A Florida homeowner recently sold his house with help from ChatGPT.
Robert Levine, who sold his home in Cooper City, used the AI tool to guide nearly every step of the sale instead of hiring a real estate agent. According to NBC6 South Florida, he used ChatGPT to plan the timeline, write listing materials, coordinate showings, and help generate the purchase contract.
The result moved quickly. Within 72 hours, Levine had five offers. Five days after listing, the home was under contract.
That’s the kind of headline that gets agents talking.
Stories like this tend to spark debate across the industry. But instead of asking whether AI is replacing agents, a better question is: what can agents actually take from this?
What AI Actually Did for the Seller
Levine used ChatGPT to structure the process and keep things moving.
“The most important thing it did for us was build out a timeline: here’s when you need to start packing your house.”
The tool gave him on-demand guidance across the entire sale, including:
- Building a timeline and prep plan
- Identifying value-boosting updates
- Writing listing and marketing materials
- Creating open house materials
- Understanding how to list on the MLS
- Coordinating showings and timing
- Helping generate the purchase contract
Levine estimates using AI saved him about 3% of the sale price.
ChatGPT helped plan the sale. Levine handled the execution, including preparing the home, managing showings, and reviewing offers. He also hired a lawyer to review the contract.
Levine acknowledged this approach isn’t for everyone.
Most sellers won’t want to manage every step of the process while trying to secure the best outcome. Many will still prefer working with an agent who knows the market and handles the details.
That’s the first important distinction. AI helped him plan, but he still had to do the work.
That same advantage applies to agents. AI gives instant access to training, ideas, and structure without waiting for a broker response, team meeting, or coaching call. (Of course, it’s up to agents to ensure any information received from AI meets any local and national rules and regulations.)
How Agents Can Use AI to Differentiate Themselves
Stories like this one often trigger the same line across the real estate industry:
“AI won’t replace real estate agents. Agents who use AI will replace those who don’t.”
The phrase gets repeated everywhere, as The Broke Agent recently pointed out:
View this post on Instagram
In practice, it looks a lot like what the seller did. Agents can use AI to:
- Generate listing strategies and marketing ideas faster
- Write and refine scripts for client conversations
- Create social content that attracts attention and starts conversations
- Pressure-test pricing, positioning, and presentation before going live
The difference is agents aren’t using AI to replace the process. They’re using it to sharpen it.
Tom Ferry addressed this story head-on in a recent Instagram post, and after taking the teeth out of the headline, he focused on what agents should take away from the story:
“A for-sale-by-owner used AI to get their home sold…what’s the big deal? The real deal is this, my friends: What are you doing to use AI to help your clients meet their expectations or exceed their expectations and sell way more houses?”
View this post on Instagram
FSBOs aren’t new. Tools change. The advantage goes to the agent who uses those tools (and then executes) better than the consumer.
Where AI Actually Fits in an Agent’s Business
Levine used ChatGPT to figure out what to do. Agents can use it to move faster, gather new information, and stay organized while handling multiple clients and deals.
Instead of starting from scratch, newer agents can use AI to generate a starting point and organize their thinking. This shortens the time between idea and execution.
It also compresses the learning curve, giving agents immediate access to guidance they used to wait days or weeks to receive.
By now, most agents have implemented ChatGPT on some level, and like Levine, can use it for just about every step of the process. We already know that AI reduces time spent on repetitive tasks, whether it’s used for marketing, email communication, analyzing reports, or listing presentation prep.
That’s where AI is at its best right now: speed, structure, and starting points.
Of course, agents can go even deeper. AI can also be used to improve skills, like Shilo.ai’s ability to analyze role play and get feedback on objection-handling skills. Tools like Rayse can be used collaboratively with clients to provide the timeline and showcase what’s happening throughout every step of the process.
Automate the Repetitive Work. Focus on the Work That Requires You
Tom Ferry’s advice centers on how agents spend their time.
“If you’re not aggressively leaning into how AI and agentics to automate your redundant workflows, improve your marketing, and expand your ability to follow up to connect deeply with more people. Start.”
AI fits best in the parts of the business that repeat every day. Tasks like writing, formatting, and organizing information can be handled faster with the right prompts.
That shift creates more room for the work that depends on the agent.
Ferry’s second piece of advice:
“Lean into your superpowers, like effective listening, empathy, negotiations and relationship management.”
Those superpowers are critical for the areas where agents still drive the outcome:
- Building trust through conversations with clients
- Guiding buyers and sellers through decisions during the transaction
- Handling negotiations when terms and emotions collide
- Managing relationships across multiple parties in the deal
These are the moments where deals move forward or fall apart. Preparation helps. Execution still depends on the person leading the process.
During an episode of The Disruptors Podcast (clipped on Instagram), Olivia Ferney of Travel With Livii shared her approach to working with ultra-wealthy clients as a luxury travel consultant:
“I say it all the time. My job is not to judge, it’s to execute. So much human touch in everything that we do. AI’s not gonna get out of bed at 6:00 am to go get you your mega-yacht last minute.”
Different industry. Same principle.
No doubt Olivia uses AI when it can help her move faster and better serve a client. But it’s still up to her to make sure her clients feel supported and catered to 24/7.
Where Agents Get Into Trouble With AI
AI can produce answers that sound complete, even when they miss key details.
That creates risk when agents rely on it without reviewing the output.
Local MLS rules vary widely. Disclosure requirements differ from state to state. Pricing strategies depend on neighborhood-level data and buyer behavior in a specific market.
AI can supply information and suggest a direction. Agents still need to confirm what applies to their market and their client.
In a nutshell, the issue isn’t the tool. It’s how the tool gets used.
For agents, the real opportunity is learning how to use tools like this to make better use of their time and energy and improve how they serve clients.
AI can support the work. The professional still has to run the play.
The Real Opportunity for Agents
AI can provide information. It can suggest a plan.
But it can’t jump out of the screen and execute. That’s still the agent’s role.
The opportunity isn’t competing with AI. It’s using it to move faster, think better, and show up more prepared when it matters most.
AI can support the work. The professional still has to run the play.
