I’ve been in real estate long enough to remember when we kept listings in binders, not browsers. When marketing meant a yard sign, a newspaper ad, and maybe a fax blast if you were tech-savvy. Fast forward to today, and I can ask my phone to let a chatbot schedule showings. So the question I’ve been hearing more and more lately is: “Will AI replace real estate agents?”
Let’s talk about it.
There’s no denying that artificial intelligence is changing our industry. It can analyze data, predict trends, generate marketing content, and even simulate conversations. You’ve probably seen online tools that claim to “find your perfect home” in seconds. For consumers, it can feel like everything is getting faster, smarter, and more automated.
But here’s the thing: buying or selling a home is deeply human.
AI can tell you a house has four bedrooms, three baths, and a price per square foot below the median, but it can’t see your toddler light up in the backyard or sense that you hesitated at the sound of freeway traffic. It doesn’t know that you’re nervous about downsizing or that you're secretly hoping your daughter chooses a school nearby. It doesn’t understand the emotional weight of change.
Real estate isn’t just about data—it’s about trust.
In Marin County, where each neighborhood has its own rhythm, microclimate, and quirks, nuance matters. You need someone who knows how the fog rolls in over Sausalito, or how homes in the flats of Mill Valley may flood. Someone who’s walked those streets, seen the market shift across decades, and knows when “off-market” really just means “quietly available.”
Yes, I use tech. I use AI to streamline research and generate content ideas. But I still call clients after a showing. I still notice body language in a negotiation. I still sit across from families making some of the biggest decisions of their lives.
So, will AI replace real estate agents?
No. But it will replace agents who forget the “real” in real estate.
The ones who don’t adapt. The ones who don’t listen. The ones who think it’s all about transactions, not relationships.
For those of us who bring experience, empathy, and deep local knowledge to the table, AI isn’t a threat—it’s a tool. A helpful assistant. And like any tool, it’s most powerful in human hands.
So if you’re wondering whether the bots are coming for our jobs, here’s my answer: not if we keep showing up like only humans can.
And I’ll keep doing just that right here in Marin.
