Why Human Connection Still Matters in Real Estate — A Berkeley Realtor's Perspective

In a time when AI is woven into so much of our lives, face-to-face relationships have become even more important. As a Berkeley realtor, I see real estate as a relationship business. It's an intimate thing to be involved in someone's home sale or purchase — often one of the largest transactions of a person's life.

As AI seeps into more and more aspects of daily life, human connection is becoming increasingly rare and valuable.

I've been noticing my clients using AI to help them make sense of information about homes — and in some ways, it can be genuinely useful. I've had East Bay buyer clients run home inspection reports through AI to get a summary of the work needed, or even suggestions on offer amounts.

Yet how AI interprets information isn't always accurate, up-to-date, or in the right context. The knowledge of a trusted local real estate agent remains absolutely essential in buying and selling a home. It always has been.

What Working With a Realtor Actually Looks Like

When I work with my clients, the first thing I do is invite them for tea at my office. It's important to me to truly understand their needs, aspirations, and goals. Hearing them in person — reading their body language, getting a felt sense of who they are — gives me so much to work with. And for my clients, it's their chance to see who I am, and to feel that ease of knowing they can trust me.

For a similar reason, I chose to work at a real estate agency with a physical office here in Berkeley. A space to connect not only with clients, but with my colleagues as well. We actually work here — and with that comes the ability to support and be supported by one another. There is so much value in this kind of connection, learning, and sharing.

How are you feeling in this time of AI? If you're thinking about buying or selling a home in the East Bay, let's talk.