Evolution of a Realtor

Realtor of the Year, 2040 Jenell Vandenbos Still kicking at 75 From Thomas Guides to AI: The Evolution of a REALTOR® of 2040 Look Like?

Jenell VanDenBos the 2040 Realtor of the year starts her day with perfect coffee brought to her by Ted her servant robot. At 8am she heads to her office on her balcony to show properties via 3d tours and customer concept check…. Click Read More to Learn About What’s Next!

The evolution of real estate has never really been about replacing the REALTOR®. It has been about changing what information is available, how quickly we can access it, and what clients need from us most.

1970s • The Information Gatekeeper

Technology Milestone: MLS Books & Thomas Guides

REALTORS® relied on printed MLS books, typically updated periodically, to find available homes and property information. A Thomas Guide helped agents physically locate properties before GPS and digital maps existed.

1980s • The Fax Machine Revolution

Technology Milestone: Faxing Contracts & Documents

The fax machine transformed real estate by allowing offers, counteroffers, and documents to move between parties much faster. What once required hand delivery or mail could suddenly be transmitted almost instantly.

1990s • The Internet Changes Everything

Technology Milestone: Websites, Email & Digital Listings

Real estate began moving online, giving agents new ways to market properties and communicate with clients. Email and early real estate websites changed how quickly information could be shared.

2000s • The Consumer Gets Online Access

Technology Milestone: Realtor.com, Zillow & Online Home Search

Consumers gained unprecedented access to listings, photos, maps, and property information without having to call an agent first. The REALTOR®’s role began shifting from being the keeper of information to helping clients interpret it.

2010s • Real Estate Goes Mobile

Technology Milestone: Smartphones, Apps & Social Media

Buyers could search for homes anytime and anywhere from the palm of their hand. Social media, mobile apps, online reviews, electronic signatures, and digital marketing transformed the way REALTORS® connected with consumers.

2020s • AI Enters Real Estate

Technology Milestone: Artificial Intelligence, 3D Tours & Predictive Data

AI is beginning to automate marketing, communication, research, property analysis, and many routine tasks. Virtual 3D tours, drone video, virtual staging, and predictive analytics are making the home-buying experience more immersive and personalized.

Today • Technology Meets the Human Touch

Technology Milestone: The Human + AI Partnership

Technology can find the data, analyze the numbers, and even help identify the perfect home. But REALTORS® remain the trusted advisors who provide judgment, negotiation skills, local expertise, and the human understanding behind life’s biggest decisions.

2040 • The Trusted Real Estate Advisor

Technology Milestone: AI Agents, Digital Twins & Immersive Real Estate

Buyers may walk through photorealistic digital versions of homes, instantly visualize renovations, and use AI to analyze everything from costs to lifestyle compatibility. The REALTOR® of 2040 may spend less time managing paperwork and more time serving as a trusted advisor for real estate, wealth, lifestyle, and major life transitions.

The 1970s: The REALTOR® as the Keeper of the Listings

Imagine walking into the realtor’s office to go over the bible of listings available printed with NO Pictures. In the 1970s, real estate was highly dependent on relationships, local knowledge, paper records, and the MLS book.

Information moved slowly.

A buyer might spend days driving around neighborhoods. A REALTOR® might spend hours researching properties. A listing could be discovered through a monthly MLS publication, a phone call, or simply knowing another agent in the market.

The job required tremendous local knowledge.

A great REALTOR® knew:

Which neighborhoods were changing

Which streets were desirable

Which homes might be coming on the market

Who the other agents were

How to navigate the community

How to physically find a property

There was no “search bar.”

There was a REALTOR®.

The 1980s: “You Can Fax It?”

Then came the fax machine.

Today, it sounds almost funny to think of a fax machine as revolutionary. But in the 1980s, it changed the speed of real estate transactions.

Instead of mailing documents or physically delivering them to another office, REALTORS® could send contracts back and forth almost instantly.

Offer. Counteroffer. Addendum.

Fax. Fax. Fax.

The transaction could move at a speed the industry had never seen before.

The REALTOR® was still doing everything manually, but communication had accelerated. Technology wasn’t replacing the agent. It was making the agent faster.

And that would become the theme of every technological change that followed.

The 1990s: Welcome to the Internet

By the mid-1990s, the internet began changing everything.

Suddenly, real estate websites started appearing. Property information could begin moving beyond the walls of the real estate office.

Realtor.com traces its origins to 1995, beginning as an early online real estate information network before becoming publicly accessible in the following years. (Wikipedia)

This was the beginning of a massive shift.

