AI won’t replace good property agents

26

Leonita Mhishi

THERE was a time when finding a house in Harare meant driving from one suburb to another, calling sev­eral estate agents, negotiating appointments and hoping that the property advertised was still available by the time you arrived. For someone living outside Zim­babwe, the challenge was even greater. Buying a house from Johannesburg, London or Dubai often meant relying on telephone conversations, photographs sent through WhatsApp and the good­will of someone on the ground.

That experience is beginning to change. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quietly rewriting the rules of the global property business, and Zimbabwe cannot afford to watch from the sidelines.

From advertising properties and analysing market trends to predicting maintenance require­ments and managing tenants, AI is becoming an increasing­ly powerful tool across the real estate value chain. Yet, amid all the excitement about machines doing the work faster, there is an important question for Zim­babwe’s property professionals: if technology can find a house, analyse its value and respond to a buyer’s questions, what exact­ly is the value of a human estate agent?

The answer is surprisingly simple. The more technology takes over routine work, the more valuable good property profes­sionals could become.

The global evidence suggests this is not a distant possibility. JLL’s 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey, which in­terviewed more than 500 senior decision-makers across 15 mar­kets, found that 88 percent of property investors had already started piloting AI, compared with just five percent in 2023. Investors were also exploring an average of five AI applications across the property value chain. This is a significant shift in an industry traditionally associated with bricks, mortar and lengthy decision-making processes.

For Zimbabwean estate agents, the implications are pro­found. Imagine an agent handling dozens of property enquiries si­multaneously without spending the entire day answering repeti­tive questions. AI-powered assis­tants can respond to prospective buyers, arrange viewings, pre­pare property descriptions, orga­nise customer information and identify potential clients based on their preferences. A property list­ed in Borrowdale, for instance, could be marketed to people whose search history and stated preferences indicate an interest in residential properties within that price range.

This does not mean every Zimbabwean agency needs an expensive technology depart­ment. Even relatively accessible AI tools can help smaller firms compete with established proper­ty companies by improving com­munication, marketing and ad­ministrative efficiency. The real opportunity, however, extends beyond estate agencies.

For property developers, AI can help analyse potential devel­opment sites, assess demograph­ic patterns, evaluate construction costs and model different invest­ment scenarios before significant capital is committed. In a market where developers must careful­ly consider the cost of building materials, access to utilities, in­frastructure and the purchasing power of prospective buyers, bet­ter information can make the dif­ference between a viable project and an expensive mistake.

Consider a developer plan­ning a residential project on the outskirts of Harare. Rath­er than relying exclusively on conventional market research, AI-supported analysis could help examine population growth, competing developments, trans­port connections, demand pat­terns and the likely affordability of proposed housing units.

Such technology cannot guar­antee commercial success, par­ticularly in an economy where exchange rate movements, con­struction costs and access to mortgage finance can change investment calculations. Never­theless, it can give developers a stronger foundation for making decisions.

Asset managers also stand to benefit considerably. Managing a commercial property portfolio involves much more than collect­ing rentals. It requires monitoring occupancy levels, operating ex­penses, tenant performance, lease renewals, maintenance costs and investment returns.

AI can bring these different information streams together, helping asset managers identi­fy underperforming properties, anticipate vacancies and assess opportunities to improve rental income. Instead of discovering that a commercial building has been losing money after sever­al months of poor performance, management teams could receive earlier indications of financial or operational problems.

For property managers, the potential benefits are equally compelling. A tenant reporting a leaking pipe, faulty electrical in­stallation or malfunctioning lift should not have to make several telephone calls before receiving assistance. AI-supported prop­erty management systems can register complaints, categorise maintenance requests, assign technicians and monitor whether problems have been resolved.

More advanced systems can use information from building sensors to predict equipment fail­ures before they become costly emergencies. This could help Zimbabwean commercial prop­erty owners reduce maintenance expenses while improving the experience of tenants.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has documented these developments across the property lifecycle. Its analysis identifies AI applica­tions in land acquisition, devel­opment appraisals, automated valuations, lease analysis, port­folio management and predictive building maintenance.

But here is where the conver­sation becomes particularly inter­esting for Zimbabwe.

Our property market has characteristics that make trusted professional advice exceptional­ly important. Purchasing a prop­erty is often one of the largest financial commitments an indi­vidual or family will ever make. For many Zimbabweans, it rep­resents years of savings, sacrifice and remittances from relatives abroad.

A buyer looking at a house in Glen Lorne, a stand in Ruwa or a commercial property in the cen­tral business district is not simply purchasing square metres. They are investing in security, financial stability and, in many cases, their family’s future.

