The Top Tech Tools Real Estate Agents Are Leveraging for Business
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey
Technology is becoming baked more into real estate, helping to win new business, better serve clients and streamline each step in a transaction. Real estate agents are increasingly taking notice of the growing assortment of tools available, and prioritizing certain tools over others, shows the newly released 2025 REALTORS® Technology Survey.
“Technology continues to be a powerful force in real estate, driving efficiency and marketing innovation,” says Jessica Lautz, National Association of REALTORS®' deputy chief economist. “But at the heart of it all remains the trusted relationship between the agent and client.”
And clients are taking notice and seem to appreciate the tech-savvy agent: 82% of clients respond positively when agents integrate more technology in the buying and selling process, the NAR survey finds.
7 Most Popular Tech Tools in Real Estate
The following are the most-used tech tools reported by agents, according to the NAR survey:
- eSignature: 79%
- Social media: 75%
- Drone photography/video: 52%
- AI-generated content (e.g. listing descriptions): 46%
- Virtual tours: 38%
- CRM with AI-powered insights: 21%
- Cyber security (antivirus, VPN): 19%
Meanwhile, the least popular tech tools agents reported using were digital twins (1%), augmented reality tools (2%), virtual reality for immersive walkthroughs (4%), and smart contract platforms that are blockchain-based (5%), according to the survey.
7 Top Lead Generator Tools
For agents weighing where to invest next for lead generation, the message is clear: Double down on a social media strategy and leverage CRMs. Agents reported the following most-used lead generation tools for their business, according to the NAR survey:
- Social media: 39%
- CRM systems: 23%
- Local MLS: 17%
- Brokerage website: 13%
- Digital ads (Google, Facebook, display): 12%
- Personal business website: 12%
- Email marketing: 11%
5 Emerging Tech to Watch
What future tech could shake up the real estate industry? The following are the emerging technologies real estate agents report using the most—and watching closely as these tools continue to evolve:
- AI/generative AI: 41%
- Predictive consumer analytics: 6%
- Smart contracts: 5%
- IoT (smart homes/voice tech): 3%
- Augmented/virtual reality: 2%