For the first time, consumers could start looking at real estate information without sitting across from an agent.

Websites became digital storefronts.

Email replaced much of the phone tag.

Online searches began replacing some of the paper searches.

And eventually, GPS replaced the Thomas Guide.

Think about that transition for a moment.

A REALTOR® who started in the 1970s may have used:

MLS book → Thomas Guide → fax machine → desktop computer → email → website → smartphone → GPS → electronic signatures → social media → AI.

That is an extraordinary evolution in one career.

The 2000s and 2010s: The Information Explosion

Then came the biggest shift yet.

The consumer got the information.

Real estate portals such as Realtor.com and Zillow gave consumers unprecedented access to listings, property values, photos, maps, neighborhood information, and estimated home values.

Zillow’s launch of publicly accessible home-value information in 2006 was part of a broader movement toward greater consumer access and transparency in real estate data. (Zillow)

For some REALTORS®, this was frightening.

The question became:

“If the consumer has all the information, why do they need me?”

But something interesting happened.

Having more information did not necessarily make buying or selling real estate easier.

In fact, in many ways, it made the process more complicated.

Consumers could see hundreds of homes.

But which one was actually a good buy?

They could see an estimated value.

But was it accurate?

They could see market statistics.

But what did those statistics actually mean?

They could read about a neighborhood.

But what was it really like to live there?

The REALTOR®’s value began to shift.

The job was no longer just about accessing information.

It became about interpreting information.

2025: AI Walks Into the Real Estate Office

Then came artificial intelligence.

And once again, the industry asked:

“Is this going to replace the REALTOR®?”

The better question is:

“What parts of a REALTOR®’s job will AI replace, and what parts will become even more valuable because of AI?”

AI is already being used in real estate for marketing, customer service, predictive analytics, lead generation, image analysis, photo enhancement, valuations, and fraud detection. NAR describes REALTORS® increasingly as the “human in the loop” when consumers use AI-assisted home searches and estimates. (National Association of REALTORS)

AI can help write a listing description in seconds.

It can analyze thousands of comparable properties.

It can identify likely sellers.

It can predict consumer behavior.

It can create marketing campaigns.

It can translate documents.

It can answer routine client questions at any hour of the day.

It can analyze a photograph and identify property features.

It can help organize a transaction.

And this is just the beginning.

By 2026, the conversation is already moving beyond simple generative AI toward AI combined with physical systems, computer vision, predictive data, immersive technology, and increasingly intelligent real-world environments. (National Association of REALTORS)

So what happens next?

2030: You Won’t Search for a Home. You’ll Have a Conversation.

Imagine telling your AI real estate assistant:

“I want to move somewhere warm. I want to be within 20 minutes of golf, have restaurants nearby, low maintenance, room for my grandchildren when they visit, and I don’t want to spend more than $8,000 a month including everything.”

You won’t need to check boxes for:

3 bedrooms

2.5 bathrooms

Pool

Price range

The AI will understand what you mean.

It may search available properties, future listings, off-market opportunities, builder inventory, financing options, tax implications, commute patterns, climate data, insurance costs, and neighborhood characteristics.

Instead of getting 400 listings, you may get five highly personalized recommendations.

The home search will become conversational.

It will also become predictive.

Your AI may know that your family is changing, that your children are moving away, that your parents may eventually need care, or that your current home is becoming expensive to maintain—if you choose to connect those data sources.

The technology may say:

“Based on your lifestyle and housing costs, you may want to start considering a smaller home within the next three to five years.”

That is a completely different real estate experience.

The End of the Traditional Showing?

Probably not.

But the first showing may no longer happen in person.

By 2040, a buyer may put on lightweight glasses—or perhaps use a device we have not even invented yet—and walk through a property from anywhere in the world.

Not just a video.

Not just clicking from room to room.

A truly immersive experience.

They may walk through a photorealistic 3D digital twin of the home.

They may change the time of day.

“Show me the backyard at 5:00 p.m. in July.”

They may see how sunlight moves through the living room.

“Show me what this room looks like with my furniture.”

The system could scan their current furniture and place it inside the prospective home.

“Remove this wall and show me the remodeled kitchen.”

Done.

“Show me the pool with a spa added.”

Done.

“What would this house look like with a Mediterranean exterior?”

Done.

Today’s 3D tours, virtual staging, drone experiences, and AI-generated visualization are early steps toward this future. Zillow has already used AI and computer vision to connect 360-degree imagery, photos, floor plans, and spatial layouts, while the industry is experimenting with increasingly immersive digital property experiences. (Zillow)

The Digital Twin: A Living Version of Every Home

One of the most exciting possibilities for 2040 is the widespread use of digital twins.

