According to HousingWire, real estate leaders gathered at an industry summit to discuss one of the fundamental questions facing housing companies today: should they buy existing AI solutions or build their own from scratch. The speakers brought different perspectives shaped by their own experiences navigating this decision.
Tyler Morton, who owns a real estate brokerage and built his own AI operating system for agents, learned an important lesson from his first attempt at building custom technology. He created a tool designed to improve communication between himself and his agents, but nobody actually used it. The problem wasn't the AI itself, he explained. The real issue was that he had built something to solve his own workflow challenges rather than addressing what his agents actually needed. That failure taught him to listen to his team first and ask what tools would truly help them work better.
When Morton decided to try again, he completely changed his approach. Instead of forcing agents to adopt a new app, he created a system where they could simply text a phone number to get the information they needed. This worked much better because it met agents where they already were in their daily routines. However, Morton recognizes that not everything worth doing requires building from scratch. For common needs that nearly every brokerage faces, buying an established solution usually makes more sense than reinventing something that already exists and works well.
When Morton does decide to buy technology rather than build it, he pays close attention to two critical factors: how vendors handle your data and whether those vendors will actually stick around long term. He shared a cautionary tale about moving his company's operations to Facebook Workplace, only to have the platform discontinued years later. He emphasized the importance of understanding what happens to your data when a vendor decides to discontinue a product, and whether you can even extract and use that information elsewhere.
Brooke Anderson-Tompkins, who advises companies on AI strategy, added another important perspective: even when you purchase a solution, significant work remains to make it function effectively within your specific business. As AI continues advancing rapidly, companies need to think carefully about what tasks they are asking these tools to handle and what safeguards are necessary. She introduced the concept of responsible AI, which she describes as systems that align with your company's mission, values, and risk tolerance while still delivering real business benefits tailored to your unique needs.
What I am seeing locally here in the Bay Area and across the East Bay is that more agents and brokers are starting to experiment with AI in smaller ways rather than waiting for the perfect comprehensive solution. The smartest approach seems to be starting with problems that might save you just a few hours each week, then building from there as you learn what works. The real takeaway is not to get caught up in AI hype for its own sake, but to focus on what your team actually needs and how to deliver it in a way they will genuinely use.
