New York, The Afternoon Of Tuesday, February 3: Some good stuff came out of a panel on data preparedness for large AI projects. Brad Hargreaves of Thesis Driven moderated. It was good to see the first chair warmed by qualified lead.
It’s rare for an event panel to provide the audience with the privilege of listening to smart people simply talk. No memorized taglines or cheap pitches. None of the speakers were oddly uncomfortable or awkward—even for tech guys. I’m going through a big AI data collection project with a brokerage client. The relevancy was there, as was the confirmation that our AI vendor is asking the right questions.
The panelists were Jake Hamilton of Lone Wolf, David Vorhees of Keller Williams, and Drew Thompson of Real. Brokerages need to immediately adjust how they value and handle data if they plan on becoming AI compliant or remaining competitive.
Here are some big thoughts:
Staff and agents/brokers need to understand structured vs. unstructured data
Everyone needs to think “AI first” as they go about their day
Avoid or rectify “vendor lock” (tech partners limiting/hoarding data) as soon as possible
Brokerage data is best summarized as the people, properties, and processes that drive revenue. This spans contacts, sold listings, transaction systems (software and process), and internal structure, such as commission splits, accounting standards, and even lead-gen and marketing tactics.
In the panel winning for “Most Listless Title,” Drew Uher of Homelight, Chris Heller of Place, and Pat Kinsel of Proof chatted about “tech that will actually matter in 2026.”
Rest assured, that subject was not broached. But here’s what they said that I found salient:
Stop committing to the top of the funnel. AI is doing it for you. Marketing. Leads. Follow-up. Delegate all of them to technology.
The middle is what matters. Focus on what happens between contract and close. (Escrow is close to becoming automated, too.)
Home search is now the buyer’s domain. The sooner you give up this fight, the sooner you’ll be better at your job.
In a chat about “turning listings into experiences,” Ryan Coyne wanted you to know the people at Serhant call him “Coyne.” He also wants you to know he works at Serhant. As I type this, he’s probably mentioning it again.
Maybe he’s there for good reason, as he did make the best point of the panel, one I made last year while moderating essentially the same panel. (Pull the tape.)
Psychographics are what’s next in marketing and lead-generation. That is, using the demographic data of recent buyers and sellers to identify your next buyer and seller. Tell an AI as much as you know about them and request a marketing sequence to reach them. Rinse. Repeat.
I know former Keller Williams President Josh Team helped Serhant build out a lot of its platform. It was good to hear another take on this tactic, and that a (very) successful brokerage is leading with tangible AI-supported practices. There’s a reason we know where Coyne works.
In a panel about “digital disruption” moderated by former colleague Patrick Kearns, Rechat’s Shayan Hamidi made a good point about brokerages paying too many “integration taxes” on their current tech-stacks. He’s right.
A lot of the big players don’t like teamplay, while some are starting to join hands. When implementing a big system, don’t relent in your line of vendor questioning regarding work with existing and future systems.
Sasha Hryciuk of Loft47 made me think. She said that “adoption is an honest reflection of value.” I like that. Maybe I need to starting putting more onus on the tech vendors to demonstrate their value post-sale. Do more.
Taylor Anderson and I had silence-inducing Thai at Wondee Siam (53rd and 9th), consuming it like a couple of inebriated mutes. We met Patrick later for a beer at a venue-adjacent whiskey cellar.
My hopes for a reflective chat in a dank New York City basement were dashed by the din of dumb, loud music erupting from the shaded corners. Over the burdensome thump Patrick (Budweiser) told me (Coors Light) that he likes to ask every panelist to offer the audience a reachable task that can help their business. “Take out your pens, or open your notes app … “ This is the kind of moderation that can only come from years of reporting on panels that don’t do that.
Over my shoulder I noticed that aiding and abetting the bartender’s eagerness to up the speaker volume was a cadre of fellow of Connect attendees. Some usual players were present and there was a time where I’d be writing this with a three-course breakfast of musty lobby coffee, liver pain, and self-loathing.
Look at me, making good decisions.