I’m grateful to Washington Post writer Barbara Rubin for including me and my client, Austin, in her article about how artificial intelligence is changing the home-buying process.
Austin is exactly the kind of buyer who makes this conversation worth having. He came into the process informed, curious and comfortable using technology. When he used Claude to review an inspection report, it flagged significant concerns and estimated that the repairs could cost between $80,000 and $120,000. I thought that estimate was high, but I agreed that several of the underlying issues deserved serious attention. The technology gave us another way to examine the property. My role was to place that information in context, separate credible concerns from an inflated estimate, and help Austin think through the risk. Ultimately, he chose to walk away.
AI can strengthen a real estate decision, but it shouldn’t make the decision.
The article also highlighted one way I use AI in my business – from recording buyer and seller consultations, with permission, using my Plaud Note Pro and using the transcript to help summarize and prioritize what’s important in the conversation. That matters because conversations about real estate can cover a lot of ground: financing, commute, lifestyle, family needs, timing, fears, trade-offs and plans that may still be taking shape. A good summary helps my clients feel heard and gives us a clear outline of what matters most.
But that is only one part of how I use AI.
Turning a conversation into a clearer strategy
Clients don’t always arrive with a perfectly organized list of priorities. Most people are working through competing needs in real time, and sometimes our conversations seem all over the place. They may want walkability but also more space. They may prefer a single-family home but need to remain close to Metro. A family may be planning for aging parents without yet knowing whether that means a first-floor suite, a separate living area or a future move.
My AI tools help me organize those layers, identify patterns and model possible trade-offs. It can turn a long conversation into a practical framework: what’s essential, what’s flexible, what needs more research and what could become a problem later.
That creates more room for the human conversation and keeps me grounded and present in the conversation. Instead of spending our time trying to remember every detail, we can focus on what those details mean for the client’s life.
Asking better questions about a property
AI can help review inspection reports, condo/HOA documents, listing information, repair histories and other dense material. It can summarize key points, explain unfamiliar terms and help generate questions for an inspector, contractor, lender, attorney, property manager or condo association.
It can also compare renovation scenarios and help a buyer think through the difference between a cosmetic project and a costly systems issue.
But I don’t treat an AI-generated answer as verified simply because it sounds confident. Inspection findings still need an inspector or qualified contractor. Financing questions still belong with a lender. Legal issues still require an attorney. And market value still depends on current, local evidence, not a generic estimate pulled from incomplete online information.
AI is useful here as a second set of eyes. It is not the final authority.
Making market information easier to understand
Real estate clients are surrounded by data but often lack context. AI helps me synthesize market reports, recent sales, neighborhood information and broader housing trends into something a client can actually use.
The value isn’t in producing more information. Most buyers and sellers already have plenty of that. But let me be clear: I, as the industry professional, retain my value by helping them understand which information matters, what may be missing and how it applies to their particular decision.
Two homes can look comparable online while differing significantly in condition, location within the neighborhood, layout, updates, building rules or future resale appeal. AI may recognize similarities but as an experienced local advisor, I must understand the differences.
Communicating with greater clarity and care
AI helps me adapt complex information for different people and different moments. A first-time buyer may need a plain-language explanation of due diligence. A military family may need a clear comparison of commute, timing and VA financing considerations. Adult children helping a parent move may need an organized transition plan. A seller may need a concise explanation of market feedback without feeling overwhelmed by every comment.
I also use AI to help create property marketing, educational content, meeting notes, client updates and follow-up plans. It helps me get from a blank page to a thoughtful first draft faster. But the final message still needs my judgment, my expertise and my voice.
Efficiency is useful. Feeling understood is more important.
Supporting decisions that involve more than a house
Many of the people I advise aren’t simply choosing bedrooms, bathrooms and finishes. They are deciding how an aging parent can remain part of the family’s plan. They are navigating a military relocation, combining generations under one roof, downsizing after decades in a home or considering whether a property will still serve them five or ten years from now.
AI can help explore options, build checklists and surface questions. It can’t sit with a family as they work through a difficult transition. It can’t recognize the hesitation behind a seemingly practical question. It can’t replace trust, local knowledge, negotiation experience or the responsibility of telling someone when a home may not be the right one.
My standard: human judgment stays in the loop
I use AI with a few clear guardrails:
- I ask permission before recording or transcribing client conversations.
- I protect confidential information and remain thoughtful about what is shared with any platform. I NEVER upload any sensitive or confidential information.
- I verify important facts through reliable sources and the appropriate professionals.
- I watch for missing context, unsupported conclusions and bias.
- I take responsibility for the advice and communication that carry my name.
AI is changing how consumers research homes and how real estate professionals serve them. That is not something I fear. In many ways, better-informed clients make for better conversations. They ask sharper questions, examine more possibilities and expect their advisors to bring more than information they can find online.
The future of real estate isn’t AI replacing the agent. It is the right advisor using AI thoughtfully—so there is more time for strategy, advocacy, creativity and care.
Thank you again to Barbara Rubin for opening this conversation, and to Austin for allowing part of his home-buying experience to help others understand both the promise and the limits of these tools. I’m glad to be part of a discussion that will only become more important as the technology evolves.
For me, the measure of AI isn’t how much work it can do. It’s whether it helps me serve people more clearly, more responsibly and more personally.
