Agents want more (and better) AI tools — and more training
Most real estate agents in a recent survey reported using AI in their daily work, but confidence is shaky, with accuracy and compliance cited as top concerns.
Key points:
- A Realtors Property Resource survey found that the vast majority of agents are using AI, primarily to draft content like listing descriptions, emails and social media posts.
- Two-thirds of respondents estimated saving an hour each week by using AI tools, with a third reporting savings of four or more hours.
- Confidence is still lacking, however, particularly when executing high-stakes tasks — but agents can be won over by improved technology and more focused training.
Artificial intelligence has flowed into the mainstream of residential real estate. However, new survey findings reveal a confidence gap in how agents use the technology — especially when margins, compliance and client outcomes are on the line.
A recent Realtors Property Resource survey of 225 real estate agents found that 82% are actively using AI in their business, while 92% either use it or plan to. Most (68%) have incorporated AI tools into their daily or weekly routines.
Yet many of these agents also have concerns that prevent them from using the technology for higher-stakes tasks, suggesting that AI hasn't yet proven itself to be fully reliable or trustworthy.
Time savings drive early wins…
A majority of agents surveyed (about 71%) reported time-saving as AI's top advantage. A close second was communication improvement (63%), followed by strengthening presentations (51%) and reducing workload (43%).
Respondents primarily use chatbots, AI assistants or automated writing tools for content-heavy tasks, including listing descriptions, marketing copy, social media posts and emails.
More than two-thirds (68%) reported saving at least one hour per week by using AI, while 34% said they save four or more hours weekly.
Even modest time savings can lead to greater lead generation capacity, faster response times and more consistent marketing output. As one respondent put it: "AI helps me get to the point."
…but full trust isn't there yet
Even though most agents indicated they were using AI to draft content, they didn't necessarily trust the outputs. A slight majority (52%) said they were either not confident or only somewhat confident in using AI-generated content with clients, compared to 48% who reported feeling confident or very confident.
Agents were especially wary of relying on AI for more complex tasks, citing a number of concerns:
Accuracy of generated outputs (cited by 63% of respondents)
Compliance and legal risks (49%)
Misinterpretation of market data (47%)
Fair housing implications (28%)
The findings suggest that agents are relatively comfortable automating low-risk tasks, but they are less likely to trust AI tools when it comes to developing pricing strategies, staying within legal guardrails, creating comparative market analyses or providing client guidance — in other words, responsibilities with significant legal or financial consequences.
A new phase of AI integration
The next big hurdle for tech companies? Improving AI tools to increased user confidence. And for brokerages? Establishing AI training and guidelines, including risk management and best practices.
According to the survey, agents want more from AI. Their top wish list items include clean and accurate CMAs, better pricing narratives, client-ready reports with improved market analysis, and hyper-local content generation.
But they also want training — primarily through video and hands-on or use-case tutorials — and guidance on using AI responsibly.
Brokerages that develop internal standards and training programs can reduce liability exposure (and boost retention), all while positioning their agents as not only tech-forward, but trustworthy.