This Reddit post attracted the usual realtor bashing in the comment section:
See here for the full Reddit thread.
As humans keep becoming more comfortable trusting the internet than other humans, it will be natural for average realtors to draw the ire of consumers.
With this much money riding on every purchase, why would anyone just accept working with an average realtor?
AI didn’t replace a buyer’s agent in that story. It replaced a lazy one. That distinction matters.
Yes—Gemini or ChatGPT can rip through a 300-page disclosure packet faster than a human. That’s a feature, not a revelation.
But scanning documents is the easiest part of buying a home. The hard part starts after the issues are found.
What AI Actually Did in That Example
What AI did:
1. Parsed disclosures quickly
2. Flagged fire damage language
3. Helped the buyer realize there was real risk
That’s useful. Buyers should do that.
But here’s the quiet truth:
That buyer didn’t need AI to replace an agent.
They needed an agent who already does that level of work.
What AI Still Doesn’t Do (And This Is Where Deals Are Won or Lost)
AI doesn’t:
Decide which risks actually matter in this market
Translate defects into pricing leverage
Know when a seller will fix something vs. tell you to pound sand
Adjust strategy when five other buyers show up
Protect you when competition turns ugly
And most importantly…
AI doesn’t prepare you for a bidding war.
Why This Reddit Take Falls Apart in Competitive Markets
Here’s the scenario Reddit never addresses:
You love the house.
Three other buyers do too.
Highest-and-best offers are due in 24 hours.
Now what?
This is where buyers without strong representation get crushed.
Because winning in competition isn’t about finding flaws, writing a “clean” offer, or submitting the highest price blindly. It’s about:
Knowing how far to push without overpaying.
Structuring terms sellers actually care about.
Understanding which risks to waive—and which never to waive/
Reading the listing agent’s behavior, not their words.
Knowing when to lean in and when to walk away.
That’s not in the disclosures.
And it’s not in AI.
AI Helps You See the House – A Buyer’s Agent Helps You Win (or Walk Cleanly)
A good buyer’s agent should already be using AI tools, be reading disclosures deeply, and be flagging real risk
That’s table stakes now.
The value isn’t finding information. The value is using it under pressure.
Especially when you’re up against cash buyers, the seller wants certainty over price, the listing agent is quietly steering the deal, and you only get one shot to be taken seriously.
AI doesn’t negotiate. AI doesn’t strategize. AI doesn’t protect you from emotional overreach.
The Uncomfortable Truth Reddit Avoids
Some buyer agents are bad at their job. That’s real.
But replacing expertise with software doesn’t fix the problem. It just moves the risk back onto the buyer.
In hot markets, the buyers who get burned aren’t the ones who miss defects.
They’re the ones who:
Overpay because no one slowed them down
Lose homes repeatedly because their offers don’t compete
Waive the wrong contingencies under pressure
Or freeze when it’s time to act decisively
That’s where experience earns its keep.
Bottom Line
AI is a tool. A powerful one.
But tools don’t replace judgment.
They amplify it—good or bad.
If your agent can’t beat AI at reading disclosures, that’s a problem.
But if you think AI can replace an experienced buyer’s agent when competition hits? That lesson usually gets learned the expensive way.
Smart buyers use AI and a strong agent.
Because finding issues is easy. Winning the right house—on the right terms—still takes a human who’s been there before.
