As AI adoption grows, MLSs are emerging as technology validators

With AI rapidly changing the way brokers work, several advertising services are taking on a new role: technical validators.

That is according to Liz Sturrockhead of MLS and innovation Miami real estate agentswho says the organization is less focused on building its own AI tools and more on ensuring the tools agents use are accurate, compliant and secure.

“What we do at Miami Realtors is ensure that all of the MLS technology solutions we partner with are secure for use by our members,” Sturrock told Inman in a recent interview. “We want to ensure that they meet fair housing requirements, that copyrights are protected, and that officers are reimbursed for any associated issues.”

The approach reflects a shift in the MLS landscape as AI adoption accelerates and risks related to accuracy, bias and compliance increase.

Consumer expectations are driving AI adoption

Sturrock said agents primarily use AI to write listing descriptions, create marketing content, automate communications, create comparative market analysis and assist with virtual staging and design.

“ChatGPT is definitely number one,” says Sturrock, noting that in addition to MLS-integrated products, agents are also experimenting with tools like Claude and Gemini.

She added that AI adoption rates in Miami are particularly high. This is partly driven by Miami’s evolution into a technology and financial hub and rising consumer expectations for seamless, digital experiences.

“Consumers don’t want to sign papers and send checks,” she said. “They want everything to be as seamless as it is in other parts of their lives.”

AI helps agents attract and retain buyer interest

Instead of building its own AI systems, Miami Realtors has focused on partnerships.

Tools offered to members include: Helpera ChatGPT-based assistant that integrates with Google Workspace and MLS data to automate communication, scheduling, and CMA creation. There is also Unendingan AI-powered virtual tour platform designed to increase listing engagement.

These tools are often offered through freemium or discount models for members, lowering the barrier to adoption. According to Sturrock, the results are already visible, especially on the consumer side.

“We know that agents who use Infinityy tours are much more engaged with their consumers,” she said. “They spend up to twelve minutes interacting with those listings.”

That level of engagement – ​​in some cases four times higher than traditional listings – points to one of the clearest short-term benefits of AI in real estate: capturing and keeping buyers’ attention.

Faster tools, higher stakes

Despite its rapid adoption, Sturrock emphasizes that the biggest risks associated with AI are not technical, but regulatory and ethical. Fair housing compliance remains a central concern, especially when agents use AI to generate listing descriptions.

“You cannot say that a house is good for families, right? vIIt’s great for everyone,” Sturrock said.And that’s why we urge our agents to talk about the property, not the people, when writing listing descriptions.”

Miami Realtors has implemented systems that flag potentially non-compliant language when agents enter listing data, but Sturrock said education remains critical. Agents are also advised to verify AI-generated content before publishing it.

“It’s impossible to say that there are never hallucinations,” she said. “We always advise our members to fact-check anything AI produces before putting it under their own name.”

Virtual staging poses similar risks. While AI-powered design tools are widely used, agents must avoid misrepresenting features, a requirement that has not changed with the advent of new technology. “The rules haven’t changed just because the technology is better,” Sturrock said.

As AI tools proliferate, Sturrock also cautioned against adopting technology for its own sake. “In some cases it’s great. In other cases it’s like everything had a blockchain or crypto label,” she said. “AI for AI’s sake makes no sense.”

Sturrock said the focus should continue to be on tools that make officers more efficient and effective, not simply more automated. “If it helps agents be faster, better at their jobs and focus on what they do best, then AI really adds value,” she says.

Multilingual tools expand agents’ reach to global buyers

One of the most significant shifts underway is in the way AI tools directly leverage MLS data. Platforms like Sidekick use MLS information to generate CMAs, automate responses, and streamline workflows, effectively turning MLS datasets into the backbone of AI-powered agent tools. That dynamic could strengthen the MLS’s long-term relevance, even as new layers of technology are built on top.

In Miami, the impact of AI is also linked to the global nature of the market. Florida is responsible for one in five international home sales in the U.S., and half of those transactions occur in the Miami metro area. according to the MIAMI Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile of International Home Buyers. In South Florida, out-of-state buyers represented 15 percent of total residential dollar volume in 2025 – seven times the national average of 2 percent and more than three times Florida’s statewide share of 5 percent.

This dynamic makes multilingual skills essential. Some AI-powered tools, like Infinityy, now support more than 75 languages, allowing agents to communicate with buyers in real-time regardless of location.

“If a buyer is looking at listings on the couch at night, they can ask questions in their language and get an immediate response,” Sturrock said.

Combined with global data-sharing initiatives – including partnerships that distribute listings to hundreds of thousands of agents around the world – the technology helps extend agents’ reach far beyond local markets.

New technology, but sustainable standards

While AI speeds up workflows and improves engagement, Sturrock says it doesn’t replace agents. Instead, it pushes them toward a more data-driven, advisory role.

Tools such as Real Estate Resource for Real Estate Agents (RPR), for example, are now using AI to generate market reports and even help agents prepare for local government meetings or development discussions. “It makes the officer an expert,” she said.

As AI adoption grows, MLSs are emerging as a critical control point in the ecosystem, not as developers of the technology, but as curators of it. And while the tools themselves continue to evolve, one thing remains constant: the responsibility still lies with agents. “Technology is changing,” Sturrock said. “But the need to be accurate, ethical and compliant is not.”

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