There’s something Toronto’s real estate world doesn’t like to admit: most agents don’t actually need full-time assistants anymore. Not like they used to. Not like the industry operated for the past 20 years.
The market shifted. Workloads evolved. And technology? It advanced faster than anyone expected. But the real question now is — do we still need real estate agents the way we once did?
The truth is, real estate agents aren’t going anywhere — at least, not yet. But survival depends on adapting to the new normal: 24/7 availability, consistent branding, non-stop content posting — all while staying within budget.
Traditional assistants, on the other hand, are expensive, overworked, and undertrained. Even then, they can’t compete with big teams or agencies running full-scale digital operations.
So what’s the Real Estate solution?
We’re not talking about simple chatbots or basic CRMs or hiring more staff. We’re talking about AI real estate assistants that now handle 60–80% of what human assistants once did — faster, cheaper, and with flawless accuracy.
A traditional Toronto assistant can cost anywhere from $48,000 to $65,000 per year, once you factor in payroll taxes, vacation, sick days, and turnover. Meanwhile, an AI system costs a fraction of that — works 24/7, never burns out, and scales with your business.
This isn’t speculation. It’s happening every day in brokerages across the GTA.
Toronto’s Assistant Crisis: Rising Costs, Hiring Problems, and Too Much Admin
Between 2021 and 2024, assistant salaries in Toronto increased dramatically:
- 31% increase in administrative salaries across GTA
- average assistant salary now $24–$28/hr
- onboarding costs around $3,000–$6,000
- turnover in real-estate admin roles exceeds 42% annually
Realtors and teams face a major dilemma, They need more support than ever, but hiring has never been more expensive or more unreliable.
The workload doesn’t slow down either:
- Social media posting
- website updates
- branded awareness
- client updates
- scheduling showings
- handling buyer leads
- uploading MLS listings
- document management
- following up with prospects
- preparing CMAs
- responding to texts, emails, and calls
- confirming appointments
- updating the CRM
- sending reminders
- answering repetitive questions
It’s a LOT — especially in a competitive market like Toronto or anywhere with so many realtors around.
AI assistants stepped into this gap, and the results have been impossible to ignore.
What AI Real Estate Assistants Can Already Do
Modern AI assistants can handle nearly the entire “front desk + admin” layer of tasks for a real-estate agent.
✔ 1. AI Phone Reception & Call Handling
- answers every call instantly
- books showings
- qualifies buyers
- screens out spam
- logs everything in your CRM
- sends SMS follow-ups
✔ 2. AI Chat Assistants for Websites
- answers listing questions 24/7
- captures buyer and seller leads
- recommends properties
- schedules consultations
- reduces bounce rate by 20–30%
✔ 3. AI Lead Qualification
- identifies warm vs cold leads
- uses behavioural data
- prioritizes clients who will convert
- sends agents a summary
- reduces time wasted by ~40%
✔ 4. AI CRM Assistant
- updates notes
- logs conversations
- assigns tags
- sends reminders
- runs workflows
✔ 5. AI Marketing Assistant
- generates listing descriptions
- writes social media posts
- drafts emails
- builds drip sequences
- optimizes conversion copy
✔ 6. AI Follow-Up Assistant
This one is the biggest game-changer.
AI follow-up handles:
- 12-touch outreach
- SMS
- AI phone outreach
- nurturing sequences
- reminder messages
- qualification
- appointment requests
Agents report that AI follow-up brings in 22%–38% more conversions within 60 days of implementation.
The Money Side: The Real Numbers Behind the Shift
Let’s look at a typical real-estate assistant in Toronto:
Annual cost:
- salary: $55,000
- payroll tax + CPP + EI: $7,200
- vacation coverage: $4,000–$7,000
- turnover cost every 1–2 years: $3,000–$5,000
Total: $69,200–$74,000 per year.
Now compare with AI:
- full AI phone agent: $3,000–$6,000/year
- AI chat agent: $1,200–$2,400/year
- AI workflow + follow-up: $2,500–$4,800/year
- AI marketing assistant: $1,200/year
Total: $7,900–$15,000 per year.
That’s a 60–80% cost reduction.
And unlike humans, AI:
- won’t get sick
- won’t quit
- won’t make careless mistakes
- won’t miss calls
- won’t forget follow-ups
For many realtors, this is no longer a question of “if” — it’s “why not?”
Real GTA Examples (Hypothetical but based on real patterns):
🏠 North York Solo Agent
Went from missing 18–25 calls/month → 0 missed calls
Reclaimed ~$130,000 in commissions in 12 months
🏙 Mississauga Team of 3
Cut assistant hours by 70%
Saved $41,000 in payroll
Increased booked showings by 32%
AI follow-up brought in 14 extra deals
🌆 Downtown Toronto Condo Specialist
Used AI chat to answer listing questions
Reduced bounce rate by 27%
Captured 55% more buyer inquiries
🏡 Etobicoke Broker
AI booking → 1,100+ scheduled appointments
Estimated ROI: 9× return
These numbers mirror what big brokerages have reported but scaled down for local teams.
AI isn’t replacing agents, It’s replacing inefficiency. AI will not replace Human Assistants entirely., but the truth is AI will replace 80% of assistant tasks, Humans will handle the remaining 20% complex tasks.
AI handles repetitive work, onboarding, pre-qualifying, transactional tasks, admin, scheduling, qualification, simple communication, workflow automation. Humans handle negotiation, complex client conversations, strategy, paperwork oversight, emotional support, final decisions, in the end, agents need less human labor because AI isn’t splitting the work equally — AI is doing MORE.
If you're exploring AI assistants for real estate, our team at AI Canadian Solutions often helps Toronto agents evaluate what mix of AI (phone, chat, CRM workflows) fits their business size. We're one of several Canadian providers—so always compare features, speed, and integration options before choosing any platform.
