The most interesting thing about AI right now is not what it can do in theory. It is what companies are now able to do in practice.
That was the clearest message coming out of MIT EmTech: The era of AI pilots and demos is giving way to “The Great Integration.” Those advancing are no longer the companies just experimenting, but they’re the ones integrating AI into daily operations with the right data, governance and security in place.
Here are five trends to watch.
1. AI Is Moving From Experiment to Infrastructure
The most important thing happening in AI right now is not the model itself. It’s the transition from testing AI to making it part of business operations. Many organizations are finding value when AI becomes embedded into workflows rather than added as a standalone tool.
Examples discussed at the MIT conference reflected how organizations across industries are beginning to integrate AI into day-to-day operations. Walmart, for example, is rolling out AI training to its 2.1 million employees, with 1.7 million associates already eligible for certifications, as part of a broader workforce training effort. At ServiceNow, AI is evolving from a simple productivity tool into systems capable of supporting real business processes with appropriate human oversight. And in Hollywood, the screen actors’ labor union established a contract framework requiring clear and conspicuous consent for the use of digital replicas, reinforcing a consent-first approach to AI in entertainment.
For real estate professionals, one takeaway is that AI may have the greatest impact when it supports ongoing business processes rather than isolated tasks. AI will matter most when it moves beyond one-off productivity hacks and supports part of how brokerages, developers, lenders and property managers make decisions every day.
2. LLMs Are Getting More Useful, Not Just More Impressive
Large language models or LLMs are evolving from chatbots into systems that can manage long, multistep workflows. That may sound abstract, but for real estate it could significantly transform how certain workflows are managed. Consider underwriting, permitting, lease review, portfolio analysis, zoning research or asset management, all involving processes juggling multiple documents, rules and decision points. The next wave of LLMs is getting better at holding all that context at once, meaning they can assist with document-heavy workflows that have traditionally required significant manual review.
That doesn’t mean the human disappears. It means the human gets leverage. In a business where speed, accuracy and judgment all matter, better memory and context can reshape how firms operate.
3. Agentic AI Is Becoming the Real Workflow Story
If LLMs are the brains, agentic AI is the action.
This is one area where organizations are exploring operational efficiency gains: systems that don’t just answer questions but complete tasks. Marketing follow-up, calendar management, lead routing, budget adjustments, and repetitive admin work are all areas where AI agents/assistants are already being tested or deployed in some business environments.
The most interesting shift is that these systems are moving from single-task assistants to coordinated teams working together. One system can capture a lead, another can qualify it, and another can route it into the right marketing or sales workflow. That kind of orchestration may allow organizations to automate portions of administrative and operational workflows. But the risks rise, too. The more autonomy these systems have, the more important it becomes to have a human in the loop to control them tightly around legal, financial, and fair housing–related matters.
4. Deepfakes and Scams Are Becoming a Daily Business Risk
AI is not just creating opportunities; it is also lowering the cost of deception.
Deepfakes, voice clones and AI-generated fraud are making phishing, wire scams, identity theft and lease fraud more convincing and more scalable. In real estate, that’s especially dangerous because the industry runs on trust, timing, and large financial transactions.
A fake voicemail can now sound like a client. A bogus email can appear to come from a lender. A forged pay stub or employment letter can slip through if the review process is too shallow. The threat is increasingly real and firms may want to evaluate their verification and security practices accordingly. For additional guidance and resources on data privacy and cybersecurity considerations, visit NAR’s Data Privacy & Security Resource Center.
5. Resistance May Shape Adoption More Than the Tech Itself
The final thing that matters in AI right now is not technical at all. It’s human.
People are nervous about job loss, misinformation, surveillance, and the broader social consequences of AI. That resistance is already affecting public opinion and even development decisions. Questions about energy use, privacy, workforce impacts, and transparency are becoming part of the broader conversation around AI adoption, while workers across industries are asking a fair question: Who benefits from this, and who gets left behind?
For real estate leaders, that means adoption strategy can matter as much as the tools themselves. The firms that may be better positioned to compete will show clear value, explain what AI is doing, and keep humans visibly in the loop. The goal is not to sell people on the machine. It’s to show them that the machine creates efficiencies and can make the process better.
6. Compliance With Applicable Laws, Policies and License Agreements
As with any tool or technology, it’s important that the use of AI is in compliance with applicable laws, policies, and license agreements. For example, you’ll need to ensure that your use of AI does not violate real estate license laws such as those regarding unlicensed practice of real estate. Some states also require the disclosure of the use of AI in the editing of photographs or in consumer interactions. You will also need to be sure your use of AI is consistent with MLS policies and data license agreements. Please consult your real estate commission, local MLS, and/or your local counsel for specific questions.
What Actually Matters
AI is moving from experimentation to everyday business infrastructure, but in real estate the responsible model should incorporate human oversight, data quality, and trust. The pattern emerging across industries points to firms using AI to speed up analysis, reduce repetitive work, and improve service while keeping legal compliance, fair housing, and consumer protection at the center.
Bottom line: the organizations getting AI right are not just layering it onto old workflows. They are rethinking how their businesses work while keeping humans at the center. That pattern emerged repeatedly across organizations represented at the MIT EmTech Conference and may offer useful insights for real estate professionals evaluating AI adoption. For many firms, the question is no longer whether AI has potential applications in real estate, but how to evaluate whether and how it can be used responsibly.
Author
Sharon Love-Bates is Director, Emerging Technology within the Strategic Business, Innovation & Technology group at the National Association of REALTORS®.
