Artificial Intelligence seems to be everywhere these days. And there is no shortage of voices in the real estate industry insisting that it's a solution to everything from advertising to productivity. A quick scroll through a Facebook feed reveals an already wide acceptance of this practice throughout many industries and on personal pages. I've touched on this topic before, but it bears revisiting as the use of AI in this business is ever-increasing.
Recently Katie had the opportunity to attend a board-sponsored education event here in Lawrence. At that event a well-known, well-loved, and nationally recognized real estate professional was heavily pushing the use of AI in real estate. From marketing to client communication, transaction management, and lead generation, the argument is that there is no limit to how AI can enhance a real estate business.
I don't buy it. Not for a second, and I'll tell you why: it's fake. R+K Real Estate was founded upon the ideals of honesty, authenticity, and transparency. And the use of AI does not live up to any of those. It's about as inauthentic as things come. Particularly in the arena of advertising a content creation. It's instantly recognizable as it looks unreal and counterfeit.
On one hand, like it or not, AI seeps into everyone's life. If you use a computer, there's no escape from it. If you have a smartphone or Facebook page and use it for business or if you simply enjoy an Instagram scroll now and then, there's a level of this stuff one simply has to accept as reality.
Despite that, I feel it's important to not use AI to represent one's self to clients or potential clients. It shouldn't fit as a stand in for the real you! R+K Real Estate does not use AI in any aspect of our day-to-day business. When you call our phones, we're the ones who answer. We write our own blogs, social media posts, and advertisements. If you write me an email, I'm going to be the author of the reply.
But I hear what some people might already be saying: "What's the big deal? It's all in good fun, what do you care if Realtors use AI in their advertising?" Well, every time a real estate agent uses AI, for any reason, they're teaching it how to do their job. Great idea if you're looking for a new line of work in the near future. If you're an agent hoping to feed the tidal wave coming to displace your very job, have it at it!
Further, the threat of scammers continues to escalate. Real estate scams are increasingly more common and more sophisticated. As the use of AI becomes more common, there's no telling how much more dangerous, convincing, and advanced these scams will become. I would support legislation and industry practices that minimize this threat. Refusing to use AI is one such solution for this author.
And while I understand that my next statement might rub some people the wrong way but I'm going to say it anyway: Using AI is LAZY. If you can't write your own blog, answer your own phone calls, design a simple graphic, or take a real actual photo or video, that seems like a cheap shortcut. Using AI seems to me an attempt to create material without having to actually do any real work. Too lazy to actually make something worthwhile? Just use AI!
This is not to say that there are no applications for the technology whatsoever. Intelligence and algorithms have been tools for some time and there's no doubt there are honest AI applications for working with data. Using some AI in software for analytics is one thing. But using AI to make a ridiculous video talking about "National Take Your Dog to Lego Pirate Island Day" for the purpose of self-promotion comes across as very cringy.
Keep this all in mind when you see laughable advertisements, social media posts, and videos featuring AI generated artwork. It's easy to identify because it all looks equally the same and ridiculous. If you're looking for an inauthentic agent to work with, you'll have no shortage of AI-pushing Realtors and companies to choose from!
If, on the other hand, you wish to work with a broker who rejects this silliness you're in luck. R+K Real Estate will never use AI for any part of our business. To do so would be a massive violation of our sense of ethics, morals, and values. If the refusal to use AI in our business is a further differentiator, then I welcome that and I welcome anyone else who's already sick of seeing cheesy AI garbage every time they log on. I'll keep my business and my interactions with our clients firmly planted right here in the real world. If that sounds appealing to you, feel free to give me a call. I promise, I'll be the one to answer!
