Why Guidance Is Replacing Advice as the Most Valuable Agent Skill
Advice tells someone what to do. Guidance helps them understand why.
That distinction is becoming more important as AI makes advice cheap and abundant. Clients can get suggestions from tools instantly. What they can’t get is accountability and context.
Here’s how guidance actually works in real estate. An agent doesn’t just recommend a price. They explain how that price aligns with the client’s goals and risk tolerance. They don’t just say yes or no to an offer. They help the client think through consequences and timing.
This is where agent value lives now. Not in answers, but in framing. Guidance requires listening, synthesis, and restraint. It means resisting the urge to over-optimize and instead helping clients make decisions they’ll feel good about later.
AI helps by removing friction around preparation. It can surface information, compare options, and document conversations. But guidance still requires a human who is willing to slow things down and take responsibility for the recommendation.
As markets become more complex and tools more powerful, guidance becomes rarer and more valuable. That’s why agents who lean into this role don’t just survive change. They become indispensable.
About Aaron Stelle
Aaron Stelle is a widely recognized real estate strategist, keynote speaker, and content creator who is currently serving as VP-Growth Architect with Fidelity National Financial.
Aaron works with real estate brokers, agents, and leadership teams across the Northwestern United States and Hawaii, advising on business strategy, marketing systems, technology adoption, and long-term growth planning. He is a frequent keynote speaker and educator, having presented at numerous regional and national events across the country.
In addition to his speaking and consulting work, Aaron is an industry contributor whose insights on real estate strategy, market behavior, and technology trends have been featured through Inman News. His work focuses on helping real estate professionals move beyond tactics and build clear, durable systems that support better decision-making, stronger client relationships, and sustainable growth.