Automatic neighbor relationships (ANR) can be implemented within a radio access network intelligent controller (RIC), which receives load information from network nodes and user equipment measurements from user equipment. The RIC can create and maintain real-time load information and leverage slicing knowledge of neighbor cells during mobility to direct the user equipment to various network slices. Thus, an enhanced radio access network (RAN) neighbor relationship that utilizes slicing information can provide slice level RAN neighbor visibility on top of physical ANR relationships to enable enhancements for mobility management optimization.