Check out our new The REAL AI Podcast for this week – Episode 46 9/28/26 – AI-generated with hosts Miles and Grace
REAL AI: Keep the HIM and HER in AI, 3.3.1 + 9/30/26, AI stats and facts, headlines, and AI quote of the week
By Kevin Hawkins with Korey Hawkins | Sept. 28, 2026 – Vol. 4 Issue 39
REAL AI is the industry’s first and most popular weekly AI newsletter and podcast, keeping real estate agents and brokers on top of the AI developments that matter most to save you time and stay safe. Want more? Buy The REAL AI Guide for Real Estate Agents on Amazon.
Keep the HIM and HER in AI
What’s the most important thing you can do to use AI safely?
I was reminded of the answer this week after speaking at the AI & Safety Summit for Orange County Realtors. Of everything I talked about, one of the simplest ideas really seemed to resonate: No matter how powerful AI becomes, we still need to keep the HIM and HER in AI.
HIM is Human in the Middle. HER is Human Evaluate and Review. We can talk all day about AI safety, hallucinations, privacy, security and compliance, but HIM and HER makes the most important rule easy to remember. Humans need to remain in charge.
HIM keeps you in control
Human in the Middle means AI should not replace your judgment. You are directing the process, providing the context, correcting the AI when it goes sideways and deciding what happens next.
As real estate compliance expert Summer Goralik reminds us: AI is an unlicensed real estate agent. Think of AI as an extraordinarily talented, but not licensed assistant. It may be able to do remarkable work, but you don’t give it a task and let it go without supervision.
With AI, you are responsible for the outcome. You can’t blame the AI if something goes wrong, because AI doesn’t carry your license, have a relationship with your client or own the consequences of the work. You do.
That’s why HIM matters so much. AI can help you move faster, but it should never remove your judgment from the process.
HER is your safety check
Human Evaluate and Review means you don’t simply accept what AI gives you because it sounds good. And AI can sound incredibly convincing when it is completely wrong. That’s one of the weirdest things about generative AI. It doesn’t hesitate, clear its throat or tell you, “Kevin, I’m around 62% sure about this one.”
It just gives you an answer.
That means when AI writes an email, you read it. When it summarizes a document, you check the important details. When it analyzes data, you make sure the numbers make sense. When it creates marketing copy, you make sure it sounds like you. When it cites a statistic, you use another business grade chatbot to double-check every fact. When it gives you information you are going to share with a client, you verify it before you hit send.
My rule is simple: You ask. AI helps. You review. You refine. You decide. That’s HIM and HER working together.
Today more than ever
My HIM and HER concept connected so strongly at the Summit because much of my talk focused on the dangers of agentic AI, including four true stories of AI agents that went rogue and found ways around the guardrails meant to contain them.
As we move from AI that answers (generative AI) to AI that acts (agentic AI), the stakes rise fast. With agents, HIM means the AI stops and asks before it sends, signs, schedules or spends. HER means you review what it did, not just what it produced.
We’re in the trust business. Real estate agents, not AI agents, belong at the helm. That means keeping the HIM and the HER in AI. (-Kevin)
AI Facts + Stats
1. 23% of Realtors surveyed said they use AI on a daily basis.
2. 91% of Realtors surveyed said that ChatGPT is their primary AI tool used.
3. 75% of Realtors surveyed said they use AI to write listing descriptions.
4. 54% of Agents surveyed said they plan to use Generative AI for content creation.
5. 55% of Realtors surveyed stated that AI has a positive impact on their business.
Source: 2026 NAR Realtors Technology Report (-Korey)
AI Headlines
NAR study: More than half of Realtors are not using AI regularly | 9/22/26 WAV Group
While AI adoption is accelerating, less than half of all agents use AI daily or weekly.
AI Has Created the Biggest Broker-Supervision Risk in Real Estate History | 9/24/26 WAV Group
Brokers remain responsible for AI-assisted licensed activity even when agents adopt tools independently.
The 4 Things AI Still Can’t Give A Real Estate Agent | 9/23/26 Inman
Even as AI improves its efficiency, the human advantage remains irreplaceable.
AI won’t get sued over a bad listing – the agent will | 9/23/26 HousingWire
AI errors can expose agents and brokers to fines, lawsuits and reputational damage.
Will AI replace your human real estate agent? | 9/24/26 San Jose Spotlight
AI can analyze data, but local expertise and judgment still matter.
How to future-proof your personal real estate brand in an AI-driven industry | 9/22/26 Realtor.com
Local knowledge, judgment and relationships are more valuable as routine work becomes automated.
AI Adoption in Real Estate Management Hit 58% – Governance Hasn’t Caught Up | 9/24/26 Multifamily Executive
Many firms nationwide still lack written AI policies and formal training.
OpenAI’s San Francisco empire could grow with another major office deal in the works | 9/21/26 San Francisco Chronicle
While the call for guardrails in AI grows, OpenAI shows no signs of slowing its reach.
AI Is Reshaping Apartment Operations and Staff Roles | 9/24/26 GlobeSt
As the AI operating model changes for apartment owners, data is becoming more accessible. (-Korey)
AI Quote of the Week: Jessica Lautz – NAR
This is your SAFE AI handbook: The REAL AI Guide for Real Estate Agents. Buy this bestseller on Amazon. Story ideas? Email korey@wavgroup.com.