Technology Should Make Realtors Better. But If Social Media Does Your Thinking and AI Does Your Work, Eventually the Client Is Going to Ask Why They Need You.
Written by Devone Richard
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REAL ESTATE HAS A THINKING PROBLEM
I’m going to say something that will probably piss off some Realtors.
Technology is making our jobs easier—and some Realtors are getting dumber because of it.
Social media started the problem.
AI could make it worse.
Years ago, if you wanted to be good at real estate, you had to actually learn real estate.
You studied neighborhoods.
You learned contracts.
You understood financing.
You looked at comparable sales.
You talked to lenders.
You learned how to negotiate.
You developed relationships.
You learned from experienced agents and brokers.
Today, some Realtors know more about making an Instagram Reel than they know about the neighborhood they’re trying to sell.
That’s a problem.
SOCIAL MEDIA TAUGHT REALTORS TO LOOK SUCCESSFUL
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Open Instagram and apparently every Realtor in America is killing it.
Everybody is a luxury agent.
Everybody is a CEO.
Everybody is standing in front of a $3 million house.
Everybody has a motivational quote.
Everybody has a video telling other Realtors how to become successful.
Then ask one simple question:
HOW MANY HOUSES DID YOU ACTUALLY SELL?
That’s when the room gets quiet.
Social media changed the scoreboard.
Instead of asking:
“Am I becoming a better Realtor?”
People started asking:
“How many views did my video get?”
Views are great.
Marketing matters.
I believe Realtors should absolutely use social media.
But don’t confuse attention with production.
FOLLOWERS DON’T MAKE YOU A GREAT REALTOR. KNOWING YOUR DAMN BUSINESS DOES.
NOW AI CAN MAKE EVERYBODY LOOK SMART
Need a listing description?
AI.
Need an email?
AI.
Need a social-media post?
AI.
Need a market update?
AI.
Need a script?
AI.
Need to understand something in a contract?
AI.
Need an answer for your client?
AI.
I use AI myself.
I think it’s an incredible business tool.
But here’s where Realtors better be careful:
IF AI DOES EVERYTHING FOR YOU, WHEN DO YOU ACTUALLY LEARN ANYTHING?
There’s a huge difference between using artificial intelligence to make yourself more productive and using it because you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.
AI CAN GIVE YOU INFORMATION. IT CAN’T GIVE YOU EXPERIENCE.
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Let’s say AI pulls three comparable sales around $1 million.
Great.
Does that automatically mean the subject property is worth $1 million?
No.
What’s the street like?
What’s the condition?
What about the lot?
The view?
The upgrades?
The school district?
What concessions were given?
Why did one property sell quickly while another sat for four months?
What’s competing against your listing today?
That’s where professional judgment matters.
DATA IS NOT THE SAME THING AS JUDGMENT.
A machine can give you information.
A great Realtor understands what the information actually means.
YOUR CLIENT HAS AI TOO
This is the part Realtors really need to understand.
AI isn’t some secret technology available only to us.
YOUR CLIENT HAS THE SAME DAMN TOOL.
Your seller can ask AI:
“What is my house worth?”
Your buyer can ask:
“How much should I offer?”
They can research neighborhoods.
Calculate mortgage payments.
Compare properties.
Read contracts.
Research market conditions.
Look at comparable sales.
So if your entire value proposition is simply having information, you’re going to have a problem.
The Realtor of the future has to bring something more valuable.
Experience.
Judgment.
Negotiation.
Relationships.
Local knowledge.
Problem solving.
Trust.
Consumers don’t just need somebody who knows things.
They need somebody who knows what to DO with what they know.
STOP LEARNING REAL ESTATE FROM 30-SECOND VIDEOS
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A TikTok isn’t an education.
A Reel isn’t market research.
A viral video doesn’t become true because 200,000 people watched it.
Yet people are increasingly forming opinions about interest rates, commissions, contracts and housing markets based on whatever appeared in their feed that morning.
Realtors cannot operate like that.
Read.
Study.
Learn contracts.
Understand financing.
Study your neighborhoods.
Follow the market.
Talk to lenders.
Talk to appraisers.
Ask experienced brokers questions.
Learn why transactions fall apart.
LEARN YOUR DAMN PROFESSION.
A client may be trusting you with a million-dollar transaction.
They deserve more than something you learned while scrolling through Instagram sitting on the toilet.
BROKERS BETTER NOT GET LAZY EITHER
Technology doesn’t replace training.
Give agents AI.
Give them a great CRM.
Give them automation.
Give them marketing tools.
Give them every technological advantage available.
But then teach them how to think.
Why should we counter this offer instead of rejecting it?
Why is this property overpriced?
Why could this appraisal come in low?
Why is this financing risky?
What happens if the buyer can’t perform?
What does this contract language actually mean?
Agents shouldn’t simply know which button to push.
THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY’RE PUSHING IT.
That’s the difference between an agent operating software and a professional advising a client.
IF AI DOES EVERYTHING YOU DO, WHY SHOULD THE CLIENT PAY YOU?
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This may become the most important question in real estate.
If AI writes your listing description…
Creates your marketing…
Writes your emails…
Analyzes your comps…
Creates your scripts…
Explains your contracts…
And tells you what to say to your client…
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE TRANSACTION?
Your license?
That’s not enough anymore.
Technology is going to force Realtors to prove their value.
And I actually think that’s a good thing.
Because great Realtors will become more valuable, not less.
USE THE HELL OUT OF AI
Don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not anti-AI.
That would be ridiculous.
USE THE HELL OUT OF IT.
Use AI to work faster.
Use it to market better.
Use it to organize your business.
Use it to analyze information.
Use it to follow up.
Use it to create.
Use it to become more productive.
But don’t use it as a substitute for knowing your profession.
AI should make a knowledgeable Realtor more dangerous.
It shouldn’t allow an unknowledgeable Realtor to pretend they’re an expert.
FINAL THOUGHT
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Social media already taught too many Realtors to look successful instead of becoming successful.
Now AI gives us something potentially even more dangerous:
THE ABILITY TO LOOK SMART WITHOUT ACTUALLY KNOWING ANYTHING.
That’s where Realtors need to be careful.
Use social media.
Use AI.
Use every damn technological advantage available.
But don’t stop learning.
Don’t stop questioning.
Don’t stop studying.
And most importantly…
DON’T STOP THINKING.
Because eventually the consumer is going to ask:
“If AI can do everything my Realtor does, why am I paying the Realtor?”
You better have a damn good answer.
Mine is simple:
AI CAN GIVE YOU INFORMATION. A GREAT REALTOR KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
And when the transaction gets complicated, emotional, ugly, or $100,000 is sitting on the negotiating table…
that’s when actual intelligence still matters.
“DON’T LET ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REPLACE YOUR ACTUAL INTELLIGENCE.”
— Devone Richard
Written by Devone Richard
Broker/Owner | OYT Real Estate
California Broker #01857383
Nevada Broker #1002115
📞 626-500-1212 | 702-941-0202
🌐 OYTRealEstate.com