AI tools expand in real estate, but benefits and risks remain unclear

HIVE Digital Technologies secured a $129 million loan to support a Cohere AI cluster, according to Proactive Financial News, signaling continued investment in large-scale AI infrastructure. The company did not specify how the cluster will be used in housing markets, and no evidence was provided to show how this investment will translate into tools for home buyers, sellers or agents. Meanwhile, Vantage Data Centers promoted an AI assistant for real estate professionals in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, but offered no details on its functionality, accuracy or data sources, leaving its impact on workflows uncertain.

HousingWire reported on efforts to integrate AI into mortgage lending workflows, describing a shift from fragmented automation to what it calls "workflow-native intelligence." The report did not include independent validation of these systems, nor did it disclose whether lenders using them have tested for bias, errors or privacy risks. Similarly, Elite Agent announced that agents in Australia can now create personalized front pages through a new AI-driven platform, but provided no information on how user data is handled or whether the tool affects listing visibility or client outreach.

A warning from SMBtech highlighted risks for consumers, noting that Australian finance experts advise against using ChatGPT to draft home loan applications due to potential inaccuracies and compliance issues. Inman Real Estate News questioned the broader payoff of AI outside Silicon Valley, observing that many tools lack measurable outcomes for agents or home seekers. With no public data on error rates, adoption success, or consumer harm, the benefits of these tools remain unproven, while potential downsides — including privacy exposure, biased outputs and job displacement — are not addressed by the companies offering them.