Agents branching out from generative AI as adoption grows
NAR’s latest technology report found that more agents are using AI in 2026, and they’re prioritizing tools that save time and improve client experiences.
Real estate agents are getting more comfortable using artificial intelligence tools in their businesses, and many are planning to use them in additional ways over the next year.
That's one conclusion from the National Association of Realtors' 2026 Technology Report released today, which found that nearly half of the agents surveyed (48%) used AI at least once a week.
Focused on efficiency: Saving time and improving the client experience were the most common reasons for adopting AI, at 81% and 71% respectively — suggesting that agents are making a practical choice to adopt the technology.
"Those priorities have grown stronger over the past year," Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist at NAR, said in a press release accompanying the report. "When routine work gets handled faster, agents have more time for the guidance, negotiation, and steady advice that clients count on through a major financial decision," Lautz added.
Beyond generative AI: In NAR's 2025 tech survey, agents were almost exclusively using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to create content. This year's survey, conducted in June, found that while generative AI is still the most popular tool (54% of respondents use or plan to use it), many agents are interested in exploring other ways to incorporate AI in their business.
AI-backed CRM tools came in at No. 2, with 51% of agents interested in using them, followed by AI-powered lead generation and follow-up (48%), marketing automation workflows (34%), and agent safety and secure showing management solutions (32%).
Making an impact: Agents in the latest survey were more positive about AI, with 55% reporting that the tech had a moderately or significantly positive impact on their business, compared to 50% in 2025.
Interestingly, with usage up, agents were also more negative this year: 11% said AI had a moderately or significantly negative impact on their business versus just 4% a year prior. That sentiment may be shifting in line with concerns about AI use, which were up this year, according to a Delta Media report.
The share of agents in NAR's survey reporting no business impact fell from 46% in 2025 to 35% in 2026.
Non-users are dropping off: Fewer than a quarter of respondents reported no AI use, including 9% who were interested in AI tools but just hadn't tried them yet and 12% with no plans to ever use them. The combined share of non-users (21%) has fallen significantly since the 2025 survey, when 32% of agents said they had not yet used any AI tools.
Top challenges: As more agents begin using emerging technologies, they are finding the learning curve to be their biggest challenge, cited by 63% of those surveyed. Cost (59%) was another notable hurdle, followed by the difficulty of choosing from too many options (44%) and concerns about privacy/security (36%).
ChatGPT is No. 1: By far the most popular AI tool among agents is ChatGPT, used by 91% of those surveyed — perhaps not surprising since it was the first major generative AI chatbot released to the public. Gemini (42%) was the second-most used tool, followed by Copilot (27%) and Claude (25%).