AI may be creeping into the homebuying process, but most Americans are not ready to let a chatbot handle one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.
New research from Home Marketing Services found that 65.32 percent of Americans do not think AI should replace human Realtors, real estate agents, or brokers. Just 34.68 percent said they would support an AI-only real estate agent model.
The findings come as AI real estate stories gain national attention. A Florida homeowner recently made headlines after using ChatGPT to help sell his home in five days, reportedly beating agent estimates by around $100,000.
But HMS’s survey suggests viral success stories may not reflect mainstream comfort.
Key insights from the HMS survey
- 65.32 percent of Americans reject replacing human agents with AI
- 34.68 percent say AI should replace human real estate agents
- 83.22 percent of seniors over 65 oppose AI-only real estate agents
- 79.10 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 also oppose the idea
- Women are more resistant than men, with 74.81 percent preferring human agents
- Higher-income households are more open to AI real estate agents
- The Midwest is the least open to AI agents, while the West Coast grouping is the most open
Bob Lovell, founder of Home Marketing Services, says the results show a clear difference between using AI for support and trusting it to manage a full transaction.
“People may be comfortable asking AI what a home is worth or how to write a listing description,” Lovell says. “That is very different from trusting it to catch a bad inspection, negotiate builder incentives, explain financing risk, or tell a seller they are about to create a timing problem between selling one home and buying the next.”
For Lovell, the issue is not whether AI can help real estate professionals. It is whether consumers understand what can go wrong when the human layer disappears.
“A home sale has too many pressure points,” he says. “Price is only one piece. You have repairs, appraisals, contracts, emotions, moving dates, financing, and sometimes a family making a decision under stress. That is where people still want someone accountable.”
The age split is especially notable. While AI adoption is often associated with younger consumers, HMS found that 79.10 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 opposed AI replacing real estate agents. Seniors were even more resistant, with 83.22 percent saying no.
Lovell says younger buyers may be tech-friendly but still cautious when the stakes are high.
“Younger buyers will use tools all day long, but many of them are first-time buyers,” he says. “They know they do not know everything yet. When it is your first mortgage, your first inspection, and your first real negotiation, having a human guide still matters.”
The survey also found a wide gender gap. Men were nearly split, with 54.47 percent saying they did not want AI replacing agents. Among women, that resistance rose to 74.81 percent.
Lovell believes the future of AI in real estate is more likely to be assistant-led than agent-free.
“AI can make agents faster and buyers more informed,” he says. “But replacing the person completely is a much harder sell. Real estate is still a trust business, and trust is built when someone has to stand behind the advice they give.”
