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Rather than fearing AI will replace their roles, industry experts urged property professionals to focus on learning to use the tools effectively as the sector continues to shift.
For the past few years, the real estate sector has fixated on fears that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace agents, but industry leaders said the narrative has been a distraction from the deeper transformation already reshaping the profession.
According to WayScape CEO and founder Rebecca Moroney, agents should stop viewing AI as a threat and instead use it to cut down on admin and focus more on clients.
“AI will not replace great agents,” Moroney said.
“What it will do is expose the weak ones because the real risk isn’t AI taking your job – it’s becoming less relevant because you haven’t evolved.”
She said as the industry evolves, the next generation of top-performing agents will be defined by their ability to shift away from manual juggling and instead embed AI into the core of their daily work.
“The best agents will become even stronger because they’ll operate with intelligence around them, not layers of admin holding them back.”
According to Moroney, research showed agents have been losing tens of thousands of dollars in missed opportunities, with nearly 62 per cent of their week consumed by administrative work instead of revenue-generating activity.
Data from mid-sized agencies also suggested agents spend up to 12 hours a week on duplicated data entry and platform management, equating to significant lost earnings each quarter.
“The industry’s challenge now is to stop debating whether AI will replace agents but to start understanding how it will redefine what great looks like.”
According to Moroney, the shift has already started with the emergence of “Agent 3.0”, an AI model environment where data is entered once and flows across systems, with automation handling admin tasks and adapting to each agent’s style to support, not override, decision-making.
“AI should remove admin, not human judgement. It should replace repetitive work, disconnected systems, and poor responsiveness and not trust, negotiation, instinct, or connection.”
She said the rise of “Agent 3.0” reflected a new kind of real estate professional: faster and better informed.
Moroney said that as the industry evolves, buyers and sellers have also been expecting faster responses, deeper insights, and greater confidence in decision-making.
“Consumers still want people, but they no longer tolerate slow people.”
“The agents who meet those expectations will be the ones who integrate technology into their practice, not the ones who resist it.”
Similarly, PIPA chair Cate Bakos said the industry should no longer view technology as a threat, but as a tool that strengthens and amplifies existing skills.
“Technology doesn’t diminish the value of a skilled property investment professional. If anything, it elevates them,” Bakos said.
“The agents and property investment advisers who embrace the right tools will deliver better clarity, better speed, and better outcomes for their clients.”
