Real Estate Firms Turn Customer Conversations Into AI Insights

AI can record resident conversations, help qualify prospects and bring buyers into virtual property tours. But as real estate companies automate more of their operations, the competitive advantage may still come down to what their teams do with that information—and whether customers trust them when it is time to make a decision.

For commercial real estate owners and operators, that puts the focus on using AI to improve service without weakening the relationships behind it. At the recent Blueprint conference in Las Vegas, panelists described how they use the technology for resident engagement, touring, and prospect research, while keeping people involved where accuracy and judgment matter most.

Put Customer Conversations To Work

Courtney Cooper, a partner at Alate and head of myVenture at myAbode, said she is using AI to improve onsite operations, including resident engagement and touring. Recorded conversations give her team material that AI can analyze to better understand customers.

Cheryl King, vice president of business development and operations at Fidelity, described another shift in how her team gathers information: She is moving away from prospect surveys and relying instead on AI to tell the team more about prospective customers.

Those applications put AI to work on information gathered through customer interactions. But the results' usefulness depends on what goes into the system.

As Cooper put it, "It's gold in and gold out."

She also cautioned that users need to be deliberate about what they ask AI to do. Without a clear purpose, getting the information they need can take more time, not less.

"Always think about your intention behind what you're searching for," Cooper said.

Keep People In The Service Equation

Understanding customers through data is not the same as knowing when they need a person. Cooper said her residents want someone to talk to about maintenance needs rather than handling those interactions through AI.

Her advice leaves room for a straightforward alternative to a digital exchange: "When in doubt, pick up the phone and call me."

The panel made a similar distinction about property recommendations. An AI tool might identify a particular home, but an agent who knows more about a prospect's circumstances may recommend something better suited to that person.

That is where relationships remain central to the business. Technology can help teams gather and process information, but the panelists emphasized the value of human judgment in interpreting what a customer needs.

Faster Work Raises Expectations

The promise of saving time comes with a complication: Greater efficiency does not necessarily mean a lighter workload.

Lisa Nickerson, CEO of Infinityy, said AI is helping real estate professionals work faster, but they are not working less.

"Instead, expectations about what we can deliver are increasing."

Nickerson said the speed of AI's development can intimidate users and leave some struggling to keep up. Even those who adopt it can become frustrated when a chatbot misunderstands a request.

Accuracy presents another concern. Nickerson warned that housing information delivered by ChatGPT is not always correct and urged users to check local property sources.

"Trust the MLS," she said. "Look for local data that was provided by the owner. This will show the actual amenities and the locational information."

Her warning underscores a limit to faster information gathering: Teams still need to verify what they receive before relying on it.

Make Virtual Tours More Collaborative

Infinityy is applying AI to another time-consuming part of the business: helping agents and buyers explore properties together without meeting onsite.

Its immersive platform lets agents tour homes and explore neighborhoods virtually with buyers, who can join from different locations. Agents can move through a property while prospects follow the shared view and speak directly with them.

The platform also lets buyers share videos, images and property information with family and friends through a real-time, Zoom-like experience. That brings other people involved in the purchase decision into the conversation.

"That means fewer wasted showings, better-qualified leads, and more space in your day," Nickerson said.

The platform's approach reflects the broader theme of the discussion: Use technology to make interactions more efficient, while preserving the direct access to people that helps customers evaluate a property and make a decision.