AI turbocharging home renderings as agents try to make the sale

TAMPA - With inflation, interest rates and construction costs taking bites out of the real estate industry, agents are using new tools to make homes more appealing.

Agents are finding that artificial intelligence is building a new reality in homebuying.

When it comes to buying a home, Dave Burrough knows what he wants.

What they're saying:

It's all about the kitchen.

"Something that I'd definitely like to come home to every day after a long day's work," said Burrough.

But the kitchen in a unit along Gandy Blvd. isn't quite what he wants. "One of the questions I ask myself is, do I like this place or do I love it? And if I like it, then I'm typically going to have buyer's remorse."

Thankfully for him, there are options. And he can see them as fast as he can imagine them.

The backstory:

His agent, along with representatives from a contractor, displayed numerous renderings that were developed with AI.

"If that can replicate something like this in this kitchen, then yeah, I can definitely see myself living here."

The contractor hoping to land the project is Revive Design and Renovation on Kennedy Blvd. 

They brought a dozen renderings to the showing. Their AI guru, Meghan Neville, is able to mix and match every option.

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"In today's society, the AI train is coming whether you like it or not," said Neville. "So you better hop on or get ran over by it."

 AI has turbocharged the effort to land contracts.

Big picture view:

With mortgage rates still up from record lows in 2021, with grocery prices up 29 percent since the pandemic and with Florida construction costs up 5 percent in 2025, selling a home is like threading a needle.

Giving a customer what they want, or rather, precisely what they want, is everything.

"Certain people just aren't wired to be able to look at a kitchen and say, all right, well, that's what this kitchen's gonna look like with white oak cabinets or with walnut color cabinets and this type of countertop," said Justin Caballero of Revive Design and Renovation. "So it's really helpful to be able to show them actual visual renderings."

Caballero says AI can save untold amounts of time for real estate agents.

"You can make that instant visual for them to make the decision right there," said Neville. "They're no longer waiting a week to decide if this is even something they want to do to their kitchen."

Dig deeper:

At Gulf Shores Realty, Mollie Starnes uses AI to target listings based on what price points are selling in an area, how long homes have been on the market and which features are most desireable.

"It's basically being able to use AI as an assistant to help comb through and pull information that potentially could have gotten missed if you're just trying to do it by hand," said Starnes.

While she points out public listings can't use AI to enhance a property, she says the time it saves behind the scenes makes it essential.

Shane Banderson, who is hoping to put Dave into the Gandy unit, is a realtor for Engel & Volkers.

He says AI has not just made for endless options on the customer's side, but has given agents more time to see more people.

"It used to take weeks to get renderings and something done," said Banderson, "now it takes minutes or hours."

Dave is still making his decision.

While AI can give options, the customer is still the one who has to say yes.

"I'm out there walking around every day talking to people in and out of businesses," Burrough said. "So when I come home, I want to come to a nice, comfortable spot where I can relax and unwind for my day."

AI has changed home-selling, but not the feeling of coming home to what's yours.