AI Is Changing EVERYTHING!! Realtors and Home Buyers Here's What You NEED To Know
If you’re a Realtor or a future homebuyer, AI is already in your world—even if you’ve never logged into ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, etc.
On a recent episode of Between Two Doors, I sat down with the guy I call my AI guru, Chris Johnstone, CEO of Connection Incorporated and the brain behind one of the leading AI platforms for loan officers. He’s been helping mortgage and real estate pros build tech-driven, referral-based businesses for over 16 years, so he’s had a front-row seat to how fast AI is changing our side of the industry.
This blog is the “CliffsNotes” version of that conversation—focused on one thing:
What AI is doing through loan officers to help Realtors and homebuyers right now.
Listen or watch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/rfNIyVKp6aE
All Episodes: https://www.betweentwodoors.com/episodes/
The Big Shift: From Googling to “Hey, Chat…”
For years, the home search started on Google or Zillow. That’s still huge—over half of buyers now find the home they ultimately purchase on the internet. www.lirealtor.com
But there’s a new pattern emerging:
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Consumers are asking AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.) for:
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Neighborhood info
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School zones
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Price ranges
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“What can I afford?”
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And they’re doing it earlier and more often.
Recent surveys show:
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About 65% of companies report using generative AI regularly. McKinsey & Company
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57% of Americans already use AI for personal tasks, and that usage is climbing fast. Brookings
That means more and more buyers are starting with:
“Hey ChatGPT, I’m thinking about buying a home in North Texas. Where do I start?”
Who that AI recommends next (which Realtor, which lender) becomes a massive competitive advantage.
My “ChatGPT Sent Me a VA Construction Loan” Story
Chris asked me during the show if I’d ever gotten a deal directly from AI.
I have.
A veteran in North Carolina asked ChatGPT to recommend an expert VA loan officer in North Texas who understood VA construction loans.
ChatGPT gave him my name.
He called, we talked through his goals, and we started working on his one-time-close VA construction loan—all because an AI assistant connected us.
That’s not a hypothetical future. That’s a closed deal from a real human family who trusted an AI recommendation enough to pick up the phone.
“AI Is Going to Get the Market. Your Job Is to Get AI to Send the Market to You.”
One of Chris’s most powerful lines from the podcast:
“AI is not the tool you use to go get the market. AI is going to get the market. You have to figure out how to get AI to send the market to you.”
Here’s what that means in plain language:
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Buyers will:
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Search for homes through AI.
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Ask AI, “Do I need an agent?” or “Who should I talk to about financing?”
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The AI will:
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Suggest a Realtor.
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Suggest a lender.
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Keep feeding them info.
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The professionals who teach AI who they are—and show up with helpful, consistent content—are the ones AI will learn to recommend.
That’s where being an AI-empowered loan officer becomes a real value-add for Realtors.
What It Means to Be an AI-Empowered Loan Officer (In Real Life)
In the episode, Chris and I broke this down into practical, day-to-day things—not tech jargon.
Here’s what an AI-empowered lender looks like from a Realtor’s point of view:
1. The Phone Gets Answered (Even at 7 p.m. on a Saturday)
Chris’ team ran an experiment and made over 1,000 calls to real listings. Only 17% of the calls were answered by a human.
AI changes that by:
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Answering calls with a branded AI assistant:
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“Hi, this is Nate’s virtual assistant, how can I help?”
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Grabbing:
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Name
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Number
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Email
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What they’re looking for
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Instantly:
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Sending a text and email back
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Booking a time on my calendar
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Or live-transferring if I’m available
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From the consumer’s perspective, it feels like concierge-level service.
From the agent’s perspective, no more wasted sign calls and missed leads.
2. AI + Content = Teaching the Bots You’re the Local Expert
Teaching AI That You Are the Expert
Chris also laid out a simple framework for helping AI learn who the true local experts are. It starts with setting up your AI tools properly—telling ChatGPT who you are, what markets you serve, and what you specialize in—and then having it go out regularly and find the top questions buyers and sellers are asking in your area. From there, your job is to answer those questions in your own words through content: blogs, social posts, videos, and FAQs. I’ve implemented this in my own business by having AI pull the top daily questions for Texas, Florida, and VA loans specifically. I review and personalize the answers so they sound like me, then publish them across my platforms. Over time, that content not only educates consumers—it trains the AI to recognize me as a trusted source for VA lending and my local markets, which is how I ended up getting that out-of-state VA construction lead referred by ChatGPT itself.
Chris shared a simple framework any top-producing agent or lender can follow:
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Set up your AI profile.
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Tell ChatGPT who you are, what markets you serve, your website, and what you specialize in.
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Ask AI every day or week:
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“What are the top questions buyers are asking right now about [your city]?”
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Answer those questions in your own voice.
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On video
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In blog posts
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In social posts
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Publish consistently.
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Over time, AI sees your content as a high-quality answer and starts surfacing your explanations when consumers ask those questions.
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That’s exactly what I’m doing:
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I have AI scan:
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It tells me the top questions buyers are asking right now.
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I answer them, refine them, and publish:
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Blogs
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LinkedIn articles
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Social posts
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(And soon, more video)
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Result: I’m training AI and building my online presence at the same time.
