Front of the Funnel, or End of the Line?
Lead the thinking, not the process
“AI won’t take your job. An agent using AI will.”
It sounds tough, and it was a neat line in 2025, but it’s a new year now and this type of thinking is at best a lullaby and at worst a distraction.
Buyers and sellers already use ChatGPT - all the time. As a default. They ask questions at midnight. They compare neighborhoods and listings. They draft messages. They game out offers. They form opinions (whether the data they are presented is correct or not) on their own.
This all changes where agents enter into the equation.
The Consumer Already Moved
Undoubtedly, real estate transactions can be highly emotional, unpredictable, and as such require trusted human guidance. People want calm in a chaotic process. After all, no matter how well a Large Language Model is trained, it’s never stepped into a room.
But this is not the heart of the debate. The question is, where do humans enter this process? The real question is: who owns the client relationship when the first 3 steps happen without you?
The allure of AI is comprised of two vectors - quality and speed. And while consumers certainly want trustworthy responses, they really value speed - particularly when contemplating a real estate transaction. Because many clients, whether first time buyers or sellers, value speed when they don’t know what they don’t know. So what ends up happening is speed becomes trust, and trust becomes habit, and those habits get formed outside the realm of the agent/client relationship.
Agents often describe themselves as “trusted advisors”. If you’re entering the process at Step 4 instead of Step 2, your role is less advisory and more procedural. And that’s not the place we want to be.
Fortunately, none of the above is a foregone conclusion. In fact, it’s a tremendous opportunity for those who acknowledge reality and level up.
What to do Now
Simply put, opt in. Yes it’s a weird market - interest rate lock-in, supply imbalance, commission lawsuits - but all markets are weird in their own ways. Market dislocation is ever-present and it’s not an excuse for static behavior. It’s time to learn how AI can actually help you create the best possible outcome for your clients, and in the process, help you win.
Start by using what your clients can’t access. Sidekick brings leverage at the exact point many agents will lose step 2 above - speed of response, quality of guidance, and continuity of context from the first client interaction to getting the deal over the line.
How? Use Sidekick to do things like:
Search the MLS
Go Deep on Market Analysis
Create Compelling Comps
Analyze Disclosures and Forms
There’s more examples I could show, and I’ll be hosting a course soon all about how AI can become an absolute super power for real estate professionals. It’s already filling up but you can join the early-list.
Your 2026 Playbook
We are bullish on what 2026 holds for the industry, and the importance agents will continue to hold in helping millions of Americans buy and sell homes.
But providing comfort alone is not a business model. There needs to be tangible value added to client conversations as soon as possible, and that’s where AI can shine.
So here’s our playbook for you with the Top 10 things you should do (and stop doing):
Today is the first day of 2026. The day is young. It’s all possible, and we’re on your team. Go and get it.
