Overview
- Only 40% of Australian buyers are willing to accept AI-driven valuations, well below Canada, the US and the UK
- Australians have a higher intolerance for errors (42% vs 33% globally), raising the bar for accuracy and accountability
- While buyers assume AI is already in use, most want clear disclosure and human oversight — with many willing to pay for independent verification
Australian homebuyers are among the most cautious in four major global property markets when it comes to artificial intelligence in property, according to Cotality research that shows local buyers are less willing than their global peers to accept AI-automated home valuations.
The “AI in Housing: 2026” global study of recent and prospective homebuyers found that only 40 percent of Australian buyers are willing to accept AI-automated valuations, compared with 62 percent in Canada, 52 percent in the US, and 46 percent in the UK.
Cotality Chief Data Officer, Craig Dargusch, said the findings show Australia’s property sector faces a trust challenge as AI becomes more embedded in search, valuation, lending and insurance.
“Australian buyers are not rejecting AI outright. They are setting a higher bar for where it can be trusted,” Mr Dargusch said.
“When the decision involves someone’s home, mortgage, or insurance premium, speed alone will not be enough. Buyers want accurate data, clear disclosure, and a human backstop when the stakes are high.”
Australian buyers draw a harder line on errors
The report found 33 percent of homebuyers globally have zero tolerance for errors in listing data - regardless of whether the mistake comes from a human or an AI system - but that this figure rose to 42 percent for Australian buyers.
Mr Dargusch said this was worth noting in a market where buyers increasingly rely on digital platforms to compare properties, prices, suburbs, and risks before speaking to an agent or lender.
“A single error in a listing, valuation or risk assessment can do real damage to trust,” he said.
“Australian buyers are telling the industry that AI needs to be accurate, explainable and accountable before it becomes central to property decisions.
Buyers assume AI is being used - and want to check its homework
The report found that buyers globally already assume AI is involved in the homebuying journey, with three in four buyers believing AI plays some role in the process, and 86 percent assuming property websites use AI.
But 68 percent of buyers globally still wanted to receive clear notification when AI generated a property listing, price, or mortgage recommendation, and 68 percent also said they would manually verify the details provided by AI in a housing context.
Almost half of buyers globally (44 percent) would also pay an additional fee for a human expert to verify AI-generated housing decisions, pointing to a more mature phase of AI adoption in property.
“The next stage of AI in property will be defined by trust,” said Mr Dargusch. “The companies that can show where the data comes from, how decisions are made, and who is accountable when something goes wrong will have the advantage.”
Cotality Chief Commercial Officer, Lisa Jennings said that for the industry, confidence in AI would depend on how transparently it is used.
“AI can help the property industry move faster and make better-informed decisions, but the commercial value will come from using it in a way people trust,” Ms Jennings said.
“That means being clear about how a model has informed an outcome, backing it with reliable data, and making sure clients and consumers can still rely on human expertise when the decision carries real weight.”
AI adoption needs proof, not promises
Cotality’s report argues that the property industry has moved past the question of whether AI is present, with buyers now wanting to understand how it is being used, what data it relies on, and whether they can challenge an outcome.
“The Australian market has an opportunity to get this right early,” Mr Dargusch said.
“AI can support faster and better-informed property decisions, but only if the industry builds confidence around the technology. For Australian buyers, trust is the product.”