Why This Matters Right Now: Equity, Debt, and Tough Decisions
Chris also highlighted why database + AI + human advice is so powerful in the current market:
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U.S. homeowners are sitting on roughly $34–35 trillion in home equity, near record highs. Forbes+1
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At the same time, household debt has climbed to record levels—around $18–18.5 trillion. Federal Reserve Bank of New York+1
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Almost half of homeowners are “equity rich,” but many are also juggling higher-cost consumer debt. Investopedia
That creates huge opportunities to:
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Consolidate high-interest debt into lower-cost housing debt when it makes sense.
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Fund renovations to prep a home for sale.
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Move up, downsize, or relocate more strategically.
Here’s where AI comes in for Realtors:
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I can partner with an agent, call their past client database, and:
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Use AI to assist with outreach and follow-up.
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Offer annual mortgage reviews.
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Identify refi, move-up, or relocate opportunities.
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Every call or text is backed by automation that:
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Logs the conversation
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Sends follow-up info
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Books time on my calendar
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In one of Chris’s tests, calling six databases for 30 days pulled out 21 refinances and 6 purchase deals—all from people the agents already knew.
A Simple, Powerful Tool: AI Sign Riders & Listing Hotlines
AI That Actually Answers the Phone
During our conversation, Chris shared a simple but brutal stat: when his team called over a thousand real estate listings, only 17% of the calls were answered by a human. The most profitable activity in our business—picking up the phone—is where most opportunities are being lost. That’s where AI steps in. As Chris explained, an AI assistant can answer calls 24/7 with a branded greeting (“Hi, this is Nate’s personal assistant…”), capture the lead’s name, number, and email, book an appointment on my calendar, or even live-transfer the call if I’m available. The result is that sign calls and online inquiries don’t die in voicemail—they turn into real conversations, real appointments, and ultimately, more closings for the Realtor who trusted me with that lead.
One of my favorite practical ideas from Chris:
Here’s how that looks for a Realtor I partner with:
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We buy a dedicated phone number just for one hot listing.
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On the sign rider:
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“Call or scan for an AI Virtual Tour”
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When a buyer calls:
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AI greets them: “Welcome to 123 Main Street…”
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It walks them through features.
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It asks for their name, phone, and email.
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It offers to text or email full details.
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Then:
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Both the agent and I get the lead instantly.
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Automated follow-up texts/emails go out:
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“What did you think of the home?”
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“Do you want to know what you qualify for?”
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Whether they buy that exact house or another one, the Realtor keeps the relationship—and I help pre-approve and structure the financing.
For agents constantly asking, “Can you send me referrals?” this is the opposite:
We build systems together that generate referrals from your own signs and traffic.
So What Does This Mean for Homebuyers?
From a buyer’s point of view, working with an AI-empowered loan officer (and their Realtor partner) looks like:
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Faster responses.
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Calls and texts don’t fall into a black hole.
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Clearer communication.
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Weekly updates on your file.
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Proactive check-ins instead of you chasing us.
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Smarter planning.
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AI-supported tools to model payment options, equity scenarios, and refi opportunities over time.
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Ongoing support.
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Annual reviews when life changes—kids, job changes, PCS moves, retirement, etc.
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The human part doesn’t go away.
The AI just makes it easier for us to show up well—consistently.
How to Tell If a Lender Is Truly AI-Empowered (and Not Just Buzzwords)
Chris offered a simple “sniff test” for Realtors:
Ask your lender:
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“When I send you a buyer lead, what happens in the first 5 minutes?”
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“Do you have a system that answers the phone and responds to leads after hours or on weekends?”
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“Will you update me weekly—without me having to chase you?”
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“How do you use AI to help with communication, not just marketing?”
An AI-empowered lender should be able to answer:
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Yes, we pick up.
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Yes, we have structured, automated follow-up.
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Yes, you’ll know exactly what’s happening with your clients every week.
If they can’t explain that clearly, they’re probably not using AI in a way that actually benefits you or your clients.
Why This Episode (and This Blog) Matters to Me
For me, AI isn’t a gimmick.
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It’s how I:
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Answer more calls.
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Follow up more consistently.
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Communicate better with my Realtor partners and their clients.
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Help homeowners make smarter decisions about equity, debt, and long-term planning.
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My goal as an AI-empowered mortgage lender is simple:
Help my Realtor partners make more money each month and help more families become confident homeowners—without burning everyone out in the process.
If you’re a Realtor and you want to:
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Turn your database into real conversations again
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Capture more sign calls and listing traffic
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Give your clients a smoother, more responsive financing experience
…I’d love to show you what this looks like in your market.
About Our Guest
About Between Two Doors
Between Two Doors is a podcast where I talk with Realtors about their journey, aiming to connect home buyers and sellers with agents on a more personal level. I ask "right brain" questions that go beyond transactions, focusing on the experiences, values, and passions that make these professionals great at what they do.
Listen to more episodes at: https://www.betweentwodoors.com
Sponsored by:
Premier Lending, Inc.
https://www.natecarver.com
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NMLS: 2004738
Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI). Equal Housing Opportunity.
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