Bringing AI to real estate brokerage: Douglas Elliman's bet

Douglas Elliman, one of the largest US real estate brokerages, has announced it is adopting AI to move beyond the traditional business of buying and selling homes and to find fundamentally new sources of revenue.

What is changing in the strategy of a century-old company

Douglas Elliman was founded in 1911 and for more than a hundred years built its business on a single principle: take a commission on every deal. The company specializes in the premium segment: New York, Florida, California and Colorado. A single property in these markets can cost tens of millions of dollars, and the commission can run to millions.

But the basic model is vulnerable: when the market slows, as it inevitably does under high mortgage rates, a broker's income falls along with the number of deals. The US housing market has been under pressure for several years, and even the luxury segment has felt it. In that context, the bet on AI is an attempt to create revenue that does not depend on the market cycle.

The company has not disclosed specifics: there is no information about particular products, partnerships or launch dates.

Why PropTech is turning to AI right now

Platforms such as Zillow have used machine learning for years in Zestimate, an algorithmic estimate of property market values. Realtor.com is developing AI assistants for buyers that help narrow a search and quickly answer questions about listings. Startups like Opendoor build their business on algorithmically buying and reselling homes, a model that would be impossible without real-time ML valuation systems. Key uses of AI in the industry:

• Predictive property valuation and price-trend forecasting
• Marketing automation: property descriptions, virtual tours, targeted advertising
• AI assistants for agents: property selections, analytics, replies to clients
• Qualification and scoring of buyer demand
• Management of rental portfolios

The luxury segment has adopted technology more slowly: the highly personalized nature of each deal, unusual properties and demanding clients left little room for template-based automation. This is where generative AI opens possibilities that did not exist before: unique presentation materials for each property, instant comparative market reviews, and personalized client support at any hour.

Where Douglas Elliman could earn money outside of deals

If the company pursues its AI strategy consistently, the most obvious directions for diversification are managing the rental portfolios of wealthy clients, financial and tax consulting for owners of multiple properties, marketing platforms for luxury housing developers, and analytics services for family offices.

All of these areas require processing large volumes of data and a high level of personalization, which is where next-generation AI tools deliver the biggest productivity gains while cutting operating costs.

Large brokers have tried to diversify before through mortgage lending, insurance and related services. Success was limited: every new vertical required separate operational resources. AI lowers that barrier, since work that once required dozens of specialists can now be done by a well-trained model.

What this means

Douglas Elliman has publicly named AI a strategic priority, which is a signal for a conservative industry. Technological transformation is reaching the top tier of the real estate market. If the company manages to launch successful AI products outside its core function, it could become a reference point for other large brokers looking to escape dependence on market cycles.

When did Douglas Elliman begin adopting AI?

On July 8, 2026, the company announced a strategic bet on artificial intelligence.

Which markets does Douglas Elliman operate in?

The company specializes in the premium real estate segment: New York, Florida, California and Colorado.