I’m watching the Dodgers in the playoffs — and of course, Shohei Ohtani, an athlete who never ceases to awe. Two home runs in his first playoff game, then six innings on the pitcher’s mound with nine strikeouts in the next series. I can’t help but think, “AI has nothing on him.” Ohtani is the picture of job security and an eloquent one at that.
By the time this piece runs, who knows if my team will still be in the playoffs? But that’s not the point here. Here’s what is: I’m watching baseball being played one way right now, and by next year, it will be different. Change is coming, and technology is to thank (or to blame).
In baseball, technology is replacing the imperfection of the human umpire. In real estate, it’s our judgment that’s being tested.
‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life…’
Driving home the other day, listening to the radio (retro, I know), these lyrics came blaring through. “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve is one of those tracks that lingers long after it ends.
I was already drawing parallels between the song and compliance, which has become a writing reflex of mine. But when I walked through the door, news broke — not in my household, but in baseball — that changed my direction entirely.
Calling strikes with cameras
Major League Baseball has voted to bring robot umpires to the majors in 2026. Starting next year, the Automated Ball/Strike System (ABS) will be in play. Human umpires will still call pitches, but teams can challenge two calls per game, with extra chances in extra innings.
Robot umpires aren’t powered by AI, though their appeal — precision and efficiency — feels the same. The ABS relies on Hawk-Eye cameras to track pitches and determine whether each one crosses the strike zone, a system designed for consistency.
So what does this mean? Baseball is getting a tech upgrade. The goal: a more consistent strike zone that should lead to fewer disputes.
According to AOL News, MLB reported that 61.5 percent of all ejections among players, managers and coaches last year were tied to balls and strikes, as were 60.3 percent this season through Sept. 21. The hope is that technology will cool tempers and bring these numbers down.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said, “The strong preference from players for the challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today.”
In other words, even when the technology promises perfection, the humans still get a say in how it’s used.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt put it bluntly, and his words could just as easily apply to real estate:
“You can like it, dislike it, it doesn’t matter. It’s coming. It’s going to change the game. It’s going to change the game forever.”
Change is inevitable. Progress, though, is rarely pure. Sweet in some ways, bitter in others; hence, my song choice.
This bittersweetness got me thinking about AI’s role in real estate — what it means to preserve the human art of framing and the “ejections” it might just help reduce. I’ll explain.
The art of framing
The shift to robot umpires will undoubtedly sideline one of baseball’s oldest crafts: the art of framing. Even if you don’t know baseball or aren’t familiar with the phrase, every art form can be appreciated, can’t it?
For decades, catchers have perfected the skill of receiving a borderline pitch and presenting it as a strike. It could be a subtle nudge of the glove or shift of the body. Done well, it’s seamless. The best catchers turn balls into strikes, quietly shaping the game.
With robot umpires, that art may fade. And that’s what made me think of real estate.
AI threatens to dull our own art of framing. In real estate, professionals present, explain and guide — roles underwritten by knowledge, skill, ethics and experience. It’s verifying information, vetting documents and explaining nuance.
Like a good catcher, a good agent converts leads into closed deals, turns hundreds of documents into compliant files, and transforms service into long-term trust. Just as a catcher earns strikes by how he frames a pitch, an agent earns confidence by how she frames a choice, a disclosure or a transaction.
Sure, AI can process data, but it can’t replicate discernment. It can assist, but it shouldn’t be left to decide.
And now, with ChatGPT stepping up to the plate alongside Zillow, consumers are in the game, too, and they’ll need to keep their own eye on the ball when it comes to how they use AI.
As The Verve sang:
I can change, I can change
But I’m here in my mold
I am here in my mold.
Technology will keep changing, and while humans must adapt, we must hold strong to our mold—our ethics, judgment, and responsibility.
The art of framing in real estate is, at its core, about preserving the human role in the game.
Fewer ejections theory
MLB argues that robot umps will reduce ejections — less yelling, fewer arguments, more order. At first, I laughed. Really? You need robot umps so people will stop getting out of control?
In real estate, “ejections” are the regulatory complaints that spill into discipline or enforcement. Maybe, with AI, humans make fewer mistakes and become more compliant.
That might be true. But baseball’s “AI” is just automation. Real estate’s AI is murkier, and it tests this theory. Tools like ChatGPT and Copilot interpret and predict, but sometimes get it wrong.
I recently explored some of that haze in a piece where I quizzed ChatGPT — our own “robot umpire” — on California real estate law. That experiment revealed both the potential and the peril of relying too heavily on technology. More importantly, it illustrated that AI must be used responsibly and, above all, vetted for accuracy.
Recent headlines drive this point home. Just this week, The Mercury News reported that a Palo Alto attorney admitted to filing briefs citing fabricated cases, also known as an “AI hallucination.” Even legal professionals can misstep when they rely on tech without oversight.
It’s not hard to imagine similar incidents in real estate, and the disciplinary fallout that could follow.
Speaking of responsibility, the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Technology Survey celebrates how agents use AI for listings, social media and marketing, yet not a single question touches on compliance or broker supervision.
We’re measuring creativity, not accountability. That says a lot about where our focus still needs to be.
Agents who over-rely on AI, fail to fact-check or misinterpret its results could face a new kind of ejection. The promise of order doesn’t erase the risk of mistakes—especially critical ones. To perfect AI, we must understand both its limits and our own.
Maybe the art of framing is synonymous with using AI responsibly, because only the human can do that. Those who master that balance preserve not just the technology’s potential, but the human element that gives it meaning.
Humans control the symphony
The aim of robot umpires is fewer bad calls. One goal of AI is fewer human errors. But in real estate, everything still depends on the people using the system.
Listen, AI will pitch us anything we ask for — or anything we think we want. The question isn’t what AI can do; it’s what we choose to do with it. How we frame it is the real art worth preserving.
As Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane said in Moneyball: “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”
He wasn’t talking about stats or strategy or the robot umpires waiting on deck. He was talking about the humans on the field.
The same can be said for real estate. It’s still a human game — defined by instinct, guided by judgment and sustained by heart.
NOTE: The opinions and recommendations expressed in this article are based on Summer Goralik’s experience as a real estate compliance consultant and former investigator for the California Department of Real Estate. They are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Readers should consult with their brokerage and/or qualified legal counsel in their jurisdiction for guidance on specific situations.
The future is here — and it’s powered by AI. October is Artificial Intelligence Month at Inman. We’ll dive into how agents, brokerages and startups are harnessing AI to reimagine real estate, and we’ll honor the trailblazers leading the way with Inman AI Awards.
Summer Goralik is a real estate compliance consultant and former CA DRE Investigator in Huntington Beach, California. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
