The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage stood at 6.95% for the week ending Sept. 17, up from 6.76% a week earlier and 6.26% a year ago, according to Freddie Mac. With borrowing costs pushing back toward the psychologically fraught 7% mark, and a persistent shortage of homes compounding the squeeze, many Americans still feel priced out of the market.
But market conditions aren’t the only force reshaping real estate. A growing body of survey data suggests AI is taking on a bigger role for buyers, sellers, and agents alike—and the technology could fundamentally change how people buy and sell homes.
A recent LendingTree survey shows just how open Americans have become to leaning on it. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72%) said they would use AI for at least one task tied to buying or selling a home, and 37% said they would let AI handle a purchase for them “with minimal human involvement.”
Budgeting is the most commonly cited AI use
With borrowing costs high, Americans are especially drawn to using AI for budgeting. Some 28% of LendingTree respondents said they’d use it to estimate a home’s value. Roughly a quarter (24%) would turn to AI to find down payment assistance programs, and the same share would use it to gauge how much they can afford.
Explaining mortgage options (18%) and comparing mortgage offers (16%) also ranked high—well above non-budgeting tasks such as scheduling showings (8%), organizing listing photos (8%), and helping negotiate offers (7%).
Other research points the same way. Among AI-using prospective buyers in Bank of America’s 2026 Homebuyer Insights Report, estimating affordability, mortgage payments, or closing costs was the most common use, cited by 57%. The report also found that Gen Z is leading the charge, with 32% saying they’ve used AI in the process.
As buyers look to AI to navigate a punishing market, more specialized tools are arriving. Real estate platforms Zillow and Homes.com both rolled out AI assistants earlier this year that can walk users through everything from financing to details on schools and neighborhoods—part of a wider industry push in which Zillow says AI is reinventing every step of the homebuying process.
AI is reshaping the realtor’s role, too
Buyers and sellers aren’t the only ones leaning on the technology. A National Association of Realtors survey found that 92% of agents are using AI or plan to, with 71% citing the time it saves.
The enthusiasm comes with reservations. More than three-fifths of agents (63%) named accuracy as a concern, ahead of compliance or legal issues (49%) and the misreading of market data (47%).
There’s also the existential worry. Fortune previously reported on Robert Levine, who used ChatGPT to sell his Florida home for $100,000 more than agents estimated it was worth. The chatbot suggested property upgrades and handled logistics such as scheduling viewings; Levine said the home sold for one of the highest per-square-foot prices in his market.
Still, AI’s shortcomings suggest agents aren’t going anywhere. Parisa Afkhami, a high-end agent in New York City, told Mansion Global that while “AI staging has skyrocketed,” she considers it “misleading to buyers.” One of her clients, she said, walked out of a showing within minutes because the home didn’t match the AI-staged photos posted online.
For now, as AI tools proliferate and the housing market stays tight, the bigger question is what it all means for the industry’s future.
