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Independent Singapore
27-04-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Smarter Tools, Stronger Agents: The importance of human connection in real estate
Depositphotos/DragonImages By Justin Quek As technology continues to transform the real estate industry, AI will become an integral part of the process. Real estate agents and their clients increasingly leverage AI to enhance efficiency, with industry players introducing AI-powered solutions across various platforms to support client needs. AI is continuously reshaping the property industry, from automated chatbots to using algorithms to provide property recommendations and predict market trends. The technology will continue to remain an ever-changing tool for clients and agents. However, it will be difficult to replace one major aspect of the industry – the human connection. The Role Of AI And How Agents Use It In Singapore's fast-paced and competitive property market, AI integration has transformed how agents and agencies operate, enabling them to deliver seamless, personalised services. With the rise of AI-powered market analysis tools, homebuyers can now make smarter and faster decisions, as AI can analyse data in mere seconds, helping with assessing risks and rewards to identify properties that align with clients' financial qualifications and investment goals. For agents, the availability of these tools reduces the need to manually search and analyse data. This will allow agents to save time and focus on giving advice based on their experience and provide unique insights, such as cultural nuances, which could elevate the client's understanding compared to the repetitive responses AI might give. In addition to reducing the wait time for clients to receive responses to their queries, these avenues assist in elevating the client-agent relationship and experience with personalised interactions and data-driven insights based on frequently asked questions. With the assistance of AI, not only can it save time for clients, but it also allows agents to provide them with informed options based on the client's unique needs. Role Of AI In Real Estate With time spent on repetitive administrative tasks by agents starting to dwindle with the assistance of AI, agents can focus on building relationships and personalising services based on the client's interaction and needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid advancement of AI and other digital tools has made property searches and research much more convenient for clients, with them having the option to partake in virtual tours of their ideal properties at their convenience to shortlist their choices. Yet, while they are narrowing down their choices, agents still have the opportunity to differentiate their services by how they provide a tangible experience that would ultimately affect the client's decision-making process. However, the benefits do not stop there, with real-estate platforms having been seen to decrease commission rates after integrating their versions of AI into their consumer journey. While at first glance, this may seem like a boon for agents and a win for clients, it is, however, truly a win-win. Agents are now able to focus their efforts on the negotiation and finishing touches of the transactions instead of handling the entire consumer journey. Buying Homes Requires A Human Touch As AI continues to advance, there is no doubt it will continue to integrate into our daily and professional lives. This begs the question: can AI replace agents? The short answer: No. Despite AI's numerous capabilities, the real estate market in Singapore remains human-driven. In a country that is land-scarce with high and increasing property values, purchasing a home is still a significant financial and emotional decision buyers make. Hence, homebuyers still rely on the guidance, assistance, and experience of agents to provide their expertise based on their understanding of the market while keeping in mind the client's financial restraints. AI-driven tools will continue to help more clients streamline property recommendations. However, they currently still lack the human touch needed to provide reassurance during the buying process. While AI models enhance efficiency, they do not yet possess the empathy and intuition of seasoned agents, whose human affirmation remains essential in easing uncertainty and ultimately closing deals. The Future Of Real Estate: AI And Agents In the entire consumer journey of purchasing a property, while there are aspects that AI can enable consumers and provide a better experience, there is still room for human intervention in certain areas, which can prove to be fruitful for buyers and sellers alike. In hindsight, AI should be viewed as a complement to existing services rather than a replacement. The future of AI in the real estate industry is not one about replacing agents; rather, it is about empowering them with efficient and effective tools to provide a more focused and higher-quality service to homebuyers. As the real estate industry continues to embrace more of the digital solutions available for its agents, the value of human expertise and connections remains paramount. The future of the industry lies not in choosing between AI and human engagement but in finding the balance between integrating the two to develop the best possible experience for the client while increasing the productivity of the agents. Justin Quek is the Chief Executive Officer of OrangeTee & Tie. Justin has a multifaceted experience as a property agent, proptech entrepreneur, and strategic manager. He championed initiatives like the Consumer Insider Series and Luxe by OrangeTee, empowering clients and agents to navigate the property sector in Singapore
Independent Singapore
22-04-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
S'porean employer says the maid never finishes her meal when they eat out, asks S'poreans if it's mean to tell her to eat at home before going out
SINGAPORE: 'When I take her to the grocery store, I always take her to eat with me too, but she never finishes her meal.' An employer took to an online forum on Monday (April 21) to air her frustrations about her new domestic helper of one month, claiming her work quality is mediocre and expressing confusion over her eating habits. While the post drew mixed reactions, several users urged the employer to be patient, reminding her that it's only been a month and that helpers often need time to adjust and learn. 'Just hired a helper…' the post read. 'She has been staying with us for less than a month, and so far she has not been up to my standard. She told me she can iron, cook and clean well…but to be honest, it's (mediocre). I need to tell her to re-iron because everything is still wrinkly…have to tell her twice about cleaning because she always misses a spot or three.' The employer also claimed that when they do groceries and eat out, the helper never finishes her food. She admitted this annoys her. 'This kind of ticks me off,' she shared. 'Even though let's say the meal is only less than S$10…still, it's like she doesn't appreciate things.' After airing her frustrations on the forum, she asked Singaporeans if it would make her evil if she told her helper to eat at home first before they went somewhere. A handful of online users responded to the post. A common theme that came up was the anticipated learning curve that comes with hiring a new maid. 'You need to give her proper training to meet your expectations,' said one, who also urged the employer to make sure that her expectations are 'realistic'. 'Don't expect five-star service and you'll be fine,' the comment added. 'A helper's role is to relieve some household burdens, and their work won't be perfect. But it really sounds like your helper's issues are minor. My helper doesn't like to eat outside meals and prefers her own cooking, so I only get something small for her when we're out as a snack. Talk to her about it…she might not like the food you're eating, or the portion is too big for her, yet you expect her to finish it and be grateful?' Others echoed the same sentiments, saying that when it comes to household work, the helper could learn over time. As for the employer's concerns about the food, a few questioned why the writer seemed to equate not finishing one's food to a sign of ungratefulness, arguing that there could be other reasons behind it. In similar news, a woman took to social media to vent out her frustrations with how her mother allegedly treats her helper. The writer claimed that her mother treats the domestic worker poorly and threatens to cut her salary. See also: Maid gets treated poorly and threatened with a salary cut by her employer, who doesn't want to fire her Featured image by Depositphotos/ DragonImages (for illustration purposes only)
