Artificial intelligence is becoming a more routine part of real estate work, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2026 Technology Survey. Realtors increasingly use AI for writing, marketing and client communications, and more respondents say it is helping their businesses. But learning how to use the tools—and choosing among them—remain significant hurdles.
Key takeaways
The survey points to rising use of AI, especially for everyday content and communication tasks. Realtors’ reported benefits and interest in future applications also increased, while the learning curve and cost remain barriers.
- 67% said they use emerging technologies such as AI and are still learning how to use them effectively, up from 59% last year.
- 55% said AI has had a positive impact on their business.
- ChatGPT use increased to 91% of respondents, from 58% in 2025.
- The most-cited obstacles were the learning curve (63%) and cost (59%).
AI adoption is becoming more frequent
NAR invited 73,718 randomly selected active Realtors to take the online survey in June 2026. It received 1,165 usable responses. Among respondents, 23% said they used AI daily and 25% used it weekly—up from 20% and 22%, respectively, in the prior year’s survey. The share who had heard of emerging technologies but had not tried them fell from 21% to 14%.
Reports of a positive business impact also grew. In 2026, 39% said AI had a moderately positive effect, compared with 23% the year before. Meanwhile, the proportion reporting no noticeable impact declined from 46% to 34%.
Agents use AI for writing and marketing
The most common applications involve producing and managing communications. Three-quarters of respondents said they use AI to write listing descriptions; 56% use it for social media posts, and 52% for emails and follow-ups.
Use of major AI assistants rose year over year. ChatGPT climbed from 58% to 91%, Gemini from 20% to 42%, and Copilot from 15% to 27%. The survey also found a modest increase in Realtors who feel confident enough to teach others about emerging technology, from 8% to 12%.
Time savings top the reasons for adoption
Saving time was the leading motivation for adopting new technology, cited by 81% of respondents, up from 66% in 2025. Improving the client experience followed at 71%, compared with 64% the year before. Other reported motivations included reducing manual work (54%), helping close more deals (57%) and staying ahead of competitors (44%).
NAR Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz said agents are looking for time savings and smoother client experiences. She noted that handling routine work more quickly can leave agents more time for client guidance, negotiation and advice.
Learning and cost remain challenges
Despite broader adoption, many agents face practical barriers. The learning curve was the most frequently cited challenge, followed by cost. Another 44% said the number of available options makes it difficult to determine which technology is right for their business.
Interest in future applications suggests adoption could continue: 54% said they want to use generative AI for content creation over the next year. Client relationship management tools drew interest from 51%, while 48% were interested in AI-powered lead generation and follow-up.