What AI fatigue looks like
AI fatigue in leasing is people trying to rent an apartment or get information about a community who can't get help from an AI assistant, or who don't want to deal with one and would rather talk to a person. I heard about it from a friend who was looking for apartments. They got frustrated with the leasing process and eventually used an apartment locator. In Texas, where this happened, locators typically charge the property one month of rent, and in some markets it's up to six weeks. The cost savings of the AI leasing agent ended up costing the property about $2,500 in locator fees it wouldn't have otherwise paid.
Survey data points the same way. In Rently's 2025 Report on AI in Leasing, a September 2025 survey of 800 U.S. renters, 71 percent said they would contact a person first when a problem comes up, while 13 percent would start with a virtual assistant.
What renters want from AI in leasing
Less comfortable when AI use isn't disclosed
Would contact a person first when a problem comes up
Want human support available anytime
Want the ability to opt out of AI features
Would start with a virtual assistant
What a leasing agent knows that AI doesn't
AI doesn't understand everything there is about a property, and a well-designed one will always err on the side of caution when it comes to potentially risky topics. An honest leasing agent might instead help someone find another property in the portfolio that's a better fit.
Say a prospect wants a two-bedroom with a balcony looking downtown, and this property doesn't have one. An AI might just search the other nearby options. A leasing agent would know the preferences the prospect has already shared and could pick one that lets them walk to the grocery store or has a pool with sun most of the day.
Where AI belongs in leasing
Self tours were a great way to get AI into properties, and AI-assisted self-guided tours are a huge benefit to the property. The act of contacting a property should stay direct, human to human. In the same Rently survey, half of renters said they value being able to tour after hours, which is exactly where self-guided tours help.
Reaching a person shouldn't be a headache
That means a number to the leasing office, not a centralized leasing center. If you do use a centralized leasing center, give people the option to be warm transferred to the property. People want to know things from people at the actual location. If you can't be bothered to connect them with the single human touchpoint they'll have, you're destroying the trust that keeps future residents around.
On cost, the locator fee is the example I'd give any owner. The savings from an AI leasing agent can turn into a fee the property wouldn't have paid otherwise.
A good leasing agent is worth their weight in gold
During my time on a lease-up team, I learned how to handle high-volume leasing, where you have a large number of tours in a day and typically a slightly lower closing ratio than a stabilized property, because more of the visitors are casually looking or just poking around. Good leasing agents excel on these properties and hold closing ratios of 60 percent or more, because even people who might not be looking get drawn in by the salesperson in front of them. AI that can sell, act, and preempt the needs of a buyer in a complex housing decision is still in the distance, for now.
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Related: An AI acceptable-use policy template for real estate firms
Common questions
Do renters prefer AI leasing assistants or real people?
In Rently's September 2025 survey of 800 U.S. renters, 71 percent said they would contact a person first when a problem comes up and 13 percent would start with a virtual assistant. 74 percent said they are less comfortable when AI use isn't disclosed, and 57 percent want human support available at any time.
Where should apartment communities use AI in leasing?
James Williamson, Managing Principal at Blue Brick Partners, sees AI-assisted self-guided tours as a real benefit to properties, while the first contact with a property should stay person to person, with a direct number to the leasing office or a warm transfer from any centralized leasing center.
Why does a human leasing agent matter during lease-up?
Lease-ups bring a high volume of tours and usually a lower closing ratio, since many visitors are casually looking. From his time on a lease-up team, James Williamson has seen good leasing agents hold closing ratios of 60 percent or more by drawing in prospects who might not be looking.
Sources
This article reflects the personal views of James Williamson and the views of Blue Brick Partners. It does not represent the views of any other company.