Education & Professional Development
Artificial intelligence isn’t coming for real estate — it’s already here. At a recent continuing education session, instructor Kevin Hawkins walked GLAR members through the practical realities of AI in today’s real estate workflow. Here are the 5 most important takeaways every agent should know.
Use business-grade AI for client work
Kevin’s clearest recommendation: use ChatGPT Business, not the free version. Business-tier tools don’t train on your data, offer persistent memory, and are safer for real estate workflows. Free tools are not appropriate for client-facing work.
Never put client-sensitive information into free AI tools
This means no client personal information (names, contact details, addresses), no contracts, and no financial documents in free versions of any AI platform. The risk isn’t hypothetical — Kevin was explicit about this boundary.
AI is a smart intern, not a replacement for judgment
Kevin’s framing: AI can organize, draft, summarize, and brainstorm — but agents must verify facts, numbers, legal terms, and all outputs before using them. Your expertise is still the product.
AI can improve difficult client communication
Use it to rewrite tense messages, prepare for pricing conversations, role-play objections, and adjust tone — all while keeping the relationship positive. This is one of the highest-leverage use cases for agents.
NotebookLM is the hidden gem for transactions
One notebook per transaction. Upload everything — inspection reports, HOA documents, disclosures — and ask questions across all of it with source-linked answers. This is AI working the way agents actually need it to.
This session was offered as part of GLAR’s continuing education programming. For on-demand continuing education, visit the GLAR Academy. Questions? Call or text GLAR at 517-323-4090.