Harnessing AI to Revolutionize MLS: Key Takeaways from the Search, AI, and Agents panel
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At the International MLS Forum, industry leaders discussed the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in real estate, particularly how it’s shaping MLS systems. The Search, AI, and Agents Panel brought together technologists from Modern.tech, Broker Public Portal, PropTexx, and Restb.ai to explore how AI is enhancing the search experience, improving agent workflows, and driving industry evolution.
The Power of AI in MLS and Real Estate Search
AI technology has quickly evolved from a theoretical concept to a critical tool in the real estate industry. During the panel, Joshua Lamerton from PropTexx discussed how AI is transforming MLS operations by working alongside portals, brokerages, and MLS providers. He emphasized that AI isn’t about replacing human agents but rather enhancing their capabilities. AI automates workflows, helps agents manage data, and identifies new opportunities for data generation—key to driving digital transformation in the industry.
AI is also empowering consumers by offering a more personalized search experience. Rather than relying on rigid search criteria, AI helps agents and buyers find properties through natural language search or image-based searches. Dominik from Restb.ai highlighted a key advancement: using AI to auto-populate MLS listings by extracting data from property images, making the listing creation process faster and more efficient. This innovation is particularly important for filling in the gaps for fields that agents often overlook, ensuring more comprehensive data sets for search engines.
Collaboration and Integration: The Key to Success
An important theme from the panel was the need for collaboration between AI vendors and MLS providers. Joshua stressed that AI solutions work best when they are tailored to the specific needs of each market and when vendors and MLSs work closely together. By integrating AI into existing MLS platforms, AI tools can be fine-tuned to fit the regulatory environments, market conditions, and data standards of each country.
The panelists agreed that the most successful AI deployments in real estate are partnerships—not just transactions. Dan Troup from Broker Public Portal pointed out that AI should be seamlessly integrated into the agent’s workflow, working in the background to make them more efficient, particularly by addressing common pain points like follow-up and lead management.
How AI is Enhancing Search
The role of AI in real estate search is evolving rapidly. Dominik mentioned that AI-powered visual search is one of the biggest trends, where consumers can upload photos of their dream kitchen or backyard and receive listings with similar features. This technology has led to a 100% increase in user engagement. The search experience is becoming more immersive, giving consumers the ability to interact with listings in entirely new ways.
Dan elaborated on how AI is already enhancing natural language search for MLS systems. By enabling consumers and agents to search for properties using conversational language—like asking for homes they can renovate—AI provides a much more intuitive and user-friendly experience. He stressed that while traditional search still relies heavily on structured data (e.g., number of bedrooms, square footage), AI is helping the industry evolve towards a more dynamic and flexible search model.
Embracing Change: The Future of AI in Real Estate
As AI continues to shape the future of MLS, the panelists agreed that legacy systems must adapt. Josh discussed how data policy and ownership of AI-generated data are critical considerations as the industry moves forward. With AI constantly creating new data points, understanding how to manage and store that data will be crucial for MLS providers and real estate platforms.
Looking ahead, AI’s role in real estate will only expand. From enhancing search functionality to improving data entry and workflow automation, AI is positioned to fundamentally change the way real estate professionals operate. Dan Troup highlighted that AI should work for agents in the background, allowing them to focus on what matters most—serving clients. This aligns with the broader goal of using AI to create a better, more efficient experience for both agents and consumers.
Preparing for AI-Driven Change
The panel concluded with a call to action: embrace AI, don’t just watch from the sidelines. Dan pointed out that today is likely the worst day AI will ever be, meaning the technology will only improve from here. MLS providers, agents, and brokers must be prepared for rapid technological advancements, and the key to success is staying ahead of the curve by adopting AI technologies that can streamline operations and enhance user experience.
As Dominik said, MLS providers must think about their role as an orchestrator of data, ensuring that they collect accurate, comprehensive, and complete data to power AI-driven tools. This dual focus on both the input (data quality) and the output (user experience) will define the future of MLS systems.
Final Thoughts: The Role of AI in Transforming Real Estate
In summary, AI is no longer a futuristic concept for the real estate industry—it’s already here and is transforming how we search, transact, and interact with properties. The panelists urged the audience to embrace AI’s potential, focusing on collaboration, data quality, and innovation to improve the MLS ecosystem. With continued advancements, AI will make agents more efficient, help MLS systems evolve, and create a more dynamic and intuitive search experience for consumers.
