Let’s talk about something everyone in real estate is whispering about and some are downright panicking over: AI.

It’s not just a Silicon Valley buzzword anymore.
It’s here.
It’s powerful.
And it’s changing the way we work.

Adam Hergenrother recently predicted that artificial intelligence will shrink the average workweek to just 15 to 20 hours within the next three to five years.

Sounds great, right?
More time. Less burnout. An easier business.

But there’s a catch…

AI won’t fix a broken business.

If you’re already struggling with time management, lead conversion, or consistent prospecting, automating your chaos won’t create clarity. It’ll just make you more efficient at being ineffective.

This post breaks down what this AI wave actually means for Idaho agents, how to use it to your advantage, and how to make sure you're still standing when the tech dust settles.

The AI Promise vs. Real-World Productivity

AI isn’t coming for your job.
It’s coming for your busywork.

Tasks like:

• Writing listing descriptions

• Editing property photos

• Creating Instagram captions

• Transcribing meeting notes

• Drafting emails

All of that can now be outsourced to tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai, Canva Magic Write, and dozens more.

But here’s what AI can’t do:

• Build trust with a nervous buyer

• Negotiate under pressure

• Inspire confidence during a listing presentation

• Read between the lines on a seller’s objections

• Keep momentum during a tough transaction

That’s still your job. And it always will be.

So yes AI can reduce your hours.
But if you’re wasting those hours scrolling, second-guessing, or hiding behind Canva posts instead of conversations?
You’ll still be stuck.

Idaho Real Estate Is Still a People Business

Even in a market like the Treasure Valley where listings move fast and buyers have options real estate is still personal.

Sure, you can automate your newsletters.
You can auto-schedule your open house invites.
You can generate listing videos with one click.

But your relationships?
Your follow-up?
Your local influence?

Those aren’t replaceable.

Top-producing agents across Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Eagle know:
The tech should amplify your efforts, not replace your responsibilities.

AI should give you back time so you can double down on trust.

What Makes the 1% Different in the AI Era?

Let’s go back to Hergenrother’s point: AI will make us more efficient.
But efficiency only works if you're already effective.

That’s why your job now is to identify your 1% activity the single action that drives the biggest results in your business.

For most agents, it’s one of the following:

• Booking appointments

• Making follow-up calls

• Door-knocking or circle prospecting

• Hosting events

• Recording authentic, local video content

• Asking for referrals

Everything else is noise.

AI can help you clear that noise faster. But the 1%?
That still takes you.

Your 15–20 Hour Workweek Blueprint

Let’s be real most agents aren’t working a clean 40 hours to begin with.
It’s usually 60 hours of chaos, distraction, and putting out fires.

So if you’re going to shrink your week down to 15–20 hours, those hours need to be deliberate and leveraged.

Here’s how:

1. Audit Your Current Week

Pull up your calendar or just a blank sheet of paper and write down how you actually spent last week.

Highlight the time that directly led to income-producing activity (calls, appointments, closings).

Chances are, less than 25% of your week was truly productive.

2. Automate the Admin

Use AI or virtual tools to eliminate:

• Manual email replies

• Post-showing thank-you messages

• Market report summaries

• CRM tagging and sorting

• Basic social media copy

This isn’t about replacing your voice. It’s about speeding up low-impact tasks so you can focus on the ones that pay.

3. Own Your Energy

If you only had 15 hours a week to build a 6-figure business, would you waste them?

No. You’d protect them.

Build a repeatable schedule where your “power hours” are non-negotiable.
Prospecting from 9–11.
Appointments from 1–3.
DM follow-ups from 3–4.

The agents who succeed in the AI era will treat their time like investors treat capital: only spend it where it multiplies.

What Treasure Valley Agents Are Actually Doing With AI

Let’s get hyper-local. Here’s how agents across the Treasure Valley are using AI tools to work smarter not just faster:

• A Boise agent uses ChatGPT to draft property descriptions in minutes, freeing up time for more showings.
  
  

• A Nampa team leverages Canva Magic Write to script out educational Instagram posts twice a week scheduled a month in advance.
  
  

• A solo agent in Meridian uses AI to create monthly market reports personalized by neighborhood, then sends them to her sphere with a personal note.
  
  

• A team in Caldwell built a chatbot for their website that pre-qualifies buyer leads before they even get a call.
  
  

These agents aren’t “techy.” They’re just curious and committed to staying relevant.

That’s the mindset shift.
Don’t fear the tools. Learn to lead with them.

Don’t Confuse Movement With Progress

One of the biggest traps agents fall into especially in tech-hype cycles is mistaking busy for productive.

You don’t get paid to post.
You don’t get paid to tweak your logo.
You don’t get paid to research CRMs for 3 hours.

You get paid to move conversations toward closings.

AI makes it easier than ever to look productive without actually progressing.
Don’t fall for it.

As Hergenrother says:

“This isn’t a tech revolution. It’s a prioritization revolution.”

Final Thought: Your Mindset Matters More Than Ever

The real disruption isn’t AI.
It’s the habits and mindset it demands from agents.

If you’re focused, disciplined, and clear on your top activities AI will feel like a superpower.

But if you’re scattered, reactive, or hiding behind marketing tools instead of mastering the human side of sales?

AI will just amplify the chaos.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime for those who are ready to rise to it.

Ready to Lead in the AI Era?

At Real Estate Growth Network, we coach agents to:

• Use AI to create more time freedom

• Build habits that prioritize production over perfection

• Lead with value and convert conversations into closings

If you’re ready to thrive not just survive in the AI-powered future of real estate:

 The workweek is shrinking.
Make sure your impact isn’t.