The real estate industry has spent the past two years circling the same anxiety-laden narrative that “AI is coming for agents”, but industry leaders argue that this mindset is not only inaccurate, but it is also distracting the sector from the real transformation under way.
According to WayScape CEO and Founder Rebecca Moroney, the conversation needs a fundamental reset. “AI will not replace great agents,” Ms Moroney says. “What it will do is expose the weak ones because the real risk isn’t AI taking your job – it’s becoming less relevant because you haven’t evolved.”
Rather than framing AI as a competitor, Ms Moroney says the industry should be examining how the role of the agent is shifting.
She says the emergence of “Agent 3.0” reflects a professional who is faster, more informed, and more capable because intelligence surrounds their workflow and not because technology replaces their judgment.
“Consumers still want people, but they no longer tolerate slow people,” she says. “AI should remove admin, not human judgment. It should replace repetitive work, disconnected systems, and poor responsiveness and not trust, negotiation, instinct or connection.”
She says this shift is already visible in consumer behaviour given buyers and sellers expect faster answers, deeper insight, and more confidence in decision-making.
“The agents who meet those expectations will be the ones who integrate technology into their practice, not the ones who resist it,” Ms Moroney says.
PIPA Chair Cate Bakos says the industry must stop treating technology as a threat and start recognising it as an amplifier of existing skills.
“Technology doesn’t diminish the value of a skilled property investment professional. If anything, it elevates them,” she says.
“The agents and property investment advisers who embrace the right tools will deliver better clarity, better speed, and better outcomes for their clients.”
Ms Moroney says the implications are significant because treating AI as optional is becoming a competitive risk.
“The next generation of high-performing agents will be defined not by how much they can manually juggle, but by how intelligently they operate,” she says.
“The best agents will become even stronger because they’ll operate with intelligence around them, not layers of admin holding them back.
“The industry’s challenge now is to stop debating whether AI will replace agents but to start understanding how it will redefine what great looks like.”
For an interview with WayScape CEO & Founder Rebecca Moroney or PIPA Chair Cate Bakos please contact: the PIPA media team | [email protected] | 02 7205 0700
