How AI Complements You as a Real Estate Professional
By Michael Thorne
Michael Thorne is an AI expert, marketing visionary and host of Buffini & Company’s award-winning AI Bootcamp training. In this article, he shares why AI shouldn’t be feared but embraced as a way to bring agents closer to the people they serve.
It’s impossible to read anything online nowadays without seeing multiple stories and posts about the significance of artificial intelligence. While there is excitement around it, there’s also a fair bit of trepidation. A chief concern is that we will be replaced by these machines, leaving us on the sidelines.
In reality, for savvy real estate professionals, AI is a “just-in-time” support that can help us serve our clients with greater efficiency. In an era where agents are fiercely competing for market share, using AI tools in the right way will give you a tremendous advantage.
It’s not enough to just sign on to one of the AI platforms. You need to know how to use them, learn what they can do for you, and what they can’t (and shouldn’t) do.
The agents who win will not be the ones who use AI the most. They will be the ones who use the power of AI behind the scenes, with intellectual judgment, so that they can focus more of their time delivering a truly superior client experience.
Your basic rule of thumb? AI should do more of the impersonal work, so you can do more of the personal work.
Here are some guidelines to follow based on where you are in your career:
For New Agents Just Starting Out
As a new agent, you’re filled with excitement but also apprehension. There’s so much to learn and do. You’re building everything from scratch, including your most important asset: your database.
AI tools can help expedite this process by creating systems that keep you organized and on track. You’ll also be able to easily draft client communications and create marketing content targeting the specific groups you’re trying to reach. These are also valuable tools to complement the background work you do researching neighborhood data, comparable sales, and market trends.
An Agent at Mid-Career
As an experienced professional, you’re past the growing pains. You’ve found your rhythm; referrals are coming in, and your business is growing.
But that growth often comes with a hidden cost: more hours, more admin tasks, and more people wanting more of your time.
AI can help you design better follow-up systems, draft thoughtful touchpoints, organize your database communication, create market updates, and keep your content calendar moving. That work going on behind the scenes will free up time for you to nurture client relationships with those important personal touches, like calls, notes, and Pop-Bys.
A Seasoned Pro
If you’re a seasoned agent who has been through every type of market and is still going strong, you may feel AI isn’t for you. In truth, implementing these tools can help make this one of the most satisfying chapters of your impressive career.
At this stage, AI can carry some of the back-end work so your expertise gets to shine even brighter. Your trusted reputation is supported by follow-up systems that keep you connected with your database without adding to your plate. Imagine combining your expertise, knowledge, and relationship-building skills with the most up-to-date AI tools working behind the scenes. The result will be an exceptional experience for your clients and an unbeatable recipe for success!
Why AI Will Not Replace You
Of course, not every task belongs in AI’s hands. The most important parts of this business still require what you bring — your knowledge, experience, and empathy.
At the end of the day, clients are hiring you for your skillsets, not your AI abilities. They want a professional to guide them through the largest financial (and emotional) transaction most of them will ever make. For example, AI is not going to answer the phone when they are panicked, but it can help you have everything you need to quickly be able to answer their concerns.
The agents who win will not be the ones who use or rely on AI. They will be the ones who use AI in the right places, behind the scenes, with judgment, so the client experience becomes more personal, not less.
Excited but not sure where to start? The Buffini & Company AI Bootcamp can help! Each month, Michael Thorne will take one practical part of the real estate business and show how AI can be used responsibly behind the scenes to save time, improve clarity, strengthen communication, and protect the personal client experience that drives repeat and referral business. Not only will he address questions in a Q&A at the end of each session, you’ll also be able to get help from him and your peers in a dedicated Facebook group.
