I have not run into it yet Leanne Smith . I hate prompted instructions already so this most likely will not fly for me.

Leanne Smith I have not encountered any here in my area, but I can tell the difference. I will not be going that route.

In Maryland an assistant (to discuss real estate related information) per MD Law has to have a real estate license. Therefore an AI assistant won't do you much good! 

When voice mail first became popular a commercial firm refused to use it. The owner had two receptionists who took messages. He thought it denied proper personal service. His business increased. Real estate is a person to person business so I don't want to push 2 to 6 buttons to possibly get the service I need. 

YES.

AI is an assistant.

That's exactly what AI is, it's not "just a tool", it's an assistant.

talked to a therapist client last week who got a 10pm cancellation request. her rule is phone stays off after 8. the AI handled it — client rescheduled, confirmation sent, nobody's evening got blown up.

that's not what you described Leanne. you ran into AI trying to replace judgment. that doesn't work in real estate, doesn't work anywhere people need to actually think through a situation. but the 10pm scheduling text nobody wants to answer? that's where it makes sense.

Yes

I recently made dinner reservations at a very high-end restaurant. I could tell that I will dealing with AI on the other side of my call.

It's a no for me, but it seems to be the future, so I won't pretend that it might not be part of my future, haha.

A big fat no from me. I immediately start asking for a "real" person. And once I ask a few times they transfer me to a human.

Hello Leanne, automatic responders, recordings, customer service runarounds, listening to sales pitches, being thanked by a machine, being put on hold, & so much distance-causing dynamics will never be a substitute for the real. In fact, those that answer their phones, texts & emails will stand-out more than ever Leanne Smith 

I suspect that they are getting better, of course the usual course for most agents is to ignore the phone so the spammers cant find them, and then they proceed to never call you back.

Which one is better?

I find it quite annoying to be "handled" by an AI voice. I don't mind automated systems as long as there is an option to talk to a real person if I need to. 

Any new technology takes time to successfully transition to public acceptance. BUT I am concerned about it intervening in people-to-people transactions. Just think of transitioning from horses to the horseless carriage.

Yes or No is the answer.  Is is the new brass ring that everyone is talking about.  If it works for you great.  then than answer is no.  I have had numerous robot calls here lately an have had no issue with a CLICK after I identified it as a robot.  New technology that is still evolving.  

I have not used one yet in my own business.  

No. I had that experience last week when calling our plumber.

I am with Miss Nina Hollander, Broker and Brian England - it's not for me, nor am I a fan.  AI is here to stay, and in one form or another, we are all using it.  

I will typically make my displeasure known very publicly, especially if it's a small company.  I have left 1 star reviews online that I got an AI bot when I called and will no longer do business with that company.

When I call large companies, like a utility company, and I have to go through those insane robot systems that never have the options you want and make it impossible to get a live person, when I do get someone and it's a recorded line I am very vocal about how glad I am to talk with an actual person and how horrible their automated system is.

I'm still learning AI.  I can't imagine trying to figure out an AI Assistant.

Most things I do on the phone aren't legal to be handled unless you are licensed in Georgia.  

Nope. Real life person, who is local is my only choice.

The distinction worth drawing here: AI phone answering that replaces human judgment in client conversations — hard no, for all the reasons everyone's sharing. Real estate is a relationship business and clients can tell immediately when they're talking to a bot.

But there's a category of AI that works in the background and never touches the client relationship at all. Lead identification, market report generation, auto-scheduling follow-up reminders, pulling comps — stuff agents were already doing manually, just slower. That AI frees up hours the agent puts back into actual conversations with clients.

The agents I see struggling with AI are using it to replace their voice with clients. The ones who seem to be getting value are using it to eliminate the administrative load so they can be MORE present with clients, not less.

Leanne Smith's frustration with AI customer service is completely valid — and it's the best argument for why the relationship side of this business should stay human.

I just keep repeating "I want to speak with a live person" over and over again.  I'll push zero and be persistant.

The voices are getting better and better. It changes every month, and I spoke to one yesterday and I had to ask it if it was AI or not. There was no latency at all. I asked a question and it responded. I think it even cleared its throat! :)

ai is out of control. I'd say no. Seems like everyday someone else is claiming to be an ai expert. I don't need them.

Sometimes AI assistants are more responsive and a lot easier to understand. They are good for something routine, but if your issue is more complex, it's still better to speak to an agent or supervisor, if they are well-informed. 

No vote for me.I’m not a fan of AI answering phones because it’s so limited in how it can help. I’d much prefer to speak to a live person, thank you very much.

No.  Just no.

That's a hard no for me. I would not want an AI assistant, nor deal with a company that uses AI assistants. It's already rough at times dealing with "transaction coordinators". Real Estate is a relationship business, and I will continue to treat it as such.