A digital twin is more than a 3D tour.

It is a virtual representation of a real property that can potentially be connected to data.

Imagine a home with information about:

Energy usage

Water consumption

Solar production

Appliance performance

Air quality

Temperature

Maintenance history

Roof condition

Pool equipment

Security systems

Smart-home devices

Instead of simply showing a buyer a house, the REALTOR® of 2040 may say:

“Here is the home’s digital twin. Let’s see how the house has actually performed over the last five years.”

The buyer may be able to see:

Average electric bill: $312 per month.

Pool equipment replaced: 2037.

Roof estimated remaining life: 14 years.

Water use increased 18% last summer.

HVAC system operating efficiently.

NAR’s technology research is already exploring how AI, Internet-connected devices, and digital twins could help create more dynamic models of homes, including insights into energy use, sustainability, and how people use their living spaces. (Tech Realtor)

That could fundamentally change due diligence.

The 3D Tour Will Become the New Listing Photo

In 1975, a listing might have a few lines of information.

In 1995, a listing might have a handful of photographs.

In 2025, a strong listing might include professional photography, video, drone footage, floor plans, 3D tours, virtual staging, and social media.

By 2040, I believe a static listing may feel incomplete.

A standard property presentation could include:

A fully interactive 3D model

A digital twin of the property

Live or verified property-performance data

AI-generated renovation possibilities

Multiple furniture and design styles

Day and nighttime views

Seasonal views

Interactive neighborhood maps

Walkability and transportation simulations

Sound-level information

Climate and environmental data

Future development information

Personalized financing scenarios

A virtual neighborhood tour

A virtual meeting with the listing agent’s AI assistant

The buyer will not simply look at a listing.

They will experience it.

NAR notes that AR and VR are already enabling buyers to visualize furnishings, colors, renovations, and immersive remote property tours, while newer XR technologies are moving toward more personalized and interactive experiences. (National Association of REALTORS)

What Will a REALTOR® Actually Do in 2040?

Here is where I think the future gets interesting.

The REALTOR® of 2040 may do fewer repetitive tasks.

AI will probably handle much of the administrative work.

It may:

Schedule appointments

Follow up with leads

Prepare marketing

Draft emails

Organize documents

Review transaction timelines

Compare properties

Monitor market changes

Create reports

Translate conversations

Generate property videos

Build personalized presentations

Identify potential issues

Coordinate vendors

So what will be left for the REALTOR®?

The most human parts of the business.

The REALTOR® of 2040 Will Be a Trusted Advisor

The future REALTOR® may look less like a salesperson and more like a combination of:

Real estate advisor.
Negotiator.
Lifestyle consultant.
Investment strategist.
Problem solver.
Community expert.
Human interpreter of technology.

AI may be able to tell a client what a home is worth.

But will it know whether that buyer is comfortable making the decision?

AI may generate an offer.

But who will recognize when the other side is bluffing?

AI may analyze the market.

But who will sit across from a couple who is selling the home where they raised their children?

AI may calculate the highest possible price.

But who will understand that the seller’s priority is not price—but timing, privacy, certainty, or getting closer to family?

That is where the REALTOR® remains essential.

Negotiation May Become More Important Than Ever

As information becomes available to everyone, the value of simply knowing the information decreases.

The value of knowing what to do with it increases.

By 2040, buyers and sellers may arrive with their own AI-generated reports.

The buyer’s AI may say:

“This property is overpriced by 7.2%.”

The seller’s AI may say:

“Current demand supports the asking price.”

Both sides may have data.

So who helps bring them together?

The REALTOR®.

Negotiation is emotional.

Real estate is emotional.

And human beings do not always make decisions based on spreadsheets.

A REALTOR® may understand:

Fear

Urgency

Family dynamics

Financial anxiety

Divorce

Death

Retirement

Downsizing

Relocation

Generational conflict

The difference between what a client says and what they really need

Those things are difficult to automate.

The REALTOR® May Become a “Life Transition Advisor”

This may be one of the biggest opportunities of all.

In the past, a REALTOR® helped someone buy or sell a house.

In 2040, the best REALTORS® may help clients navigate major life transitions.

Imagine a REALTOR® working with a client and saying:

“Let’s talk about where you are in life and where you want to be in the next 10 years.”

Then helping them evaluate:

Retirement

Downsizing

Aging in place

Investment property

Estate planning coordination

Assisted living options

Moving closer to family

Selling a longtime family home

Buying a second home

Generational wealth planning

The home is simply one piece of the larger conversation.

