In an era of AI overload, agencies are urged to step away from a “silver bullet” approach that treats technology as a shortcut to success and instead target the tools that maximise value.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in industry, agents have been urged to focus less on chasing the latest tools and more on enhancing their existing processes.
Interested in taking your AI game to the next level and winning listings? Join REB’s Innovation Summit.
During a recent episode of the REB podcast, Properti founder and CEO Craig Deveson said agents have been complicating AI, using it as a “silver bullet” to success.
He said that across the board, AI had been used throughout the industry, including for appraisals, sales and reviews, client communication, and workflow automation.
While AI tools can turn the process into one seamless “flywheel” that can maximise professionals’ time, Deveson said that agents have been using numerous tools rather than doubling down on one.
“The core of the system is how to build that flywheel, so that agents can focus more time with their customers and less time on technology,” he said.
To integrate AI into their processes without complicating them, Deveson advised agents to choose one tool that would benefit them most and refine it, allocating a specific amount of time to it regularly.
“Spend an hour or two a week on it and get better at it so that the tech amplifies your process. It won’t fix a process you don’t have,” he said.
Rather than recommending one single process that all agencies should enhance, Deveson said each business should look at the one “behind-the-scenes task” that burns the most time during the week.
“That’s not a customer-facing task. I’m not sure that you want to use AI too much in a customer-facing role because the way you come across as an agent needs to be in that process.”
“So consider, what’s the thing that takes the most time from you, and try and automate that.”
He said one effective way agents can use AI is by automating the process of organising their open houses for the weekend, allowing them to easily view information about the properties.
“So you are more knowledgeable, more prepared in half the time to be able to go into that Saturday work and have intelligent conversations with the likely buyers on each property,” he said.
By narrowing their scope and mastering fewer AI tools, Deveson said agents could avoid becoming overdependent on the technology, enabling it to support their decision-making rather than overshadowing their judgment.
He said top agents were those who could learn to direct AI so that it became like a junior teammate, adding to their skillset rather than replacing it.
“That way they’re able to steer it in their direction and, and look different and stand out in their market.”
“They can use it as an automation tool, not just asking a question, taking that result and then word-for-word repeating it, because that’s what everyone will do.”
Listen to the full episode here.
Looking to stay ahead of the AI revolution? Join the REB Innovation Summit 2026.
Designed for agents ready to turn AI into real business results, the event will deliver practical strategies on AI adoption, search visibility and operational efficiency.
The REB Innovation Summit 2026 will be held in Sydney on 25 June. Secure your tickets today.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Real Estate Business a preferred news source on Google.
