A Top Realtor’s Perspective on The New York Times AI Home Selling Experiment
When a recent New York Times article detailed how a homeowner used artificial intelligence to sell his house without a Realtor, it sparked a question many homeowners are now asking:
Can AI replace real estate agents?
As a Realtor who has helped hundreds of buyers and sellers navigate one of the largest financial decisions of their lives, my answer is simple:
AI is an incredible tool. It is not a replacement for a great Realtor.
In fact, the most successful agents are already using AI every day. The difference is understanding where AI adds value—and where human expertise remains irreplaceable.
What AI Can Do Well in Real Estate
Artificial intelligence excels at handling routine and data-driven tasks.
Today’s AI tools can:
- Generate listing descriptions
- Recommend staging ideas
- Analyze comparable sales
- Draft marketing copy
- Suggest pricing strategies
- Create social media content
- Answer basic buyer questions
- Organize transaction timelines
For homeowners considering selling their property, AI can provide useful insights and save time on administrative tasks.
For Realtors, it can improve efficiency and allow more focus on serving clients.
In many ways, AI is becoming the digital assistant every homeowner and agent wishes they had.
What AI Cannot Replace
The challenge is that selling a home successfully is rarely about completing a checklist.
The highest-value parts of a real estate transaction are often the parts AI cannot see.
1. Local Market Knowledge
AI can analyze historical data.
It cannot attend open houses every weekend.
It cannot walk through competing listings.
It cannot recognize that buyers in one neighborhood consistently pay a premium for a specific school district, street, floor plan or view long before the data reflects that trend.
Experienced Realtors understand the nuances behind the numbers.
Sometimes two homes with nearly identical statistics sell tens of thousands of dollars apart because of factors that don’t show up in an algorithm.
2. Off-Market Opportunities
One of the biggest misconceptions about real estate is that every opportunity appears on Zillow or the MLS. Many do not. Top-producing Realtors often know about homes before they officially hit the market.
Through relationships with past clients, builders, investors, attorneys, lenders, and other agents, they gain access to opportunities that never become publicly available.
AI has access to data. Realtors have access to people.
And in real estate, relationships often create opportunities that data alone cannot.
3. Buyer Databases and Active Prospect Pools
When a home is listed, exposure matters.
A Realtor may have hundreds or even thousands of buyers already searching for specific properties.
Before a listing goes live, experienced agents can often identify potential buyers within their own network.
AI cannot call a family who lost out on three homes and tell them the perfect property is about to become available. A Realtor can.
That direct connection frequently leads to faster sales, multiple offers, and stronger negotiating positions.
4. Referral Networks
Every real estate transaction depends on a network of professionals.
- Inspectors
- Contractors
- Painters
- Landscapers
- Lenders
- Attorneys
- Title companies
- Stagers
- Photographers
A seasoned Realtor has spent years building relationships with trusted partners.
When challenges arise—as they often do—those relationships become invaluable.
AI may recommend a contractor. A Realtor knows which contractor will answer the phone today and show up tomorrow.
5. Negotiation and Human Psychology
Real estate transactions are emotional. If you’ve ever sold the home where your children took their first steps or bought your very first home after years of planning and saving, you know exactly what I mean.
People buy homes based on lifestyle, family needs, timing and personal circumstances.
They sell homes because of career changes, marriages, divorces, downsizing, investments or major life transitions.
The most important negotiations often have little to do with price.
A great Realtor understands motivations, personalities, and emotions.
They know when to push. When to pause. When to leverage competition. When to preserve a deal.
AI can suggest negotiation tactics, but it cannot read a room like an experienced Realtor can.
The Future Is Not AI vs. Realtors
The future of real estate is not AI versus Realtors. It is AI-powered Realtors.
The agents who embrace technology will provide better service, faster communication, stronger marketing and more informed guidance.
In our business, we use AI to improve efficiency, create content, streamline communication and enhance client experience.
The technology works because it is paired with decades of market expertise, local knowledge, relationships and strategic thinking.
The goal is not to replace people.
The goal is to eliminate busy work so Realtors can spend more time delivering value where it matters most – face to face, human to human.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can AI help sell a house?
Yes. AI can help homeowners and Realtors with pricing research, listing descriptions, staging ideas, marketing copy, and administrative tasks. It is a useful tool, but it works best when paired with professional real estate guidance. - Can AI replace a Realtor?
No, AI cannot fully replace a Realtor. While AI can analyze data and automate certain tasks, it cannot provide local market expertise, negotiation strategy, personal relationships, off-market access, or hands-on guidance through complex real estate decisions. - What is the biggest advantage of using a Realtor instead of AI?
The biggest advantage is human expertise. A Realtor brings real-world experience, local knowledge, buyer connections, professional networks, and negotiation skills that technology alone cannot replicate. - Will AI change the real estate industry?
Yes. AI will continue to make Realtors more efficient and help consumers access information faster. However, the most important parts of buying and selling a home will still depend on trust, strategy, local insight, and human relationships.
Bottom line:
Artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every industry, including real estate. But buying or selling a home is not simply a data problem, it’s a people business.
The most successful outcomes occur when technology and human expertise work together.
AI can help prepare a home for the market. A great Realtor helps maximize its value.
And when hundreds of thousands—or millions—of dollars are at stake, that distinction matters.
About DeLena Ciamacco
DeLena Ciamacco is one of Ohio’s most accomplished real estate professionals, with 35 years + of experience helping buyers, sellers, investors and relocation clients achieve their real estate goals. A lifelong Columbus-area resident, DeLena has consistently ranked among the top Realtors in Central Ohio, Ohio and the nation, earning recognition as a Top 100 Realtor in the United States and the world for more than two decades. Her expertise spans residential, luxury, investment, land and commercial real estate, backed by thousands of successful transactions and an unparalleled knowledge of the Central Ohio market. Through her award-winning team, DeLena combines proven strategies, innovative marketing and deep local insight to help clients maximize value and make confident real estate decisions.