GREENSBORO, N.C. — Artificial Intelligence has the potential to eliminate many jobs in the future. A report by Goldman Sachs predicts AI could eventually replace 300 million full-time jobs globally. Many industries are finding ways to get ahead of the curb, including real estate.
The state of real estate is always changing, especially in places like Greensboro. With job opportunities from Toyota and Boom Supersonic on the horizon, potential residents are looking to buy.
Jordan Hairston is a real estate broker with the Chris Collins Group at Real Broker in Greensboro. He said most days he has his hands full.
“What I do is, I help sellers sell their homes and I help buyers purchase homes,” Hairston said. “Help them throughout the transaction, do all their documents. You know just kind of a guide.”
As of late, he said he’s been able to make the most of his busy days, with the help of his assistant “Anna.”
“They say, ‘Hey my name is Anna. I heard you were interested in purchasing a home. Are you interested in selling a home?’ It kind of starts the conversation, and once the conversation gets to a certain point, that’s when I pick up the phone and call,” Hairston said.
However, Anna isn’t an actual person. She’s artificial intelligence. Hairston said she generally responds through text messages by following up with clients and making public remarks.
“There’s been multiple people that I have not talked to that Anna’s reached out to and set appointments for me,” Hairston said. “She’s even gotten confirmation on certain things that they want like what kind of house they’re looking for. Certain things that get the conversation going to make them feel more comfortable. It also brings to the client a united front. A lot of people like to know that there’s a process followed, there’s a team behind them, and Anna kind of makes that look a little bit better.”
Though helpful, she’s still a work in progress.
“Of course, we monitor the AI, kind of see what they’re saying, make sure it’s personable,” Hairston said. “A lot of times it can be tweaked to be more personable, but that’s kind of when we step in.”
Artificial intelligence isn’t just used to set up appointments with clients. It’s starting to play a big part in marketing campaigns.
Jamie Pruitt works with different companies and industries for any kind of marketing and media help. He recently led a boot camp, teaching real estate agents how to use ChatGPT.
“So first, people say AI is going to take over people’s jobs,” Pruitt said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. People are using AI now to work faster and smarter. For me, I could spend an hour or two coming up with a week’s worth of social media posts, and now in just a matter of seconds I could have an outline to start from and it saves me so much more time.”
DeDe Cunningham is a realtor and broker with Keller Williams Realty One in Greensboro. She said though there are many advantages to using AI, it should be used as just a tool and not a substitute.
“If you’re coming into the area like we’re seeing her in the Triad and you don’t know the area, you can’t get that information from any program online,” Cunningham said. “You can’t find out specifics about recreational activities or hey, where do your kids play? Or hey, I need a good dentist. You can find information online, but trust and knowledge as far as someone who’s lived here 30 years, you can’t get that from Any AI program.”
WFMY News 2’s Lauren Coleman asked Cunningham if realtors should be nervous about AI.
“I think it’s intimidating,” Cunningham said. “I think there’s some folks that say hey is this going to replace me? I don’t know if I’m worried about that because AI is not a great negotiator, and I will tell you when it comes to real estate having a great negotiator is key.”
Hairston agreed.
“When you’re purchasing a home and you’re making that type of investment, or when you’re selling a home, it’s usually dealing with the biggest investment of your life,” Hairston said. “A lot of people want to talk to a person. A lot of people like to talk to a real person and meet a real person, shake a real person’s hand, and know they’re being taken care of by someone who is there.”