Can AI Replace Real Estate Agents? This Startup Founder Thinks So
In an industry some feel is ripe for transformation, Navigate Homes is pioneering a new approach to real estate investment transactions by leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline the brokerage process. Founded by Roshan Srinivasan, the company emerged from a crucial insight about the real estate investment market: while most PropTech companies focus on first-time homebuyers, there’s a distinct and underserved market of real estate investors who need a fundamentally different service model.
Srinivasan’s journey into real estate technology is different from other PropTech founders in the space. He started his career as a product manager at Roblox before working as the first product hire and head of product for a Silicon Valley startup in the automotive space. His journey in real estate began as an investor himself, when he struggled to find agents who could meet his investment needs. “I was trying to do some group buying with my friends. I found properties I liked and reached out to these real estate agents, but I wouldn’t hear back,” he explains. “As an investor, you’re supposed to find an investor-friendly agent or broker to work with, but I started wondering – why is that even necessary?” This insight led him to recognize that most investors don’t need traditional agent relationships – they just need someone to handle the essential transaction work.
This led to his vision for Navigate Homes. What sets Navigate Homes apart is that they aren’t just another technology provider – they are operating as a full-service brokerage themselves, but with a revolutionary approach to the traditional model. Rather than selling technology solutions to existing brokerages, Navigate Homes operates as a direct provider of brokerage services to real estate investors, powered by their proprietary AI technology. “Most of these investors are out of state. They don’t actually want to talk to the agent. They just want someone who’s going to be boots on the ground to facilitate the deal for them,” Srinivasan explains.
From that starting point, Srinivasan envisions a radically different model for real estate transactions. Instead of a commission-based structure, the company offers a subscription service where investors work directly with AI-powered digital assistants and on-demand showing agents. This model, he claims, particularly appeals to out-of-state investors who prioritize efficiency and documentation over agent relationships. The platform would eliminate buyer agent commissions while providing more consistent, data-driven service focused on investment metrics and portfolio management.
According to Srinivasan, this technology completely reimagines the brokerage business. ‘When you look at the traditional model – Compass, Keller Williams, Sotheby’s – if you’re a managing broker today, your North Star KPI is not to do sales or transactions, it’s to go recruit,’ he explains. ‘What we want to do is bridge that gap, where as a broker going forward, your north star KPI is to go do sales, and you don’t need an agent anymore.'”
Navigate Homes’ ecosystem extends beyond standard property matching to create a comprehensive investment management platform. “We have built-in marketplaces for facilitating everything – finding a home inspector, finding an appraiser, finding a lender,” Srinivasan explains. “All of that is basically handled by our internal marketplaces that we’re building out.” This integrated approach particularly benefits investors managing multiple properties or exploring opportunities across different markets, as the AI can simultaneously analyze multiple properties, process comparative market analyses, and coordinate with various service providers.
Looking ahead to 2025, Srinivasan is incredibly optimistic about the future. “I think 2025 is the year of vertical agents,” he says. “I’m super bullish on the ability to actually create a digital assistant that is able to complete a transaction end-to-end.” The company is actively building partnerships with established investment platforms and settlement services, while maintaining a clear vision for broader impact. “We’re building this as a service because we don’t want investors to have to pay more in terms of commissions on transactions, especially post-NAR settlement. When we look at consumers as well, we want to be able to educate them – that’s our long-term game.”
It’s a bold vision that challenges fundamental assumptions about how real estate transactions should work. While many in the industry will question whether AI can truly replace the human elements of deal-making, Srinivasan and his team are betting that at least some investors are ready for a radically different approach.
