Age of AI - Beyond the Market Expert

Arch Rock Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Last month, I took my annual hiatus from the Houston summer heat. This year I went to the Oregon Coast, where the high never exceeded 70 degrees. Although I grew up in Southern Oregon, this was my first vacation on the Oregon Coast. It was, in a word ... heaven!

I used AI to plan my trip with suggested stops over 6 days, making my way from Cannon Beach and ending in the Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park in Northern California. AI made suggestions for cities to stay in along the way, hiking trails, and sights not to be missed. I spent a good deal of time refining my trip itinerary, getting suggestions for the right hiking gear, and even books recs that might lean into the atmospheric experience of the PNW.

As I prepared my final details, I thanked my AI for all the assistance and shared that it had been most helpful. It responded:

"I hope Oregon gives you exactly what I suspect you're looking for right now: a little perspective, a little peace, and a reminder that there are still places big enough to make our own questions feel a little smaller.

Have a wonderful trip, Linsey. Safe travels, and I hope the Oregon coast welcomes you home."

Welcomes me home? Well, damn. I'll admit it. I teared up.

The Uncomfortable Truth

AI helped. A lot. It helped me research, compare, and plan my trip. It helped me further refine my plans based on my feedback and updated scheduling. It remembered our previous conversations and my preferences. It gave some great advice while saving me a tremendous amount of time.

And then ... lo and behold, I even had an emotional moment in the AI conversation.

It's easy to repeat the refrain, "AI won't replace the personal touch. Real estate is a relationship business."

The reality is that AI is changing the landscape of our client interactions and what clients perceive as valuable. The question is: are you changing with it? How are you adjusting your service delivery and your communication to address the shift in what your clients perceive as valuable?

Interpretation ... The New Commodity?

Years ago, the commoditization of data changed our industry. The agent and broker were no longer in control of the data. Listing information became ubiquitous. It was on every brokerage website and on every local and national portal. Search moved from an agent-driven to a buyer-driven activity. Buyers had agency over their search. Sellers came to the listing process more fully informed about the market conditions because they had access to so much information.

What the consumer expected from their agent was interpretation of the information.

Is this listing overpriced?
Which neighborhood has mature trees, walkability, and the best schools?
Does it make sense to sell or should I rent my home instead?
How do these neighborhoods compare?
What does it cost me to wait to buy?
What repairs should I request from this inspection report?

If this is where you believe your value lies in your client relationship, be careful. Facts and information aren't enough today. This is the exact space that AI plays in.

And, I get it. Human connection matters. It's important. But AI can be thoughtful in its answers. It remembers your preferences. It walks you through the things you are struggling to understand at 11:30 at night. And you don't have to feel silly if you ask a 'stupid question'. You can even have it use an audible voice to 'talk' to you in a warm conversational way.

It might even make you tear up now and then.

The Space To Shine

You know what AI did not tell me? Where to find the incredible hidden spot where I took this picture. I stumbled on this particular spot because I went off the poorly marked trail (another thing AI didn't tell me). It wasn't able to tell me to leave time to just 'be' here or that it would become a core memory for me.

Because AI does, in fact, have significant limitations. And those limitations are abundant when working with buyers and sellers.

You know the 'turn-key' home, the one your buyers fell in love with, is filled with the red flags. You have seen a poorly done flip before. You can see the shortcuts taken because you know where to look. It's in the sloppy finish work, cheap materials, and appealing cosmetic work hiding real structural problems.
You know that your client could continue the negotiation for a better price, but you can tell that emotionally they are attached to the outcome in a way that means more to them than a few more dollars.
Your conversation with the listing agent can read the subtle signs that tell you there is more room to negotiate here.
Even though the numbers don't reflect a shift in the market yet, you can feel the shift in conversations with clients, interactions with other agents, and in showing traffic. You know the shift is in the making long before it is reflected in the numbers.
You understand how to help a buyer tailor expectations based on their financial limitations. You understand sometimes only showings - standing in the homes - will provide the market reality they need. "This is what is available in this price range."
You are the one who can help bring clarity to misaligned goals that a couple may struggle with in the homebuying process.
You can hear the nuance in dialogue with clients, with a cooperating agent that allows you to shift a strategy.

An agent will be able to recognize patterns earlier, anticipate potential problems, negotiate more effectively, and problem-solve by taking into account a variety of concerns, personalities, and objectives. AI only knows what it is told by one party in a transaction.

AI can do a lot. Minimizing that reality does the industry, and our clients, a disservice. But there are meaningful spaces that require the discernment and judgment that comes from broader access to insight beyond simple facts and information. This is where we shine.

Your Challenge

You bring context and experience to the process. You recognize the patterns, read the situations, understand the nuances between parties, and see what the data alone cannot tell you. You have the situational awareness. You have the discernment. You have the judgment.

What now? Your challenge is to communicate that in your interactions with clients, in your presentations, and through your marketing efforts. Saying you're the 'market expert' no longer conveys the value that it once did. 'Market expert' is a claim. Judgment has to be demonstrated. How has your expertise changed outcomes?

The opportunity is to evolve from telling people what you know to showing them how you think, what you notice, and ultimately the recomendations you make.

Your clients' use of AI is only a threat if you fail to evolve the value of what you are providing in a transaction.