AI May be the New 'Gatekeeper,' But Experience Still Matters
- Jeff Sorg
- Jan 17
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
I’ve watched the "Gatekeepers" change more times than I can count. It no longer scares me when this happens. And it shouldn’t scare you, either.
Back when I started my career, the "high-tech" gatekeeper was a physical MLS book. Then it was the internet. Then the big portals. Now, in 2026, everyone is talking about AI—AEO, LLMs, and algorithms that supposedly "screen" who you should hire before you even pick up the phone. Every time things changed, many brokers and industry experts predicted it would be the death of the industry.
Just as before, some people are nervous about AI. Me? I’m just watching the same play with a different set of props.
Don't get me wrong—AI is a brilliant tool. It’s faster than any human at sorting through data. But after five decades in the trenches, I can tell you this: AI is a great bookkeeper, but it’s a lousy philosopher.
It can find you a house in seconds. But it cannot tell you the soul of that house.
Here is what the machines miss—the stuff that only comes from lived experience. The stuff that you provide:
The "Undercurrent": AI can tell you the interest rate is 6.06%. It cannot tell you why a specific street is about to turn, or find the "shadow inventory"—those sellers who aren't on the public screen yet but would move if the right person knocked on the door.
The "Technical Gut": A machine sees a house as a spreadsheet. It does not know the difference between a "renovated" kitchen and a "masked" problem. It cannot see the technical future headaches that a seasoned eye spots in thirty seconds.
The "Human Friction": Negotiation. The biggie. It isn't just a math problem to be fixed by AI; it's a craft. AI can calculate a counter-offer in a heartbeat, but it cannot sense the subtle shift in leverage from the other side of the deal. It does not know when to push, when to pause, how to bridge the gap, or how to navigate confidential information when a deal is about to fall apart.
My take? Let the AI do the sorting, statistical research, and proofreading. Use the tools. But when it comes to navigating the high-stakes, emotional, and often messy reality of a real estate transaction—your clients still need you to know how to hold the line.
At least for now, you can’t download years of experience, honesty, and risk mitigation.
Let the machines find listings. You navigate the transactions.
Real Talk Questions and Answers
Q: Jeff, after your 50 some years in the business, do you think AI is finally going to make the human advisor obsolete? A: Well, it's been only 47, not fifty, and I’ve seen this movie before! They said the same thing about the first MLS books, then the internet, then the big portals. AI is just the latest "gatekeeper." It’s a brilliant tool for sorting data, but it’s a lousy philosopher. It can find you a house, but it can’t tell you the soul of the house or navigate a transaction. A machine can find listings, but it can’t navigate the human friction that happens when a deal is on the line.
Q: What is the biggest "unseen" danger for people relying purely on AI for real estate? A: The loss of context. AI sees an interest rate or a price-per-square-foot and thinks it knows at what price you should list or purchase, but it doesn't. It doesn't see the "shadow inventory"—the properties that aren't officially for sale but could be moved with the right strategic approach. It also doesn't see the technical "future headaches" that a seasoned agent can spot to prevent buyer's remorse. My foundation has always been honesty and risk mitigation; those aren't things you can download—at least not until I post about them!
Q: What do you think is the one thing a machine will never be able to do during a transaction? A: Bridge the gap when a deal is about to fall apart. AI can calculate a counter-offer in milliseconds, but it can’t sense the subtle shift in leverage or that silent moment when you need to "hold the line." Negotiation is a human craft built on lived experience. You simply can't simulate being a seasoned negotiator when it comes to the best interest of the client.
Q: How should a modern real estate professional use AI without losing their "human edge"? A: Give the AI the evidence it needs to find you—the track record, the facts, the data. But once you're in the door, provide the real-life experience an algorithm can't replicate. Use the machine for the "bookkeeping" so you can spend your time on the "philosophy." Be the high-tech agent with a high-touch heart.
Until next time, keep your standards high,
About the Author: I am a retired real estate professional with a career spanning 45 years. Throughout decades of market changes, I remained dedicated to the idea that real estate is about more than square footage—it’s about the human experience. Today, I write about the lessons learned from a lifetime of helping people find the place that truly feels like home, hoping that sharing these insights will help the next generation of agents better serve their clients and find fulfillment in their own careers.
(C) 2026 Jeff Sorg
