What happens when AI replaces buyer behavior, but not the human role in the transaction?
And could someone actually buy a home using AI alone as early as 2026?
Those questions are moving from hypothetical to realistic faster than many in the industry expected.
The idea that AI can help buyers search for homes isn’t new. What is new is how quickly that “assistance” is evolving into something far more consequential. On a recent episode of the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Podcast, James Dwiggins outlined a 2026 prediction that goes beyond smarter filters or faster alerts: the first home purchase in which the buyer is effectively represented by AI rather than a human agent.
Dwiggins doesn’t expect AI to replace human real estate professionals. Instead, his focus is on what changes when the buyer shows up with software doing most of the thinking, filtering, and decision support.
If that shift materializes, expectations across the industry could change rapidly.
Dwiggins breaks down how close the industry really is to that moment and what today’s AI trends mean for agents right now. Read on for the highlights and tune in below to enjoy the full conversation.
The prediction that matters most for 2026
Dwiggins is focused on a specific turning point: the first high-profile home purchase where AI effectively runs the buyer side of the transaction. He sees that moment reshaping how consumers think about what’s possible almost overnight.
Before getting into transactions, he framed the bigger challenge AI brings to the housing market: trust in an already noisy digital world.
As Dwiggins explained during the episode:
“AI slop started early, and at first it was easy to spot the fakes. One of the big fear fantasies around AI is that we won’t know what’s real anymore. But news flash, if you’ve been on social media lately, you already have no idea what’s real. We’ve never been further away from agreeing on anything.”
AI is pouring more information into an already crowded environment. Buyers will increasingly rely on AI to organize that flood and highlight what deserves their attention, even as misinformation keeps growing.
What changes when AI replaces buyer behavior
When AI steps into the buyer workflow, the pace of the process speeds up dramatically.
Instead of slowly browsing listings, calling for showings, and manually comparing homes, buyers increasingly rely on AI to do the heavy lifting in seconds.
That shift shows up quickly at the start of transactions:
- Buyers arrive highly informed, often with shortlists already built by AI
- Comparison shopping becomes faster and more analytical
- Emotional impulse plays a smaller role early in the decision process
- Expectations around response time and clarity rise sharply
Dwiggins connected this shift directly to the growing importance of discernment and communication.
Before introducing his transaction prediction, he warned that the ability to cut through misinformation will become a real advantage.
As he put it:
“This is going to become a real issue. Something big will happen around not being able to tell what’s real anymore. We’re all going to have to get better at listening and resisting the echo chambers we create for ourselves.
“The people who do that are going to gain a competitive advantage.”
AI speeds up research and analysis. But it also amplifies confusion. Human judgment becomes the filter buyers trust when the information flood rises.
Could someone buy a home using AI alone in 2026?
Dwiggins’ boldest prediction is specific and near term.
He believes the first fully AI-assisted, self-represented home purchase will happen this year, and that it will dominate headlines when it does.
Setting up that moment, he explained:
“Someone in the United States will purchase a property self-represented with AI as an agent in 2026. The AI won’t be a licensed agent, but it will handle the process for the buyer. When that happens, the world will freak out, and I’ll laugh and tell people they shouldn’t.”
The keyword here is ‘self-represented.’ The buyer still signs the contracts. The buyer still makes the final decision. AI handles much of what a buyer’s agent traditionally supports.
That can include:
- Searching and filtering homes based on detailed preferences
- Scheduling tours and tracking property data
- Reviewing disclosures and inspection summaries
- Comparing financing scenarios and monthly costs
- Drafting offer language and negotiation strategies
Even one transaction like this reshapes consumer expectations. It signals what’s possible, even if widespread adoption takes longer.
Why this won’t replace human expertise, and where pressure builds first
The next phase redistributes where work happens. AI absorbs much of the repetitive buyer-side activity and early analysis. Human expertise becomes most valuable when deals get complicated and people need real guidance to move forward.
Pressure will show up first in workflows built around buyer-side labor. At the same time, the human advantage grows in areas like:
- Verifying what’s real in a noisy information environment
- Explaining tradeoffs AI can’t fully contextualize
- Guiding people through risk and uncertainty
- Navigating inspections, negotiations, and deal breakdowns
Dwiggins reinforced that the trust problem existed long before AI and will only intensify.
“If you’ve been on social media, you already know how hard it is to tell what’s real. That problem existed long before AI showed up, and now it’s only going to get louder. This is going to become a real issue.”
On a related note, this is probably why Theoni Rapo (aka Not Ur Daddy’s Lender) is seeing much better results from her FaceTime strategy on TikTok.
The professionals who rise to the top will earn confidence through clarity and authenticity rather than volume. Most people still want to work with real, relatable, imperfect humans.
How top performers will win in an AI buyer world
As buyer workflows automate, influence and trust become the differentiators.
In practical terms, that looks like:
- Education outperforming promotion
- Clear communication outperforming content volume
- Guidance outperforming transaction chasing
AI brings speed. Humans bring judgment, along with other human traits that make them more relatable and trustworthy.
Plus, in a market flooded with faster information and deeper noise, the ability to simplify decisions becomes a premium skill.
At BAM Pro Bowl III on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, James Dwiggins will share how top performers build credibility and trust, and separate themselves from outdated playbooks in a rapidly changing market.
Sign up now to learn how the best in the business are positioning themselves for what comes next.