The REALTOR® of the future may be involved in the client’s life for decades.

Not because they are sending them a postcard every month.

But because they have become a trusted advisor.

Will There Be Fewer REALTORS®?

Possibly.

Technology may make it difficult for agents who provide little more than access to information and paperwork.

If AI can perform 80% of the administrative work, consumers may question paying someone who simply opens a door, fills in a form, and forwards documents.

The future may create a greater divide between average agents and exceptional advisors.

The successful REALTOR® of 2040 may have a deep specialty.

They may become known for:

Luxury real estate

Real estate investments

Retirement transitions

Downsizing

Senior moves

New construction

Relocation

Divorce real estate

Probate and estates

Second homes

Vacation properties

Commercial real estate

Land

Sustainable homes

Smart homes

The future may belong to the REALTOR® who knows something that AI alone cannot fully deliver: how to apply information to a specific person’s life and circumstances.

Will Buyers and Sellers Still Want to Meet in Person?

Absolutely.

Technology may make the transaction more digital, but major life decisions often become more personal—not less.

A client may use AI to search for homes.

They may tour 20 homes virtually.

They may analyze every comparable sale.

But when it is time to make a decision involving $2 million, $5 million, or $10 million, many people will still want to sit across from someone they trust.

The future of real estate may actually make trust more valuable.

Because when everything can be generated by AI, people will ask:

Who is real?

Who actually knows me?

Who has been through this before?

Who can I trust when something goes wrong?

That may become the greatest value proposition of the REALTOR® of 2040.

Imagine a Day in the Life of a REALTOR® in 2040

It is 8:00 in the morning.

Your AI assistant has already reviewed the market.

It tells you:

“Three past clients may be entering a likely transition period based on the preferences and goals they have chosen to share with you. Two homeowners in your database may be considering downsizing. A new luxury listing matches the profile of four of your buyers. There is also a potential pricing adjustment recommended for your listing on Canyon Drive.”

You review the information.

You don’t blindly trust it.

You apply your experience.

At 9:00 a.m., you meet virtually with clients in Chicago who are considering a second home in Palm Springs.

Together, you enter an immersive 3D environment.

You walk through three homes.

You change the furniture.

You look at the view at sunset.

You compare the sound levels.

You review projected carrying costs.

You examine how the neighborhood may change based on planned development.

At 11:00 a.m., you meet a seller in person.

The seller is nervous.

Their AI says to list at $2,485,000.

Your AI says $2,395,000.

You don’t simply choose a number.

You explain the difference.

You discuss strategy.

You understand the seller’s emotional connection to the home.

You create a plan.

At 2:00 p.m., your transaction AI flags a potential issue in a document.

At 2:01, your human experience tells you whether it is truly a problem.

At 4:00 p.m., you meet a family considering whether to keep, rent, or sell an inherited property.

The technology provides the scenarios.

You help them make the decision.

That may be the REALTOR® of 2040.

Less paperwork.

More advice.

Less data entry.

More strategy.

Less chasing information.

More interpreting it.

From Information Gatekeeper to Trusted Guide

When we look back at the evolution of real estate, there is a clear pattern.

1970s: The REALTOR® had the information.

1980s: Technology made communication faster.

1990s: The internet made information easier to access.

2000s and 2010s: Real estate information moved directly into the consumer’s hands.

2020s: AI began helping analyze, create, predict, automate, and communicate.

2030s: Real estate may become conversational, predictive, immersive, and deeply personalized.

2040: The REALTOR® may become more of a trusted life, lifestyle, investment, and real estate advisor than ever before.

The tools will change.

They always have.

The MLS book became the computer.

The Thomas Guide became GPS.

The fax machine became email.

The paper contract became electronic signatures.

The listing photo became video and 3D.

The website became the portal.

The search bar may become an AI conversation.

And the REALTOR®?

The REALTOR® will have to evolve again.

The agents who fight technology may struggle.

The agents who use technology to become more efficient—but remain deeply human—may thrive.

Because in the end, real estate has never really been about houses.

It is about people.

It is about change.

It is about families, money, memories, opportunity, fear, hope, and the next chapter of someone’s life.

AI may help us find the house.

Virtual reality may help us walk through it.

A digital twin may tell us how it performs.

Predictive analytics may tell us what it could be worth.

But the REALTOR® of 2040 may still be the person who helps a client answer the most important question of all:

“What should I do next?”

And that may be the greatest evolution of the REALTOR® yet.