Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, but one message stood out during Sunday’s “Top 5 Things You Need to Know About AI Right Now” session at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings: The future of AI in real estate isn’t about replacing people—it’s about helping them work smarter.
Sharon Love-Bates, NAR’s director of emerging technology, outlined how AI is moving beyond simple chatbots and content generation into systems capable of managing complex, multistep business processes.
“We need to use AI for the heavy lifting, but apply human judgment,” Bates told attendees. “Humans do not need to disappear.”
That human-centered approach framed much of the discussion as Bates explored how AI is transforming everything from transaction management to fraud prevention.
From Language Models to Action-Oriented AI
According to Bates, large language models (LLMs)—the technology behind tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude—are becoming significantly more useful because they can now manage long, document-heavy workflows while maintaining context across multiple sources of information. Tasks such as underwriting, permitting, lease reviews, zoning research and asset management are particularly well suited for this next generation of AI tools.
This evolution is leading to the rise of what many technology leaders call “agentic AI.”
“If LLMs are the brains, agentic AI is the action,” Bates said.
Rather than simply responding to prompts, agentic AI systems can perform tasks autonomously. In real estate, that could mean a collection of specialized AI tasks working together throughout a transaction. This could include learning a buyer’s preferences and identifying matching properties, evaluating loan options, analyzing pricing, monitoring market trends, coordinating transaction timelines or reviewing documents for MLS and fair housing compliance.
The goal isn’t to hand transactions over to machines, Bates said, but to automate repetitive administrative work while keeping real estate professionals in control of decision-making.
New Opportunities and New Risks
As AI capabilities grow, so do potential threats. Bates warned that the same technology making businesses more efficient is also making fraud more sophisticated. Deepfake videos, cloned voices and convincing fake emails or text messages are becoming easier to create and harder to detect.
For real estate professionals, where transactions often involve large financial transfers and sensitive personal information, the risks are significant. Bates encouraged brokers and agents to establish verification procedures, including calling clients, lenders, title companies or attorneys directly when receiving unexpected requests or instructions.
“Pick up the phone,” she advised.
Trust Will Determine Adoption
While AI development continues at a rapid pace, Bates said that technology itself may not be the biggest barrier to adoption. Instead, resistance from agents, consumers and communities may shape how quickly AI becomes integrated into everyday real estate business operations.
People remain concerned about job displacement, misinformation, privacy and surveillance. Communities are also raising questions about the energy demands and infrastructure required to support large-scale AI systems. For brokers and business leaders, that means implementation strategies matter as much as the technology itself.
“Success depends on trust,” Bates said. “Show the clear value of AI, and explain what it’s doing.”
REACH Companies Showcase Practical Applications
The session also featured leaders from three companies participating in NAR’s REACH program, offering a look at how AI is already being applied across the industry.
Divya Aathresh, founder and CEO of MaxHome.ai, demonstrated how her AI-powered operating system is designed to automate transaction processing, compliance reviews and document management.
Grayson Gibson, CEO of LotRoll, discussed efforts to modernize manufactured housing through improved data infrastructure, valuation tools and transaction systems designed to increase transparency and liquidity in the sector.
Dan Stewart, chief strategy officer of StackWrap, focused on technology adoption rather than replacement. His platform organizes a brokerage’s existing software tools, resources and workflows into a single branded hub.
Taken together, the presentations illustrated a common theme: AI’s biggest impact may not come from replacing real estate professionals but from helping them spend less time on administrative work and more time serving clients.
