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A debate on X claims AI and platforms like Opendoor could replace real estate agents. Industry leaders say the reality is far more complicated.

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Most real estate professionals aren’t rushing to take career advice from anonymous X (formerly Twitter) accounts with handles like @CapitanSteveo.

But the social media platform has recently revived a familiar industry debate: Could tech platforms such as Opendoor eventually reduce — or even eliminate — the role of traditional real estate agents?

A wave of tweets circulating across tech and real estate circles argues that AI, digital transaction platforms and streamlined buying tools are pushing the industry toward a future in which buyers transact directly with software, sans agents.

While the rhetoric on X can be exaggerated, the conversation reflects a real industry anxiety that has surfaced repeatedly over the past two decades.

That concern has gained new urgency recently as AI advances and companies like Opendoor continue to simplify the homebuying process.

A 12-minute home purchase?

One widely shared tweet claims that buying a home through Opendoor can take an estimated 12 minutes, from entering the process to confirming an offer.

The post suggested that buyers can browse listings, make offers and complete large portions of the transaction digitally without working with an agent. They frame this as a preview of how homebuying transactions could eventually operate.

Buying a home online in a mere 12 minutes may sound far-fetched to some. But the point of the claim is more straightforward: If software can handle pricing, offers, contracts and financing, the need for agents could diminish.

It’s a familiar argument in tech circles, where the real estate commission structure is often described as a prime target for disruption.

FASTER💨: $OPEN now shows an estimated 12-minute path from entering the process to confirming an offer.

Traditional home buying requires coordination between agents, lenders, and paperwork before momentum even starts.

Not just convenience — shortening the intent-to-transaction… pic.twitter.com/qJvsCy26T1

— Nugget (@Nugget_Trades) February 28, 2026

‘That profession isn’t going away’

The debate expanded when entrepreneur and TV personality Marcus Lemonis joined the conversation on X, warning agents about claims that their careers are nearing an end.

“Alert to all Realtors,” Lemonis wrote, referencing a post suggesting agents’ jobs have a limited lifespan following the announcement of Opendoor’s 4.99 percent mortgage product.

Lemonis pushed back on the idea that agents will disappear, arguing that human professionals equipped with AI tools will continue to thrive.

“I’ll take 15,000 of them, give them AI tools that actually work, and watch a human who knows how to use AI crush it, because they love people,” he wrote.

The discussion also drew a response from Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian, after Inman asked about the future role of agents.

“I think there will always be a place for trusted advisors to help folks through difficult processes,” Nejatian replied, noting that Opendoor continues to work with many Realtors.

The exchange underscored a growing tension between online claims that tech will replace agents and industry leaders who see platforms evolving alongside human professionals.

I think there will always be a place for trusted advisors to help folks through difficult processes. We, at Opendoor, work with many realtors and are happy to!

— Kaz Nejatian (@nejatian) February 28, 2026

Personal relationships still drive real estate

Mike Hickman, CEO of Seven Gables Real Estate, argues that technology can assist agents, but it cannot replicate the deep community connections and nuanced understanding that human professionals bring to the market.

For Hickman, real estate is fundamentally a local and relationship-driven business. Agents often understand the subtle dynamics within neighborhoods that software platforms often struggle to capture.

Rather than replacing agents, Hickman believes AI will primarily function as a productivity tool inside brokerages. He recently spoke about the topic at the Luxury SUMMIT conference in Las Vegas, outlining a strategy focused on using AI to make managers more effective rather than eliminating roles.

“My strategy when using AI is about focus,” Hickman told Inman. “We use AI to answer less important questions, so it frees our managers up to do more important things.”

Hickman also pointed to long-standing research from the National Association of Realtors showing that 88 percent of buyers and 91 percent of sellers still use an agent in their transactions. For Hickman, that reality reflects a deeper truth about how people make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.

“I would be willing to debate anybody about this,” he said. “AI will not replace agents.”

‘Casual, part-time agents are in trouble’

Blake O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and CEO of Ownli, says the argument that tech could replace real estate agents deserves serious consideration, particularly as AI begins automating more parts of the transaction process.

He pointed to platforms like Opendoor as an example of the industry’s push toward simpler, more streamlined transactions, though he noted the company’s model is capital-intensive.

“Opendoor is trying to remove friction for buyers, but it’s a very expensive and capital-intensive way to solve the problem,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Still, it shows that consumers are willing to pay for simplicity.”

O’Shaughnessy doesn’t expect agents to disappear entirely, but he believes automation will shrink parts of the profession, much like Expedia reduced the need for travel agents and TurboTax reshaped the work of many accountants.

As O’Shaughnessy noted in a recent Inman piece, National Association of Realtors membership has fallen from a peak of about 1.6 million in late 2022 to roughly 1.4 million today. Some analysts project it could decline to around 1.2 million by 2026. The numbers suggest the industry has already been shedding agents for several years.

O’Shaughnessy added that many of these agents aren’t very active, anyway. One recent analysis found that the median agent completes fewer than two transactions annually, highlighting how much of the industry operates on a part-time basis.

“It’s such a bloated industry, so I think change is necessary,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Tech and AI will replace some agents, and the casual, part-time agents are in trouble.”

Email Nick Pipitone

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