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Have you become stuck in the tar pit of doing business the way you have always done it? If so, your business may be closer to extinction than you can possibly imagine.

Our entire industry is at a crossroads. Will you aggressively pursue implementing the latest AI and AI-powered tech tools to capture market share, or will you refuse to adapt and watch your business wither away and die?  

Answer these questions to see if you’re already falling behind

• Do you follow up on leads in minutes rather than hours?
• Is your CRM integrated with AI-powered automation?
• Are you using a transaction management system that tracks your documents from contact to close?
• Are you using AI tools to help you write listing descriptions, do client follow-ups, or make your social media videos and posts more effective?
• Are you using QR codes that instantaneously capture contact information from those who scan them on your print marketing materials and your listing brochure boxes? More importantly, do you follow up on these leads within minutes of receiving them?
• Thirty-eight percent of sellers found an agent through referral from friends or family, and 28 percent were repeat clients, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Are you still staying in personal contact at least once monthly with the 150 past clients and those in your sphere who are most likely to send you business? 

What clients expect in 2025 (Spoiler: It’s not a postcard)

Today’s clients, especially those under 50, expect instant responses, mobile-first experiences and seamless communication. They assume you will text them, not call. They expect to e-sign, not print and fax. Most importantly, clients are increasingly expecting their agents to leverage AI to make their lives easier.

Here are some of the tools AI-powered agents are already using today:

• AI-powered CRMs that trigger personalized follow-ups based on client behavior.
• Custom ChatGPT prompts to write listing descriptions that reflect each home’s unique style and neighborhood appeal.
• Video walkthroughs with AI voiceovers that give clients a high-touch experience without requiring a showing.
• Virtual staging that allows buyers to picture themselves in the home from anywhere in the world.
• AI chatbots that respond 24/7 to site visitors and text inquiries, even when you’re sleeping. 

AI and tech alone don’t cut it

If you’re relying solely on print advertising or weekly email blasts without customization and a call to action such as scanning a QR code, you’re marketing in slow motion while your competitors are sprinting ahead using AI and other tech tools. 

On the other hand, if you’re leaning too hard on your tech without building deep connection and trust by investing in the human side of the relationship, the leads you generate will seldom convert or send referrals to you. 

It’s not about age. It’s about how you adapt to the tech your clients and leads use

For decades, we have talked about how younger generations will change our business because of the new tools they bring in.

Today, age has nothing to do with it. I’ve met boomers who are crushing it with AI, and Gen Zs and millennials who won’t answer their phones even though the person calling may be sitting in front of one of their listings. 

The agents who will succeed in today’s market are those who adapt to a new, AI-powered real estate playing field, combined with the old-school techniques that work as well today as they did 50 years ago. The includes: 

• Identifying which tech tools in your current tech stack produce actual results. 
• Shifting from canned marketing messages addressed to the masses to customizing your communications using AI to fit the profile of the type of buyer or seller you would like to attract. 
• Communicating with clients the way they prefer, whether it’s text, email, video or phone. AI can help here because it can help you craft the right message for a text, email, video or social media post in seconds. 

Where to start

You don’t need to become a social media influencer or a TikTok star, but you do need to clearly identify the types of clients who are closing deals with you today (not leads — closed deals). 

• Whenever you begin working with a client, be sure to ask, “How would you like me to communicate with you — text, email, phone or a mix?” 
• For your older clients, handwritten notes, personal calls, plus posts on their favorite social media sites (where they often connect with their grandkids) are usually very effective. For your younger clients, it’s all about digital speed and transparency. For both groups, authenticity and walking your talk is critical to establishing the trust on which solid client relationships are built. 
• Adapt your message, not just your medium. Today, people prefer direct, personal communication over generic ads. Instead of saying you or your company is the top performing agent/company, replace it with, “I just saved a client in your area $20,000 on their home purchase — let me do the same for you.” Go for intentional, targeted content. 
• Master at least one AI tool. My personal recommendation is to start with ChatGPT. Begin by using the Master Prompt method I outlined. Provide ChatGPT with as much local market data as possible, facts about your community, your social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. Do this first, and watch the beautiful, customized results it creates when you query it. 

Other tech/AI tools include: 

• Claude or Gemini for listing descriptions, client responses and writing email follow-ups.
• Canva and CapCut for quick branded graphics and short-form video.
• QR codes on signage and print materials that direct the lead to custom landing pages or property videos. Click here for a list of top QR code generators.
• Voice-to-text tools that let you update client records, send notes and create social media content on the go. Zapier has list of their favorites. 

Technology doesn’t replace relationships — it supports them. The agents winning today aren’t choosing one or the other. They’re using smart tools to enhance how they show up for their people. 

So, if you’re feeling like your business has stalled and your marketing is not producing leads that convert, start now by doing two things. First, sign up for ChatGPT, do the master prompt, and then ask it for what you want. Once it answers, it will ask you if you want it to do other related tasks. Say “Yes,” and see where it takes you. 

Second, because more than 60 percent of all real estate business today comes from referrals from past clients, your sphere and other agents, make a point of contacting five people from this group every day via text, email, by responding to one of their social media posts or, when possible, seeing them face-to-face. That’s how to build a successful business for today as well as many years into the future — by doing both.