5 pieces of content marketing every agent can DIY today

by Alyssa Stalker | Jun 2, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

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Transforming real estate with AI: Key takeaways from the Lone Wolf Proptech Advisory Board

by Kendall Bonner | Jun 2, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

AI is rapidly transforming the real estate industry. To examine its impact, the Lone Wolf Proptech Advisory Board, a group of 28 industry leaders, convened to discuss AI’s applications, challenges, and future.

The discussion highlighted both excitement for its potential and concerns about implementation, underpinned by a united commitment to learning, collaboration and advancing the industry together.

The tools that are saving time right now

Agents everywhere are using AI to cut down on busywork and boost efficiency. Jackie Soto, eHomes Realty broker and leader, shared how her brokerage has implemented Gamma for creating presentation slide decks.

“To save [agents] time and still get the same results, we’ve been driving them to Gamma, which will create the entire slide deck based on your Google Notes,” she explained. This has reduced what was once a time-consuming task to a matter of minutes.

Elmer Morales, also with eHomes, echoed the impact AI is already having. “We are doing everything AI as much as possible just because we’ve discovered how much time it saves,” he said. His team uses tools like Raya for lead follow-up via text and is starting to explore AI-powered voice tools — some of which, he noted, are “starting to sound less like a robot, more like an actual human.”

These innovations guide companies like Lone Wolf in crafting tools that address real agent and broker needs, such as AI-powered communication solutions for easily personalizing messages at scale — even when working with several clients at once.

Collaboration around industry pain points

Nina Dosanjh of Vanguard Properties emphasized Clavis, a tool that uses AI to scan contracts for missing fields, streamlining compliance. She noted, “From a compliance perspective, I can’t tell you how many of our auditors are having to go through every single form to say there’s a signature missing at the bottom of the page,” highlighting its efficiency.

Amy Powell at Engel & Völkers uses ChatGPT “just about every day” for everything from “math calculations” to “creating marketing material,” but she wants better visual integration. This sparked a discussion on bridging that gap, showcasing the board’s collaborative spirit.

Several members also emphasized AI’s potential for email personalization and contact management — key challenges driving the development of Lone Wolf’s Relationships platform, which is built with real agent input to tackle these needs.

Navigating privacy concerns and ethics

While excitement around AI is high, our Proptech Advisory Board didn’t shy away from the hard questions — especially around privacy. Compass broker Andrea Geller put it simply: “There are still things that when you have one-on-one conversations… that are not public record,” emphasizing the need to protect client confidentiality.

Nikki Beauchamp of Sotheby’s International Realty echoed the concern. “I’m fairly reticent about how I would integrate certain AI tools with client-facing activities if there’s going to be that personally identifiable information,” she said. For her, AI is useful for scheduling — not for full client intake.

These concerns highlight the need for secure, centralized communication tools that work seamlessly with platforms like Google and Outlook — something Lone Wolf Relationships is built to deliver.

Maintaining the human element

Our conversation also touched on the risk of over-reliance on AI. Soto cautioned against agents becoming “a little bit too lazy” and not reviewing AI-generated content before sending it, and specifically mentioned the concerning practice of asking AI to counter offers without human oversight.

“AI isn’t meant to take over all of our processes,” Soto emphasized. “It’s supposed to help us. It’s supposed to create something that we supervise afterwards and can edit with our human touch.” This philosophy — that technology should enhance rather than replace human judgment — guided much of our discussion.

Adoption strategies and education

To encourage adoption, Beauchamp suggested starting small, “making it bite-sized so that people start to really adopt it.” Even agents who resist tech are turning to tools like ChatGPT because “it’s creating efficiencies for them … they’re finding themselves more empowered by using it,” she said.

The board emphasized the need for brokerages to establish clear AI usage guidelines. Leaders should outline best practices to leverage AI efficiently while maintaining boundaries. These guidelines must address privacy, fair housing compliance, and oversight of AI-generated content.

Why Lone Wolf Relationships matters now

The future of real estate isn’t about choosing between technology and relationships. It’s about using AI to support what agents already do best. Impactful tools are ones that streamline workflows, improve communication and reveal business insights.

