No one can seem to agree on just what AI will mean for the future, but all can agree that the future will look very, very different from today. That uncertainty has been felt at the core of the real estate industry for a long while, largely because the change is happening right now. How are agents meant to prepare for such an incalculable future?
As always, the best course of action is to stay educated. Instead of dreading an unknown which lurks in the shadows, go ahead and cast a light on it. Agents should avoid the fearmongers — or anyone else making unsubstantiated claims — and instead come to understand first-hand the forces that will shape the industry’s future.
Conferences and courses on new proptechs are abundant, and likely worth the investment. At the same time not all the voices in print and on the web are unfounded fearmongers, and finding the ones that know what they’re talking about offers a cost-free, real-time alternative to more traditional forms of education. Below is a starting list of five voices who say it as it is, and who will help clarify a cloudy future for real estate technology.
1. Mike DelPrete, Real Estate Strategist
Executive Director of the Arizona Real Estate Investors Association (AZREIA), Mike DelPrete is one of the biggest names in real estate technology, and for good reason. DelPrete has worked and traveled extensively with the companies that have been developing, releasing and using major proptechs throughout recent years. That, combined with his continued research, teaching, investment and advisement, makes DelPrete’s insights well worth listening to — a stance corroborated by the major media outlets in which he so often features.
Follow DelPrete online at linkedin.com/in/mdelprete/.
2. Maurice Conti, Futurist
Founder of Applied Intelligence LLC, Maurice Conti is an all-around fascinating individual with a host of achievements and abilities, not least of which are the status, knowledge and skillset that come with being one of the world’s leading futurists. He is in many aspects the man to follow when it comes to AI generally, and his insights about the future are well-informed. If Nike, Tesla, Disney, Google and the Navy Seals, among others, are willing to trust his expertise, real estate agents have reason to do the same.
Follow Conti online at linkedin.com/in/mauriceconti/ or twitter.com/ mauriceconti.
3. Marian Croak, Inventor
Marian Croak is a titan in the field of technology. Currently working as a vice president of engineering at Google, and with 200 patents to her name, Croak’s voice is not one to be missed. Her particular focus on bettering urban life — she developed technologies to donate via text in response to Hurricane Katrina and created the VoIP system that allows for modern remote working — makes her especially relevant to agents keeping a pulse on the technologies of tomorrow.
Follow Croak at linkedin.com/in/marian-croak-926361bb/.
4. RJ Pittman, Executive
RJ Pittman is chairman and CEO of Matterport, which offers innovative 3D virtual tour technology for real estate professionals. With a rich background that includes pivotal roles at eBay, Apple and Google, and as the co-founder and CEO of Groxis, he has been at the forefront of developing transformative digital solutions. Pittman’s expertise in creating innovative products and Internet software companies offers valuable insights into how AI is reshaping the real estate industry. His perspective is crucial for agents seeking to understand and adapt to the evolving proptech landscape.
Follow Pittman online at linkedin.com/in/rjpittman/ or twitter.com/rjpittman.
5. Nav Athwal, Land Use Attorney
Today, Nav Athwal is managing director at Terra Ag Ventures, a major farmland investment manager, who also happens to invest in proptech startups. On his way there, Athwal founded RealtyShares, a platform that allows for “crowdfunded” real estate investment, and irreversibly reshaped the business. With over a decade of experience in hands-on real estate — as a proptech engineer, among other things — Athwal knows his way around real estate technology. Lending an ear to his insights would be worth any agent’s time.
Follow Athwal online at linkedin.com/in/navathwal/ or twitter.com/navathwal.
In Conclusion
While buzzwords like “AI” and “proptech” may induce real estate agents to run and hide, few can deny that the change is real, and that it’s happening today. In a world where the best guesses about tomor- row are only that, agents must know which voices to heed and which to disregard. Educating themselves thoroughly is the starting point, of course, and no single voice should ever be taken as gospel. But the five leaders listed above have the résumés to prove that they’ve seen a thing or two in the past, and in all likelihood, they know a thing or two about the future. To the vigilant real estate agent, standing on the shoulders of giants is a sure way to rise above the fog.
Curtis Williams is a land investment professional with National Land Realty licensed in Virginia and based in Washington, D.C. The com- pany’s proprietary 360-degree viewing technology, Land Tour 360, as well as its GIS land mapping system, LandBase, is offered for free to the public.