Washington, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Agents who are REALTORS® are turning to technology primarily to get time back and to give clients a better experience, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2026 REALTORS® Technology Report. Eighty-one percent said saving time is their primary goal in embracing new technology, up from 66% a year ago. The second most common reason was improving client experience, with 71% saying it was why they leveraged technology, up from 64% in 2025. The report surveyed NAR members to better understand how technology is shaping real estate and how agents view its role in their businesses.
“Real estate agents are making practical choices about technology, and the two payoffs they want most are time and a smoother experience for their clients,” said NAR Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz. “Those priorities have grown stronger over the past year. When routine work gets handled faster, agents have more time for the guidance, negotiation, and steady advice that clients count on through a major financial decision.”
The report also shows artificial intelligence moving from novelty to routine. Nearly half of agents now use AI daily (23%) or weekly (25%), and just 12% say they are not using it and have no plans to, down from the 32% who had not yet tried AI in 2025.
Sixty-three percent of agents said the learning curve is their biggest challenge in adopting new technology, and 59% pointed to cost. Clients appear to be along for the ride, with 40% of agents saying their clients responded very positively to technology in the buying and selling process and another 37% saying clients found it helpful while voicing some reservations.
Key Findings from the 2026 Technology Report
Why Agents Adopt Technology
- Saving time (81%)
- Improving client experience (71%)
- Closing more deals (57%)
- Less manual work (54%)
- Staying ahead of competition (44%)
Top Technologies Used
- MLS (96%)
- E-signature (79%)
- Showing scheduling tools (68%)
- CMA/pricing tools (59%)
- Drone photography/video (48%)
- CRM (46%)
- AI-generated content (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, etc.) (41%)
How Often Agents Use AI
- Daily (23%)
- Weekly (25%)
- Experimenting occasionally (31%)
- Curious but haven’t tried (9%)
- Not using AI and do not plan to in the future (12%)
Top Uses of AI Among Agents Who Use It
- Writing listing descriptions (75%)
- Social media posting (56%)
- Creating emails/follow-up (52%)
- Market summaries (30%)
- Drafting marketing content with personal tone (30%)
- Document review/summarizing (27%)
Average Monthly Technology Spending
- Less than $50 (18%)
- $50 to $250 (36%)
- $251 to $500 (19%)
- More than $500 (22%)
The 2026 Technology Report is available at https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/realtor-technology-report. To explore how NAR supports innovation in real estate and keeps members informed about emerging technology trends, visit NAR Tech & Innovation.
About the National Association of REALTORS®
The National Association of REALTORS® is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes—from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation—visit facts.realtor.
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Information about NAR is available at nar.realtor. This and other news releases are posted in the newsroom at nar.realtor/newsroom. Statistical data in this release, as well as other tables and surveys, are posted in the “Research and Statistics” tab.
National Association of Realtors® media@nar.realtor
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