At Lone Wolf, this philosophy directly drives how they build products like Relationships while listening to feedback from industry professionals. Because when tech reflects your day-to-day reality, it makes you better — not busier.

I invite you to explore Lone Wolf Relationships today — and see how it can help you grow your business without losing the human connection.

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Weichert finds opportunity in international expansion

by Weichert Real Estate Affiliates Inc. | Jun 2, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

Today’s real estate professionals are navigating an increasingly complex environment shaped by fluctuating markets and economic uncertainty. While the real estate market isn’t currently where everyone wants it to be, opportunities and success can still be found everywhere — if you have the vision to seek them out. 

A legacy of looking ahead

Jim Weichert founded Weichert, Realtors® over 50 years ago, and since then, the company has steadily grown into one of the largest in the country independent providers of real estate-related services — now known as the Weichert Family of Companies. This extraordinary journey is the product of his vision and constant pursuit of opportunity. 

In his first days as an agent with no clients, Jim handed out business cards every day at the train station. He pioneered the modern open house concept, recognizing what others in the industry had overlooked — the opportunity to turn open houses into “pop-up stores” and engage with more customers. 

He was one of the first to integrate mortgage, title, insurance and home warranty under one roof to simplify the transaction for clients and make Weichert a one-stop shop. His commitment to growing talent led him to establish his own real estate school, helping attract and develop new agents. 

Never content to stand still, Jim went on to build one of the world’s top relocation companies to serve clients moving their workforce, and later, launched a franchising company after realizing that many independent brokerages sought guidance and support to run their businesses. This type of vision has become central to the Weichert story, inspiring a culture of thinking big and always looking for the next opportunity as the company continuously seeks to evolve itself.

New time, new opportunity

Enter the latest frontier for Weichert — international expansion. With a strong brand presence established in the United States, the company was confident its systems and strategies would translate successfully to international markets and began exploring new opportunities for growth. 

One such opportunity emerged across the water from a top brokerage based in Lisbon, Portugal, named HomeLovers. While international brokerages had reached out before, this time was different. It was the right opportunity, at the right time, with the right people in owner Miguel Tilli and his talented team. 

Tilli had a clear vision of what he wanted in a partner: an organization that operates with a people-first philosophy, has a family-like culture, a proven track record of success and an appetite for growth. In the sea of sameness, Tilli saw something different in Weichert. He saw a perfect fit, centered around its strong core values and the opportunity to introduce a fresh brand that wasn’t already established in the Portuguese market. 

The resulting partnership marked the first Weichert international licensing agreement and has sparked inquiries from brokerage owners in other countries, leading Weichert to look at further growth in Europe and throughout the world.

The future is bright

When you’ve been in business as long as Weichert, you’ve seen your share of market ups and downs, and this current cycle is no different. The key to resilience isn’t simply staying the course; it’s having the courage to change course when necessary and the vision to seek out the next opportunity. 

Whether it’s expanding service offerings, investing in professional development, leveraging productive technology or exploring new partnerships and markets — growth and success come to those with a clear vision who actively pursue new opportunities. The Weichert story proves this. 

Looking forward is in our DNA, and the future looks bright and yellow.

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. is a top real estate franchisor established in 2001 by Jim Weichert. The company offers a proven business model for operating, managing and marketing a real estate brokerage. Its franchise network includes over 350 offices, serving markets in over 40 states. Each Weichert franchised office is independently owned and operated.

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NAR President Kevin Sears: Hate speech change unrelated to Trump

by Andrea V. Brambila | Jun 1, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!

The National Association of Realtors is not considering changes to its hate speech policy due to President Donald Trump’s stance against diversity, equity and inclusion, but rather to mitigate its own legal risk, NAR President Kevin Sears told attendees at NAR’s midyear conference Sunday morning.

Sears and NAR CEO Nykia Wright kicked off a session called “The Leadership Scoop” at the Realtors Legislative Meetings in Washington D.C. Thousands of NAR’s most involved members drop in on the nation’s capital once a year to lobby lawmakers on homeownership issues.

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But in their leadership update, Sears and Wright focused on internal NAR happenings, including the latest on potential changes to the Realtor Code of Ethics and a $32 million drop in revenue expected from a membership drop to 1.2 million in 2026.

