AI Reshapes U.S. Real Estate as Commission Changes Open Door to Lower-Cost Models

Artificial intelligence is accelerating changes in U.S. real estate after the National Association of Realtors’ antitrust settlements took effect in August 2024, altering buyer-agent compensation and creating room for lower-fee platforms. Homa, an AI-assisted buyer-agent platform led by former Zillow executive Arman Javaherian, operates in Florida, plans to enter Texas within weeks of May 13, 2026, and expects to add California and Georgia by year-end. Homa keeps 1% of a buyer-side commission and refunds the balance. On a $500,000 home with a 3% seller-paid commission, Homa would keep $5,000 and return $10,000 to the buyer. AI is also being used for home listings, virtual staging, pricing analysis and mortgage processing. Better CEO Vishal Garg said the company’s Tinman machine-learning platform reduces its mortgage production cost to about $2,000, compared with roughly $10,000 for competitors. Industry executives said licensed agents remain necessary for negotiations, but their roles and fee structures may shift as automation expands.