It all started on a long drive from south Florida to North Carolina last holiday season. As Robert Levine drove, he asked his wife in the passenger seat to prompt ChatGPT with questions they had about the home-selling process. “Are we capable of doing this?” they asked. “What’s the realistic timeline tactically?”
The conversation started as a way to pass time on the long trip. But it soon ballooned into a comprehensive endeavor, with the AI taking over the marketing, planning, pricing, and negotiating. Through simple prompts throughout the home-selling journey, Levine and his wife clinched a signed contract to sell their Cooper City, Fla., home for $954,800—or $100,000 more than what real estate agents estimated the home’s value to be.
“When we met with real estate agents they lacked confidence in pricing,” Levine told Fortune. “ChatGPT gave us more confidence in price points of where the market was going.”
AI models are growing more capable of completing even the most complex tasks, surpassing benchmarks that the world’s smartest mathematicians and lawyers deemed onerous hurdles.
It’s not just businesses that are leveraging the technology. Everyday Americans are using AI to serve themselves, some for selling their homes, and others for more questionable practices like completing their schoolwork. Some AI experts and business leaders think the technology could wipe out swaths of white-collar workers, and real estate agents may not be spared.
Levine has the technological acumen to utilize the full extent of ChatGPT’s tools. As the CEO of strategic consulting firm ComOps, he guides casinos and hospitality brands on how to leverage AI. Still, Levine is convinced the way he sold his house is attainable to even those less tech-savvy than he.
“I’d recommend it to everyone,” he said. “ChatGPT is not coding. It is a conversation, and you’re going to have to have that conversation with a real estate professional if you want to go that direction anyway.”
ChatGPT as a negotiator and a painter
For Levine, conversations with real estate agents didn’t quite fit into his busy schedule. And though he spoke to some, none were confident in the pricing of his home. ChatGPT, on the other hand, assured him that listing the home $100,000 more than what real estate agents advised was the right move.
The home sold for one of the highest per-square-foot prices in the market, according to Levine, despite not having the best view, the largest lot, or being the most updated property in the area.
The AI planned the most granular aspects of the homeselling process. It gave tips on how to update the property, even suggesting which walls to repaint. And it told Levine when to schedule home viewings to work around his schedule. The father of three ultimately showed his home to 15 prospective buyers, one-third of whom submitted an application.
“It pushed us through all of that, including small things that I would have never thought of,” Levine recalled. “The first impression is important. We hear that all the time about curb appeal. But also when they walk into the house, they don’t want to see scuffs on the wall.”
While the AI functioned as Levine’s personal real estate agent, there were some barriers to its abilities. For one, Levine had to be engaged at every step. That meant prompting the AI for instructions rather than handing over duties to an autonomous AI agent. And while recent studies have shown AI is theoretically capable of handling the majority of tasks a lawyer does, he opted to hire his own lawyer. And of course, the technology couldn’t host open houses or box up his family’s belongings.
Levine still thinks real estate agents fulfill the needs of certain homebuyers, but believes all home sellers could benefit from putting the technology to work.
“It doesn’t necessarily replace professionals,” he said. “But it does allow us all to have the ability to be more curious and to feel more confident in the decisions we’re making.”
Have you used AI to navigate a major life decision like buying a home, negotiating a deal, or doing something else with high stakes? I’d love to hear your story. Reach out to me at jake.angelo@fortune.com.
