Homebuyers Want AI Help, But Not AI Guesswork
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A new Real Estate News report, based on Cotality survey findings, points to a more cautious public mood around artificial intelligence in homebuying. Three in four consumers surveyed in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia expect AI to touch some part of the purchase process, especially through property websites, mortgage tools and automated recommendations. The issue is no longer whether AI is present. Buyers increasingly want to know when it is being used, what it is influencing and who checks the result.
The trust numbers are sharp. Cotality found that trust in AI to help find a home fell from 30% in 2025 to 16% this year. At least 70% of respondents across age groups said AI-produced errors are unacceptable. That is a serious warning for brokerages, portals, lenders and insurers because homebuying decisions involve financing, insurance, legal obligations and family risk, not just a faster search page.
Question
Why does falling AI trust matter for real estate professionals if consumers already expect the technology to be used? Because expectation is not the same as permission. A buyer may assume a listing site, lender or valuation tool uses AI, but still object if the system affects recommendations, pricing, risk scoring or mortgage guidance without a clear explanation.
Editor's Comment
In Greater Vancouver, buyers are already using AI-driven portals, mortgage calculators, and “instant” valuation tools—but this survey is a timely reminder that convenience doesn’t equal consent. If trust in AI outputs is falling, the practical takeaway for agents is to be explicit about where automation is showing up (search filters, recommendations, summaries, pricing estimates) and to clearly separate what’s machine-generated from what’s professionally verified. Given how high-stakes our market is—tight timelines, subject removal pressure, strata complexity—clients don’t want guesswork dressed up as certainty. The fact that many consumers would pay extra for human verification aligns with what we see locally: buyers value a second set of eyes on comps, strata minutes, depreciation reports, financing conditions, and property-specific risk factors that generic models can miss. The winning approach isn’t anti-tech; it’s “AI for speed, humans for accountability.” Agents who can interpret AI outputs, explain data limitations, and document their review process will build more trust—and reduce liability—especially as disclosure expectations become more mainstream.