Real estate has never been more accessible.
You can scroll through homes from your couch, take a virtual tour from your phone, research neighborhoods online, estimate a monthly payment in seconds, and ask AI to explain everything from earnest money to inspection contingencies.
I actually love that.
I use technology every single day in my own business, and I think buyers and sellers should have access to as much information as possible. The real estate industry has changed, and in many ways, it has changed for the better.
But having more information is not the same thing as knowing what to do with it.
And when you are making one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, that distinction matters.
Do You Still Need a REALTOR® in 2026?
Technically, there are situations where you can buy or sell real estate without hiring your own agent.
The better question is: What does an experienced real estate agent actually do for you that Zillow, Google, and AI cannot?
Quite a bit.
A great REALTOR® is not valuable because they can find a house online. You can do that.
The value is in interpreting the market, building the right strategy, negotiating the terms, managing the transaction, identifying potential problems, and helping you make smart decisions when the answer is not obvious.
That is where technology still has limitations.
Zillow Can Show You the House. It Can’t Give You the Full Story.
Online home search platforms are incredible tools. I want my buyers using them.
But a listing is only one piece of the picture.
A home may look perfect online, but why has it been sitting on the market? Has the seller already reduced the price? Are there previous inspection concerns or disclosures that change how we should approach it? How does it compare with the homes that actually sold nearby rather than the ones currently asking a certain price?
And sometimes the little things matter just as much.
How busy is the road? Does the location feel different in person than it looks on a map? Is there something about the property that could affect resale later? How competitive is this particular price point right now?
Those questions require context.
As a local REALTOR® working throughout Columbia and Mid Missouri, I am not just looking at the list price. I am looking at the history of the property, comparable sales, current competition, days on market, condition, location, seller positioning, and what is happening in that specific segment of our market.
Data tells us what happened.
Local experience helps us decide what to do next.
What About AI?
I am probably the last REALTOR® who is going to tell you not to use AI.
I use it too.
AI can be incredibly helpful for learning terminology, organizing questions, researching the homebuying process, understanding general concepts, and preparing for conversations with your lender or agent.
What it cannot do is know everything happening inside a specific transaction.
It does not know the conversations I have had with the listing agent. It has not walked through the property with you. It does not know your priorities unless you tell it. It cannot see the seller's response when an offer comes in or hear the hesitation in a conversation that tells me there may be room to negotiate.
Most importantly, AI is not representing you.
Your agent is.
An Online Estimate Is Not the Same as a Pricing Strategy
Automated home values can be a helpful starting point, but even Zillow explains that its Zestimate is an estimate of market value and not an appraisal.
That distinction is important.
An algorithm cannot walk through your home and see the kitchen renovation you completed last year, the condition of the finishes, the view from the back deck, the deferred maintenance a buyer is likely to notice, or how your property compares with the competition buyers are touring this weekend.
Pricing a home correctly involves both data and judgment.
For my sellers, that means looking beyond a single automated valuation. I analyze comparable sales, active competition, property condition, location, buyer behavior, current inventory, and the positioning that gives the home the best opportunity in today's market.
Because the goal is not simply to put a price on your home.
The goal is to position it.
Negotiation Is Where Representation Really Matters
This is probably one of the biggest differences between searching for real estate online and actually buying it.
There is so much more to an offer than the purchase price.
Closing costs, financing, inspection rights, appraisal terms, earnest money, closing dates, personal property, contingencies, possession, repairs, and dozens of other details can change the strength and risk of an offer.
And once you are under contract, there may be another round of decisions.
What happens when the inspection finds a 20 year old roof?
What if the appraisal comes in low?
What if the seller will not make repairs?
What if financing hits a problem a week before closing?
What if there are multiple offers?
What if the highest offer is not actually the strongest offer?
There is rarely a button you can click that tells you the perfect answer.
My job is to understand the entire situation, explain your options, help you evaluate the risks, and negotiate based on what matters most to you.
Buying a Home Now Comes With More Upfront Transparency
The way buyers work with real estate professionals has also changed in recent years.
If you work with a REALTOR® who participates in an MLS, you will generally enter into a written buyer agreement before touring a home. That agreement outlines the services your agent will provide and how compensation will work.
Broker compensation is not set by law and is negotiable.
There have also been changes to how compensation is communicated. Offers of buyer broker compensation are no longer displayed through the MLS, although sellers can still choose to offer compensation outside the MLS or negotiate certain costs as part of a transaction.
That means having these conversations with your agent early is more important than ever.
I want my buyers to understand exactly how representation works, what they are signing, what their options are, and what costs could potentially come into play before we ever get to the closing table.
Transparency should make the process easier, not more intimidating.
A Real Estate Transaction Has a Lot of Moving Parts
Finding the home is the fun part.
Getting from an accepted offer to the closing table is where the work really begins.
A typical transaction can involve buyers, sellers, two real estate agents, lenders, title companies, inspectors, appraisers, insurance providers, contractors, attorneys, and other professionals.
There are deadlines for earnest money, inspections, financing, appraisal, title work, and closing.
One missed date can matter.
A large part of my job happens behind the scenes: tracking those deadlines, communicating with everyone involved, anticipating problems, following up when something is not moving quickly enough, and finding solutions when something unexpected happens.
You may only buy or sell a handful of homes in your lifetime.
I navigate these situations every day.
That experience matters when things do not go perfectly according to plan. And in real estate, they rarely do.
Selling a Home Takes More Than Putting It Online
Technology has made it easier than ever to advertise a property.
That does not mean every home is marketed well.
Professional presentation, pricing, photography, video, digital marketing, positioning, showing strategy, buyer feedback, agent relationships, offer evaluation, negotiation, and follow through all influence the outcome.
Especially in today's market, simply putting a home online and waiting is not a strategy.
My goal when listing a property is to create a complete plan around it.
Who is the likely buyer?
What will make them stop scrolling?
How should we position the property against its competition?
What features deserve more attention?
Where should we market it?
How do we respond if activity is slower than expected?
And when an offer comes in, how do we evaluate the entire offer rather than simply looking at the number at the top?
Good marketing gets attention.
Good representation turns that attention into a successful closing.
Technology Should Make Your REALTOR® Better, Not Replace Them
I do not think the future of real estate is agents versus technology.
I think the best real estate experience combines both.
I want my clients to have access to great search tools, market data, digital documents, virtual tours, AI resources, and all of the technology that makes buying or selling a home easier.
And I want them to have a real person they can call when they need to know what all of that information actually means for them.
Because your home is not an algorithm.
It is your money. Your lifestyle. Your investment. And, in a lot of cases, your next chapter.
That deserves thoughtful advice, local knowledge, strong representation, and someone who knows how to get you from “I think I want to move” all the way to the closing table.
Looking for a REALTOR® in Columbia or Mid Missouri?
If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, Ashland, Boonville, Lake of the Ozarks, or elsewhere in Mid Missouri, I would love to be a resource.
You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Whether you are ready to move now, six months from now, or you simply have questions about what the process would look like, we can start there.
No pressure. No sales pitch. Just a real conversation about your goals, your options, and what makes sense for you.
Let’s talk.
