already helping real estate agents?
One of the first areas where neural networks began delivering tangible benefits to the real estate industry is content creation. In the past, an agent might spend half a day preparing a property listing, creating social media posts, and drafting emails to clients. Today, AI can produce a first draft in just a few minutes.
Artificial intelligence can write an apartment description, adapt it for platforms such as Avito or CIAN, suggest several versions of advertising copy, or even prepare a script for a short video. But the final decisions still rest with the agent. It is the realtor who understands which features of a property should be highlighted and which arguments are most likely to resonate with a particular buyer.
Visual presentation of properties using neural networks
The approach to preparing visual materials has also undergone significant changes. While high-quality photographs have long been essential to a successful sale, it is not always possible to immediately present a property in its best light.
Neural networks make it possible to quickly enhance image quality, adjust lighting, remove unwanted objects, or show potential buyers what an apartment could look like once furnished. Such technologies do not misrepresent the property’s actual condition; rather, they help visualize its potential and highlight what it could offer.
For real estate agencies, these tools provide an opportunity to prepare a property for the market more quickly, although they do not replace professional assessment or expert evaluation.
How AI is transforming Smarent’s operations
A significant portion of a real estate agent’s time is spent on communication, such as answering questions, processing inquiries, and compiling information after meetings. Artificial intelligence helps automate these initial processes. At Smarent, for instance, AI is used to handle client inquiries, identify the nature of a request, organize client information, and prepare data for the specialist’s subsequent work. As a result, the agent works with a better-prepared client and can focus on providing consultation and finding the proper solution.
The company is also developing a multi-level dashboard system where AI helps analyze accumulated real estate market data. Instead of manually cross-referencing dozens of spreadsheets, specialists receive structured analytics that enable them to more quickly assess market conditions, compare properties, and prepare recommendations for the investor.
Another area where neural networks are being applied is the company’s internal operations. AI assists in creating instructions and protocols, structuring documents, preparing transaction checklists, and locating necessary information more efficiently.
At Smarent, AI helps employees navigate internal knowledge bases, obtain quick answers to work-related questions, and streamline their daily workflows. Ultimately, however, final decisions remain in the hands of specialists. This is particularly important in real estate transactions, which require consideration of legal nuances and financial risks, as well as the client’s individual goals and life circumstances.
What will the real estate agent of the future look like?
Despite technological advancements, there are tasks where the role of the real estate agent remains pivotal.
AI cannot yet:
- gauge a client’s true motivation;
- build trusting relationships;
- conduct complex negotiations;
- take responsibility for a transaction;
- find solutions in non-standard situations.
Buying real estate involves more than simply processing data. Clients often need help assessing risks, choosing a strategy, and making significant financial decisions. That is why technology serves as a tool for the specialist rather than a replacement for them.
In the coming years, the ability to work effectively with artificial intelligence will become a competitive advantage.
Agents of the future will need to:
- assign tasks to neural networks correctly;
- use analytics to make decisions;
- automate routine processes;
- devote more time to client service.
The real estate profession is constantly evolving, and the history of the market has repeatedly demonstrated how technology transforms this profession. Initially, a proprietary database of listings was the key competitive advantage. Later, it was the speed of responding to clients. Today, the ability to work with artificial intelligence has been added to that skill set.
In a few years, it is highly likely that no one will even debate whether real estate agents need AI. The question will seem as odd as past arguments over whether an agent needed a smartphone or a CRM system.
Consequently, the competition will not be between “the agent and the neural network,” but between two specialists: one who uses AI as a tool to boost efficiency and another who continues to do the work manually. The competitive advantage will clearly lie with the former.
By Viktor Zubik, founder of the management company Smarent