Keith Schuman is a brilliant real estate attorney. His recent newsletter really sang to me. Many thanks, Keith, for your wisdom and for allowing me to share it with my clients, referral partners and colleagues.
Keith wrote that the world of residential real estate brokerage has become obsessed with automation such as instant valuations, AI listings, and algorithm-driven leads. But in New York City, where every building has a story and every deal has a personality, the most powerful differentiator isn’t data; it’s the agent.
Zillow, StreetEasy, and the portals can generate leads. What they can’t generate is trust.
The Human Edge in a Digital Marketplace
Buyers scrolling at midnight don't need another Zestimate; they need confidence that they won’t make a million-dollar mistake. That’s where real estate brokers win. Our ability to interpret nuance and guide our clients, from board politics to building histories, is what algorithms miss. Specifically:
- which listings are over-renovated for the neighborhood.
- what are the hidden deal-breakers like air-rights sales, looming assessments, and non-compliant renovations.
- decoding the board minutes or the building financials before a buyer falls in love with a problem apartment.
- getting necessary information from a non-communicative managing agent, navigating a challenging coop Board, and ensuring that attorneys play nicely together.
These are human insights and skills that no portal can automate.
Relationships > Reach
Zillow and Streeteasy offer scale. Brokers offer relationships. Brokers who thrive treat every conversation as an opportunity to educate, not just sell. They provide market insights. Follow up with clarity. And care about the long game.
My clients and trusted referral sources are more than just names and contact info in my CRM, They are my community. And my relationships with them aren’t disrupted by an app update.
Expertise That Algorithms Can’t Fake
Anyone can click “List My Home.” But only an experienced NYC broker can:
- anticipate co-op board objections before they arise.
- spot when a “low” monthly maintenance charge hides an underfunded reserve.
- strategize about pricing in neighborhoods where two buildings on the same block have radically different comps.
Expertise earns trust. And trust converts leads better than any online portal.
Tech as a Tool, not a Threat
Savy agents use the online platforms, but don’t let those platforms define them.
Zillow, StreetEasy, Realtor.com and Homes.com offer analytics as conversation starters. Sophisticated agents then add their own human interpretation: “Here’s what this data actually means.”
Buyers and sellers hunger for professional guidance based on individualized and personalized understanding of a client's needs, not just the data.
In a city built on character, personality still sells. Zillow and Streeteasy can present a property online, but agents bring it to life by presenting the possibilities, creating the dream and facilitating the imagination and the potential. Brokers who lean into their authenticity, educate, advocate, and communicate with clarity, will always outperform any algorithm.