A computer can generate an attractive property description, compare asking prices and pro­duce a preliminary valuation. But can it independently establish whether the seller has legitimate authority to dispose of the prop­erty? Can it physically inspect a building, understand neighbour­hood dynamics, recognise suspi­cious behaviour or take respon­sibility when a transaction goes wrong?

These are precisely the areas where professional estate agents, valuers, lawyers and property consultants remain indispens­able.

Zimbabwe’s ongoing proper­ty documentation reforms further illustrate this point. The govern­ment’s title deeds validation and digitisation programme, intro­duced under Statutory Instrument 76 of 2025, reflects the impor­tance of improving the security and accessibility of property re­cords. The programme is intend­ed to strengthen verification and address longstanding concerns around fraudulent and duplicated documentation. Digital records will improve access to informa­tion, but their value will ultimate­ly depend on proper verification and professional oversight.

This is particularly important in a market where prospective buyers must exercise caution over ownership documents, sub­division approvals, local authori­ty compliance and the legal status of stands. AI may help flag in­consistencies in documents, but it should never be mistaken for a conveyancer’s legal due diligence or an authorised professional’s assessment.

There is also a danger in as­suming that whatever a machine produces must be correct. AI sys­tems are only as reliable as the information they receive. In mar­kets where property transactions are fragmented and comparable sales information is not always readily available, inaccurate or incomplete data can produce misleading valuations and invest­ment recommendations.

An algorithm trained on ask­ing prices, for example, may confuse what sellers hope to re­ceive with what buyers are actu­ally prepared to pay. A property advertised at US$150 000 is not automatically worth that amount simply because similar properties are being marketed at compara­ble prices.

This distinction matters to in­vestors, financial institutions and property owners seeking realistic valuations.

RICS has recognised the need for professional judgement, transparency and accountabili­ty when AI is used in valuation work. Its approach reinforces an important principle: technology should strengthen profession­al decision-making rather than eliminate responsibility for it.

International evidence also challenges the assumption that technology will simply make estate agents irrelevant. The US National Association of Real­tors’ 2025 Technology Survey found that 46 percent of surveyed agents used AI-generated con­tent, while 82 percent reported that their clients responded posi­tively to technology in the buying and selling process. Importantly, the association emphasised that trusted relationships remain cen­tral to the profession. Although these figures reflect the American market, they offer useful lessons for Zimbabwean agencies.

The future estate agent will therefore need to be more than someone who opens gates, takes photographs and uploads adver­tisements. The profession must evolve towards providing market intelligence, negotiation exper­tise, investment guidance and transaction security.

A good agent will use AI to identify suitable properties faster but will still understand why a particular neighbourhood is at­tractive, whether the asking price is realistic and what risks a buyer should investigate before com­mitting their money.

The same applies to devel­opers and property managers. Those who embrace technology while retaining strong profes­sional standards will be better positioned to compete for inves­tors and tenants who increasingly expect efficiency, transparency and accountability.

There is, however, a respon­sibility on industry associations, regulators and training institu­tions to prepare professionals for this transition. AI literacy, data protection, ethical marketing and digital property management should become important com­ponents of professional develop­ment. Agencies must also ensure that confidential client informa­tion and sensitive transaction documents are not carelessly up­loaded into public AI platforms.

For Zimbabwe, the oppor­tunity is bigger than improving business efficiency. A more dig­itally capable property sector could attract investment, support better urban planning, improve the management of commercial buildings and make property in­formation more accessible to or­dinary citizens.

The challenge will be en­suring that technology does not widen the gap between large, well-resourced property compa­nies and smaller agencies strug­gling to modernise. Affordable digital solutions, reliable infra­structure and appropriate training will be essential.

Ultimately, AI is coming for real estate, but it should not be viewed as the enemy of the estate agent. It is coming for repetitive tasks, slow processes, inefficient administration and decisions that could be improved through better information.

What it cannot easily replace is integrity, accountability, em­pathy, local knowledge and the confidence that comes from deal­ing with a professional who un­derstands the consequences of a property decision.

The Zimbabwean who has spent years saving to buy a fam­ily home does not simply need a chatbot to recommend a house. They need someone who can help ensure that the investment is sound.

That is why the best estate agents should not fear artificial intelligence. They should learn to use it.

In the property business of tomorrow, technology may help find the buyer, calculate the price and process the paperwork. But trust will still close the deal.

l Mhishi is the Principal Reg­istered Estate Agent at HSP REALTY and can be reached on +263 772 329 569 or via email at leonita@hsp.co.zw