GROW WITH LIBERTAS & EXP REALTY
By Tim & Julie Harris
More than a third of home sellers cry at some point during the sale. Not at the closing table because they're happy. They cry because they're overwhelmed.
AI can write your listing description in ten seconds. It can't sit with a widow who's selling the house where she raised her kids. It can't tell when a seller says "fine" and means "I'm about to fire you."
Buyers expect AI to be part of the process now. When it counts, they still want a person.
Key takeaways
Selling a home is emotional. In a Zillow survey conducted by Ipsos, 77% of sellers called it stressful and 36% admitted to crying.
88% of buyers and 91% of sellers still used an agent, according to NAR.
Buyer trust in AI is falling. Only 16% trust it to help find a home, down 14 points in a year (Cotality, 2026).
AI makes things up, can be talked into bad deals, takes people literally, has no sense of timing, and treats everyone as average.
Agents win by reading the room, finding the real reason for the move, negotiating by phone and staying calm when things go wrong.
Will AI replace real estate agents?
Not anytime soon, and the numbers show why. NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found 88% of buyers and 91% of sellers used an agent. For-sale-by-owner sales fell to a record low of 5%.
Buyers expect AI in the process. Cotality's 2026 AI in Housing report found 75% of buyers expect it. But only 16% trust AI to help them find a home, down 14 points from the year before, and 44% would pay extra to have a human expert check AI's work.
There is a warning sign, though. In a March 2026 Veterans United survey, 53% of prospective buyers said they'd be comfortable buying with no direct human involvement. If your clients can't see what you do, about half of them are open to replacing you.
What is AI bad at when real people are involved?
It makes things up, and it sounds sure
True story: A grieving customer asked Air Canada's chatbot about bereavement fares. The bot invented a refund policy that didn't exist. Air Canada argued the chatbot was responsible for its own words. A tribunal disagreed and made the airline pay.
Now picture an AI telling your seller what's "typically included" in the sale, or what the HOA "usually allows."
It can be talked into anything
True story: A Chevy dealership's website chatbot agreed to sell a brand-new Tahoe for one dollar and called it "a legally binding offer, no takesies backsies."
That is not who you want negotiating your seller's equity.
It takes people literally
Picture this: your seller texts, "Great. Just great." AI reads a happy client. You know to call right away.
Or a seller says, "Whatever you think is best." AI hears permission. You hear someone who has stopped trusting the process.
It has no sense of timing
Picture an automated message that says, "So sorry for your loss! Here are five tips to maximize your sale price." Or the "Congratulations on your move!" email sent to a couple who are splitting up.
It thinks everyone is average
True story: Zillow trusted its pricing algorithm to buy and flip homes. It lost hundreds of millions of dollars, shut the program down in 2021, and laid off about a quarter of its staff.
AI knows what's typical. Your seller isn't typical. Their deadline, their divorce and their kid's school year decide the strategy.
Where do real estate agents still win?
Read the room. Watch for the spouse who goes quiet, or the seller staring at the height marks on the door frame.
Script: "I noticed you got quiet when we talked about the move date. What's on your mind?"
Find the move behind the move. Divorce, death, a new baby, a job loss. The house is the easy part.
Secret: Ask, "What's most important to you and your family about this move?" That answer tells you more than any intake form.
Negotiate by phone. Email can't hear hesitation, and your reputation with other agents is leverage no software can copy.
Be the calm one. When the appraisal comes in low at 9 p.m. on a Friday, clients want someone who has seen it before and has a plan.
Make the human part visible
Clients don't see most of what you do, so they assume a tool could do it. Tell them, with stories, in your listing presentation. Then let AI handle the drafts and paperwork so you have more time at the kitchen table.
Script: "Any app can give you a price. What you're hiring me for is everything that happens after the sign goes in the yard."
Your action plan
This week, call three past clients instead of emailing them, and just ask how they're doing.
Add one true story about a hard moment you handled to your listing presentation.
Hand one piece of paperwork to AI so you get an hour back for people.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI replace a real estate agent?
AI can handle data, drafts and scheduling, but it can't read emotions, negotiate with judgment or calm a client during a crisis. 88% of buyers and 91% of sellers still used an agent in NAR's most recent profile.
Do home buyers trust AI?
Less than they used to. Cotality's 2026 survey found only 16% of buyers trust AI to help them find a home, down 14 points in a year, and 44% would pay extra for a human to check AI's work.
How stressful is selling a home?
Very. In a Zillow survey conducted by Ipsos, 77% of sellers said selling was stressful and 36% admitted to crying during the process.
How can agents show their value against AI?
Share specific stories of problems you solved, pick up the phone for hard conversations, and ask about the real reason behind the move so your advice fits the client's life, not the average.
Hear the full episode
Listen to the full conversation on Real Estate Coaching Radio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-in-real-estate-why-great-agents-are-becoming-more/id849772346?i=1000793448337
About the authors
Tim and Julie Harris are America's most recognized real estate coaches, bestselling authors, and the voices behind Real Estate Coaching Radio, the nation's #1 daily podcast for real estate professionals. With decades of hands-on experience and a track record of helping thousands of agents achieve breakthrough success, Tim and Julie deliver real-world strategies that actually work. Whether you're looking to scale your business, sharpen your skills, or simply stay ahead of the market, their insights are your competitive edge.
Sources
Moffatt v. Air Canada, British Columbia Civil Resolution Tribunal (2024)
Zillow Offers shutdown (2021)
Ready to stop guessing and start producing?
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— Tim & Julie Harris
Founders of Tim & Julie Harris Real Estate Coaching | Publishers of Harris Real Estate Daily | Hosts of PowerHouseTalk | eXp Realty Sponsors at Libertas
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