AI chatbot – A tech reporter tried to replace a listing agent with Google Gemini for nearly every step of selling a home—until a single bot suggestion would have landed him in legal trouble. He still sold his Hudson Valley ranch for just over $600,000 and believes AI may e
The idea sounded efficient at first: instead of hiring a listing agent, Stuart A. Thompson started with a chatbot.
In a first-person piece published in The New York Times. Thompson describes using Google’s Gemini to handle tasks that typically run through real estate offices—writing a listing description. staging the photos. parsing legal jargon. managing showing requests. and even drafting his negotiation emails. The bot became his stand-in for the steady. human workflow most sellers expect when they put a home on the market.
Then came the “major mistake.” Gemini suggested offering a 0% commission to the buyer’s agent. Thompson says he knew that was illegal, and he also knew what that could mean for him if he had followed the advice—fines.
Still, Thompson and his wife ended up selling their Hudson Valley ranch for just over $600,000. He says the final sale price beat what a few (human) real estate agents had initially suggested.
He also credits AI for saving him substantial money. estimating he kept about $90. 000 he would otherwise have paid out—or left on the table—including fees he might have paid to his own agent. Of course, he acknowledges there’s always a chance a human agent could have gotten him a better price. He says he’s satisfied anyway.
Thompson writes that he’s persuaded AI could change the role of real estate agents. He draws a comparison to travel agents—people who once were essential for navigating a complicated. hard-to-figure-out process. but who could become “more of a nice-to-have for busy people who want a more carefree experience.”.
The story lands on a rare double beat: the convenience feels real, and the risk feels immediate. One line from a chatbot can steer someone toward illegal ground. But after a sale. the question for sellers becomes harder than ever: if AI can do so much of the work. what exactly are you paying for—and how do you make sure it doesn’t cost you more than you gain?.
AI in real estate Google Gemini realtor commissions Hudson Valley ranch housing market home selling process