Artificial Intelligence and the Human Connection
Artificial intelligence and the human connection.
Human Connection and AI. Does that sound weird? Afterall, AI is this non-human “thing” that seemingly removes the human element from much of our lives. Right? Especially when we look at some of what we are seeing in the real estate industry.
I recently attended the annual (2025) Arizona REALTORS Trends Summit. Like in years past, it was valuable for all attendees. The theme this year was “The AI-Powered Experience” and it was fascinating. For beginners to advanced users of ai, it made you think.
The speakers were Jeff Turner and Phil Sexton. Two brilliant people who are using ai at a very high level. Both speakers are also VERY good at making human connections.
According to an “ai overview” from Gemini, Artificial Intelligence can be defined as follows.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology enabling machines to mimic human cognitive functions like learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and perception
Mimic human cognitive functions? For some tasks, that can be awesome. For others, it is something we’ll need to keep an eye on.
“We win by staying human”
Staying Human with AI:
Real estate is an industry where we often see a lot of early adoption, and that is certainly the case with artificial intelligence. While some tasks and many jobs will be changed by this new gold rush of technology, I believe that people still want human guidance. At least for now…
Both presenters shared how far we have come with new products and talked about what is possible in the future. The point was made that technology is here but most of it isn’t being utilized. Why isn’t it being utilized? Because most are not ready for it yet. Yet…
It’s hilarious to see so many ads about ai geared to new agents. They basically say you can use their magic pill and people will start mailing you checks. Use these new products and make piles of cash from working a few minutes per day. Seriously, all you’ve got to do is make a few fancy videos and you’re set, yo.
I’m not 100% convinced that ai is a magic bullet, but I am 100% certain that is has, and will continue to change our industry and our lives.
I am enjoying some of these new tools but find some of them to be concerning. I’m sure I’ll share more about that in the future.
Create Better Experiences:
The topic of creating human experiences is one that I love. I have always felt that real estate is a people business. It’s relational, it can be emotional, it can be many different things to many different people.
Yes, we’re using it and enjoying some of the new tools. I think technology is great, but this old-timer thinks that human connections are still the best way to a successful life and a successful real estate career.
Sure, I could “live in a cloud” for the majority of the time. BUT, give me a beach or some mountain air with no phone reception once in a while. Heck, give me a client who has a flip phone or one who isn’t staring at their phone every two seconds. Those people exist, and I’m currently working with some of them right now.
When I went to lunch with Jeff and Phil after the conference yesterday, I told them how much I enjoyed their presentation. I also mentioned the client we have who is retired and lives a very happy life without being connected 24/7. Heck, if we “need” to reach him for a signature or to discuss a repair request, etc. it can, gasp, take a day or so to get a reply. Personally, I think it’s awesome. I’m pretty sure that Pete uses less ai in his life than we do, and I’m pretty sure he’s just fine with that.
True Connections – Years of Relationships:
The photo below was taken at the end of the conference. I am proud to call all of these real estate champions my friends. I have known all of them for many years, and I can always count on them for great conversations. Some of my favorite colleagues, for sure.
While I always love to attend presentations by Phil and Jeff, but the “hallway conversations” are what I cherish the most. It is similar to how I feel with Sasha, Patrick and Bart. They are salt of the earth, and I always smile when we’re together.
To me, this photo represents some of the best things about our industry. Smart people. Amazing assests to our industry. Great friends.
Those are the kinds of things that I will always enjoy. If AI ever replaces that, I’ll be looking for a different gig.
L to R: Phil Sexton, Sasha Lopez, D. Patrick Lewis, Jeff Turner, Bart Haiduk, Nick Bastian
BIG thanks to Barb Freestone and everyone at AAR who helps bring these conferences to their members. We appreciate these connections and all of the work you do.
