Technology is transforming the property landscape, yet agents reinforce their role by cultivating warmth, character, and authentic rapport with clients. AI-driven tools tailored to their needs enhance service quality without compromising individuality. As automated systems evolve, agents lean on the irreplaceable strength of sincere, face-to-face relationships.
At the AREC conference, Ryan Coyne, head of technology at Ryan Serhant’s firm, offered a blunt warning to the audience. He cautioned that many tech firms are treating real estate agents as experimental users while quietly advancing artificial intelligence as their eventual replacement. According to Coyne, much of the industry buzz is driven by companies chasing product-market fit, leveraging agent activity as validation to attract large-scale investor funding. Their aim is to demonstrate traction by showing that real people are engaging with their platforms — not to support agents, but to secure millions in backing.
The frank evaluation emerged shortly after OpenAI completed a $6.5 billion acquisition of a hardware design firm, marking a clear move beyond exclusively software-based solutions. However, Coyne’s outlook was far from defeatist. He presented a plan that leverages AI as a tool to enhance rather than displace—melding personality insights with tailored chatbots to forge what he describes as a collaboration between behavioral profiling and artificial intelligence.
Classifying behavior into distinct profiles such as commanding, charismatic, steady, or detail-driven reveals that property agents typically fall into either leadership or networking roles. Having insight into these tendencies before engaging with clients allows for more personalized and impactful conversations.
Coyne illustrated the way services such as Crystal Knows rapidly scan LinkedIn profiles to anticipate client preferences, concerns, and communication styles within moments. He compared today’s level of connectivity to individuals carrying a GPS device with a built-in microphone—essentially, a smartphone.
Coyne warned that all actions are tracked and could be leveraged in ways that may not favor individuals. Instead of fearing this information gathering, effective agents turn it into an advantage. By developing personalized chatbots embedded with their behavioral traits, communication style, client backgrounds, and distinct selling points, agents craft AI helpers that grasp context intuitively, requiring no further clarification.
This method surpasses mere mechanization. Coyne’s bespoke chatbot, known as “the Coyne Oracle,” supports the creation of purchaser profiles customized for distinct properties, forecasting vendor hesitations according to their temperaments, and fashioning heartfelt promotional tactics that embody an agent’s unique flair. A significant illustration highlighted its skill in mediating conflicts amongst patrons.
Coyne integrated individual characteristic details within the platform, settling a contentious dispute via South Park-themed comparisons. These comparisons allowed the differing sides to perceive the absurdity of their predicament, thereby alleviating tension with cleverness. This method confronts a crucial difficulty for Australian agents: forging memorable initial connections within the limited timeframe of property inspections.
Coyne emphasized the limited opportunity agents have with each individual they engage, highlighting the importance of making a strong initial impact. Although AI-driven automation often accomplishes just 27% of its targeted objectives, collaboration between people and AI yields significantly better results by keeping the agent central to every deal.
The method prompts professionals to undergo DISC evaluations, investigate behavioral trends among current customers, and design tailored virtual assistants that capture their true persona and communication manner. Within a sector where connections fuel income, this people-oriented approach to implementing artificial intelligence provides a strong solution to worries about job displacement.
Rather than just keeping pace with technological advances, those skilled in AI tailored to human behavior will find new ways to cultivate trust and personal engagement in a marketplace moving ever more online.