The future of real estate: AI-powered, human-led

This year, at EdgeProp Singapore’s third Realtors’ Roundtable, we recognise 425 outstanding realtors in Singapore and Malaysia who have qualified for the Realtors’ Roundtable based on their performance in 2025.

Among them, we have 85 Millionaire Members, 93 Elite Members and 247 Members.

Congratulations to every one of you.

Before I continue, I would like to thank our Knowledge Partner, KPMG, for helping us verify the submissions and maintain the credibility of these awards.

I would also like to thank our partners — McLaren Singapore, Anthony Law Corporation, The Assembly Place, Makeover Inc, LytePay and Circular Law Chambers — for their support for this event.

When we started the Realtors’ Roundtable in 2024, our aim was quite simple.

We wanted to create an independent platform that recognises the very best performers across the real estate industry, regardless of which agency they come from.

The response since then has been extremely encouraging. The Roundtable community has grown from 199 members in its first year to 425 this year — an increase of 114% in just over two years.

But the industry around us is also changing very quickly.

These days, before a client speaks to an agent, they may already have searched every listing in the neighbourhood.

They know the latest transaction prices. They have calculated their monthly instalments. They have compared the projects — and they may have even asked ChatGPT whether the property is a good buy.

Some of you may be wondering: If clients can do all that themselves, what are agents still here for?

With so much data, technology and AI available, where does the value of a property agent come from?

I believe the answer lies in trust.

Technology can provide information. But information is not the same as judgment.

An AI tool can calculate the monthly instalment. But it cannot fully understand what financial security means to the family sitting in front of you.

It can tell a seller what the recent transactions were. But it cannot manage the emotions and expectations of someone who has lived in the same home for 30 years.

It can identify the highest offer. But it cannot always determine whether that option extension is sufficient for you to find the next home.

And it certainly cannot sit with a worried buyer and say, “I have considered the risks, I believe this is the right decision — and I will stand behind my advice.”

Technology can give people answers, but a trusted professional gives them confidence.

That is where the opportunity lies. More information does not always make a property decision easier. Sometimes, it simply gives clients more things to worry about.

An agent’s role must therefore evolve — from providing information to helping clients understand what really matters. Your value lies in how you interpret the facts, understand the person behind the decision and offer sound advice when the answer is not obvious.

We should embrace AI. Let it analyse the market, reduce repetitive work and improve productivity. But if technology saves us 10 hours, we should not use all of that time to chase another 100 leads. We should reinvest those hours into listening more carefully, preparing more thoroughly and serving our clients better.

For agency owners and leaders, the task is to pair better technology with better training, sound judgment and strong professional values. Technology is an amplifier: it can help a good agent serve many more people, but it can also spread mistakes much faster.

The agencies that succeed will not necessarily be those with the most technology. They will be those that combine innovation with strong leadership, responsible practices and a culture that puts clients first.

So, to agents: become the adviser clients choose even when information is everywhere.

And to our leaders and agency owners: do not simply recruit more agents. Develop professionals whose judgment deserves to be trusted.

The future will belong to those who use technology to become more knowledgeable, more responsive and, ultimately, more human.

As AI becomes more capable, human trust will not become less important. It will become even more valuable.

Once again, congratulations to all our Realtors’ Roundtable 2026 members.

Bernard Tong, CEO of EdgeProp Singapore