Enhance Your Real Estate Business with AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how industries operate, and real estate is no exception. NorthstarMLS is taking proactive steps to ensure our subscribers benefit from these advancements. As the AI Integration Specialist for NorthstarMLS, I connect human expertise with machine intelligence to make MLS tools more efficient, intuitive, and supportive of the professionals who use them. 

In my role, I pinpoint where AI and automation can simplify complex or repetitive workflows. By analyzing processes that require too many clicks, steps, or reviews, I help design systems that save time and reduce frustration for staff and subscribers. The goal is to let technology handle routine work so people can focus on tasks that require human judgment, empathy, and expertise. 

One of NorthstarMLS’s ongoing AI projects involves enhancing our knowledge base. By analyzing the kinds of questions members ask and how they navigate support resources, AI identifies patterns, detects gaps, and automatically recommends relevant guides, videos, or articles. This allows subscribers to find answers faster while also gaining a broader understanding of our policies and recommendations, which leads to greater confidence and accuracy when entering listings. 

Unlocking New Insights

AI provides insights that were once difficult or time-consuming to acquire. It examines market trends in deeper context, evaluating not only prices and inventory but also demand indicators, sentiment, and economic conditions that influence buyer behavior. Tasks that previously required days of manual analysis can now be summarized within minutes through AI-driven pattern recognition and visualization. 

This technology also accelerates NorthstarMLS’s improvements for supporting our subscribers. By learning how they interact with MLS systems and content, we can refine our resources and deliver information that’s more relevant, timely and user focused. 

What AI Doesn’t Change

While AI brings new efficiency and intelligence, it does not replace the human touch at the heart of real estate. Personal relationships, empathy, and trust remain essential in every client interaction. AI can support those connections but cannot substitute for them. 

Critical thinking also remains a constant. AI is only as good as the data it’s given, so real estate professionals must continue to verify, interpret, and apply information responsibly. Rather than replacing professional judgment, AI serves to amplify it. 

Preparing for the Future

For NorthstarMLS subscribers who haven’t tried AI or are hesitant to begin using it, start small and approach AI with curiosity. Just as technologies like email and Excel became everyday essentials, AI will soon feel like a natural part of how we work and think. 

Explore simple uses to quickly build confidence, like rewriting listing descriptions or organizing open house ideas. And remember that it takes practice! Keep trying until you feel comfortable. Just be sure to not feed confidential client data into public AI tools. When in doubt, leave the details out.  

NorthstarMLS’s long-term vision is to integrate AI seamlessly into the MLS experience, embedding it into everyday tools. We aim to make AI a natural extension of how real estate professionals already work, supporting your expertise, saving you time, and strengthening the service you provide to clients. 

About Kate Engstrom

As the AI Integration Specialist for NorthstarMLS, Kate makes work easier and more effective for both NorthstarMLS and its subscribers. Drawing on her background in test engineering and process optimization, she connects technical innovation with real-world business needs. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.