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Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new possibilities for real estate agents, from creating marketing content in minutes to analysing information and streamlining everyday tasks. But knowing what AI can do and understanding how to use it effectively are two different things.
As AI becomes more embedded in the property industry, the opportunity lies in understanding where it can save time, support better decisions and improve the way agencies work, while recognising where professional judgement, expertise and client trust remain essential.
The most valuable role AI can play is not doing more of an agent’s job but giving them more time to do the parts of the job that technology cannot replace. AI adoption is already moving quickly across the property sector. Research reported by Elite Agent, based on findings from National Australia Bank (NAB), found that almost 70 per cent of Australian property service businesses surveyed were already using AI, highlighting just how quickly the technology is becoming part of the way the industry works.
Consumers have more information at their fingertips than ever, with the ability to search properties, compare markets, explore suburbs and increasingly use AI to help them navigate their property journey. However, when it comes to one of the biggest decisions they will make, people still value experience, local knowledge, advice and a trusted relationship, creating an interesting opportunity for agents.
If AI can take care of some of the repetitive work behind the scenes, agents can spend more time where their expertise has the greatest impact: understanding a client’s needs, having the conversation, solving problems and building relationships. The goal is not to make real estate less human but to use technology to create more space for the connective side of the profession.
Getting value from AI means more than choosing the right tools. Agencies also need clear processes for how those tools are used, what information they handle and where human oversight is required.
Real estate agencies hold some of the most sensitive information a cybercriminal could want access to, including trust account details, identification documents, settlement instructions and financial records, which makes AI-related cyber security a genuine risk rather than a technicality.
Scammers are already using AI to write more convincing phishing emails and business email compromise (BEC) attempts, and real estate agencies are a known target because of the volume of financial transactions they handle. Before any information is entered into an AI tool, agencies should know exactly what happens to that data, who can see it, where it is stored and whether the tool is appropriate for that type of information at all. This matters just as much for free or consumer-grade AI tools as it does for anything built specifically for business use.
AI is changing quickly and so are the rules around it, so an approach that was once appropriate may not be in the future.
Proposed reforms in New South Wales illustrate this shift. Under the proposed changes, agents and landlords would need to disclose when images used in rental listings have been generated or adjusted using AI, helping ensure prospective tenants aren’t misled. Penalties of up to $22,000 could apply for failing to disclose altered content.
The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) also notes that while AI can support routine functions such as admin and marketing, it does not replace professional judgement or due diligence. Agents remain responsible for ensuring representations about a property are accurate.
For principals, this means an AI policy is not something to set once and forget. It needs to be revisited as the technology, regulations and client expectations continue to evolve.
AI in real estate isn’t a race to use the most tools. It’s about knowing where the technology genuinely adds value, using it responsibly and making sure the time it saves is invested where it matters most.
The agencies that get the greatest value from AI won’t necessarily be the ones using it the most. They’ll be the ones that use it thoughtfully, protect their clients’ information and make more time for the expertise, judgement and relationships that set them apart.