Will AI Replace Your Real Estate Agent in Bergen County? Here's What NAR Just Confirmed

No. AI is changing how you find a home in Bergen and Hudson County, but it is making a trusted advisor more important, not less. That was the clearest takeaway from NAR's "Evolution of Search: AI's Impact on Real Estate Discovery" session at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings, held in Room 207AB at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (NAR Legislative).

I sat in on this session because it is exactly where I have pointed my practice. For 32 years, I have walked people through the biggest decisions of their lives across Fort Lee, Edgewater, Tenafly, Leonia, and the rest of the NJ Gold Coast. The tools have changed many times in those decades. What has not changed is that people facing a move, a downsizing, or a relocation need someone they trust to interpret the noise. AI is now part of that noise, and part of the opportunity.

What Is "Pre-Search" and Why Does It Matter to NJ Buyers?

Pre-search is the new first step in buying a home. Before they ever call an agent, buyers now open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask questions like "what can I afford within 15 minutes of the George Washington Bridge" or "is Edgewater or Fort Lee better for a NYC commute." NAR and Realtor.com leadership pointed directly to this stage: people are asking about affordability, financing, and neighborhoods long before they look at a single listing (NAR's Realtor® Magazine).

For a family weighing a move to Bergen County, this is freeing. You can get oriented before you ever pick up the phone. The risk is that an AI answer is general, and your situation is specific. That gap, between the generic answer and your actual decision, is where an advisor earns their place.

Why Do AI Tools Trust Some Sources Over Others?

AI tools favor accurate, verifiable, authoritative information because their biggest weakness is making things up. The NAR session was direct about this: large language models gravitate toward trusted data and avoid hallucination (NAR Realtor® Magazine). When someone asks an AI about Cliffside Park condos or multifamily investing in West New York, the answer is built on specific, credible sources.

That is why I publish precise, local, verifiable information rather than marketing fluff. It serves you whether you read it directly or an AI hands it to you first.

Is Real Estate Search Moving to Video?

Yes. The panel pointed to a near-future of conversational, AI-driven search and far more video, including the idea of turning every listing into a video, with portals integrating with tools like ChatGPT (NAR Realtor® Magazine). For my sellers, that means a property's video presence is becoming central to how it gets found, not an afterthought.

Should Sellers Worry About Private "Pocket" Listings?

Open exposure protects sellers. The session reinforced a clear stance on transparency: closed or private listing networks reduce buyer access and seller exposure, while "coming soon" status inside the MLS preserves fairness and maximum reach (NAR Realtor® Magazine). More eyeballs on your home means more bidders, more offers, and often a higher sale price. For a Bergen or Hudson County seller, that is the case for broad, open marketing over a quiet pocket listing.

Where Does the Agent Fit Now?

At the center, where it counts most. The consistent message across the session was that AI handles discovery and early interpretation, but the REALTOR® remains central to the transaction (NAR Realtor® Magazine). An AI can tell you what a neighborhood costs. It cannot sit with a widow deciding whether to leave the home she raised her children in, read the room during attorney review, negotiate an inspection credit, or weigh a financing offer against your timeline and your life.

That is the work I care about most. After 32 years and more than 500 transactions in these towns, I see my role plainly: I am an AI-Enabled Transition Advisor. I use the best available technology to give you faster clarity and broader reach, and I bring the judgment and steadiness that no tool can. The AI gives you a data point. I help you make the decision.

What This Means for Your Move

If you are thinking about buying, selling, downsizing, or making the NJ-to-Florida move, the headline is reassuring. The tools got better. The need for someone in your corner did not change. I pair AI-driven insight with three decades of on-the-ground experience in Fort Lee, Edgewater, Cliffside Park, Tenafly, Leonia, West New York, North Bergen, and across the NJ Gold Coast.

You can learn more about how I work and the NJ-to-Florida transition advisory I have built on my About page at SelleckSellsNJ.com.

If a move is on your mind, start with a conversation. No pressure, just clarity. Reach me at SelleckSellsNJ.com.

Sources: the official NAR session listing and NAR's related coverage of AI and the next era of home search. NAR does not publish a transcript of this session, so the specific themes are drawn from NAR's own reporting on this AI-search topic from the same event cycle rather than direct panel quotes.

About Scott Selleck

Scott Selleck is an AI-Enabled Transition Advisor and REALTOR® serving Bergen County and Hudson County, New Jersey, with 32 years of experience and more than 500 closed transactions. He specializes in seniors downsizing (SRES®), relocation, historic and luxury homes, riverfront NJ Gold Coast communities, multifamily properties, and NJ-to-Florida transitions. Learn more on his About page.

Scott Selleck | The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty
2200 Fletcher Ave, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: 201-970-3960
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.SelleckSellsNJ.com