Technology expert Matt Britton advises that agents need not fear AI. The more you leverage AI into your busy business, the more time you have for your clients.
Important points:
- The real estate industry has been slow to adopt AI for automated tasks, but change is coming quickly, according to AI expert Matt Britton.
- Agents who can set up their own AI workflows can spend more time building relationships with clients, he explained at a recent conference.
- As AI handles everyday mundane tasks, creativity will be the key to success.
The real estate industry has been behind the curve in implementing automation and eliminating time-consuming paperwork for agents. But this delay means there is an opportunity for creative real estate professionals who embrace new technology products to stand out from the pack.
That was one of the messages delivered by artificial intelligence expert Matt Britton at NAR NXT 2025 in November. Due to the rapid pace of AI development, much of the industry is at risk of being left behind, explained Susie, founder and CEO of Consumer Insights Platform.
AI’s long-term industry impact
While the debate over private properties and persistently high mortgage rates may be dominating the headlines, what will change for many real estate teams and offices over the next year is a revolution in back-office technology, including AI's ability to support social media posting and verify transaction documents.
“Things are moving so fast that the work you do in the next 90 to 120 days will impact your career for the next 10 years,” Britton told more than 2,000 NAR members on Nov. 14.
While this is frightening for many who fear their jobs could disappear, Britton believes the upcoming changes will be a positive for creative agents looking to reduce their busy schedules and spend more time with their clients.
“In my opinion, that human trust and human connection when making the most important financial decisions of your life is something that never goes away,” Britton said, adding that agents currently don't spend enough time being human.
How AI helps agents
Britton says automation in the real estate industry is moving faster than most expected, and predicts that the tipping point for the industry is now.
At this early stage of AI adoption, most people are using the new technology as a tool to answer questions. The next step is automation, where agents develop their own large-scale language models to process workflows. This is already becoming evident in other industries, and will force major changes in the labor market as companies like Amazon announce layoffs.
In the real estate sector, Britton predicts the emergence of “AI agents” during the automation phase. These tools give individuals who sign up for a real estate newsletter the autonomy to make low-level decisions, such as whether or not an agent should meet with someone.
change the way you think about work
For some agents, adopting AI will change the way they view their work. As an example, Britton used AI to create a country music video about the characteristics of a typical residential property. Once the structure is in place, all you need to do is set the AI parameters.
AI can also help agents understand the loan size a customer can get approved for and create personalized emails based on a homebuyer's must-have and nice-to-have lists. The most exciting thing about AI is that it will be widely accessible to everyone, not just tech geeks.
“You don't have to be an expert to do something great,” Britton said. “You just need to understand what are the most important problems you want to solve in your life and career.”