“I want you to know that the [ethics] recommendation has nothing to do with who is sitting in the White House,” Sears told the ballroom of attendees Sunday.

NAR is considering changing its hate speech policy, called Standard of Practice 10-5, which prohibits Realtors from using “harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The policy, which was approved in 2020, applies to all of a Realtor’s activities, not just those related to real estate. A Realtor that violates the policy is charged under Article 10 of the Code of Ethics, which prohibits denying equal professional services to anyone in those protected classes.

One proposed change would include creating a more specific definition for what counts as “harassment” that aligns with the NAR Member Code of Conduct, which contains extensive examples of prohibited behavior.

Another would be to change the policy’s applicability so that Realtors would be encouraged, but not required, to follow the policy “in all of their activities.” Disciplinary action would be reserved for violations that took place while Realtors were acting in a business capacity.

NAR’s Professional Standards Committee will consider the proposed changes at its next meeting on Tues. June 3 and, if approved, the proposals will be considered by NAR’s board of directors at their meeting on Thurs. June 5.

According to Sears, the proposed changes aren’t a reaction to Trump but rather are years in the making. NAR began hearing from some local Realtor associations in 2023 complaining about the ambiguity in some of the wording in the policy, he said.

“We’ve got 1,100 local associations, which means we could have 1,100 different interpretations of the rule,” Sears said.

Sears joked that NAR had “some other stuff going on” in 2023 — likely a reference to the Sitzer | Burnett trial that NAR lost and led to a $418 million antitrust settlement in March 2023. Later that year, Wright hired outside counsel to conduct a legal risk assessment of NAR’s current rules and policies, including its ethics code.

“We were already aware of some issues that were percolating because of Standard of Practice 10-5 and because of that, last summer, we began the conversation about ‘Okay, well, what do we need to do in order to help solve the problem [and] remove some liability, not only for our local associations, but for our volunteer leaders?’” Sears said.

Wright chimed in with a note on DEI.

“For some reason, around the country, there’s a rumor that I have single-handedly dismantled DEI,” Wright said, prompting some chuckles in the audience.

“I don’t know if people see my complexion and recognize me as a woman,” she added, prompting more laughter.

“But that could not be further from the truth. What we are continuing to do internally is make sure that we have the best-in-class staff to get us through today’s transactions and tomorrow’s transactions.” The crowd applauded.

According to Wright, NAR’s advocacy team “over the past several years has really ramped up a significant part of fair housing,” a law that she stressed predates 2020 and the death of George Floyd, which prompted many companies to commit to boosting their DEI efforts.

“[Fair housing] is what all of the alliance groups are coming to us and saying that they want more of, just in a different sort of nomenclature,” Wright said.

She said she wanted to be “very clear about that,” especially in light of NAR’s diminished financial circumstances.

“Yesterday, when NAR had a lot of money, we were a lot of things to a lot of people,” Wright said.

“What we have to do right now is pick our bets. When you look at the fact that we balanced the budget for the first time in the last 10 to 15 years last year, and when you look at what we are trying to do next year, there is a possibility that we have to pull another $32 million out of the budget.

“Kevin has always said that everything has to be affected in terms of an equitable fashion, but we’re not going to cripple anything,” Wright continued.

“Fair housing, DEI, has not been crippled. We are just trying to be more strategic and talk to stakeholders and understanding how we are placing our bets.”

“I feel bad about how people think that we have dismantled DEI,” she added.

She also emphasized that people are asking NAR for more transparency in how the association spends its money.

“So all of our transactions, all of our sponsorships, all of our ability to hand out member money, must have a better form of accountability and transparency in how we are spending those dollars,” Wright said.

Wright pointed out that NAR had hired a consulting firm, Slalom, to survey more than 75,000 members about what they wanted post-settlement and also to help NAR’s Strategic Planning Committee.

“People have been doing strategic planning work over the last few years, and at the committee, they’ve been doing great work, but it has not been tethered to the organization,” Wright said.

“It’s been disjointed. You would see a strategic plan online, but no one internally was marching towards those efforts.

“So right now, we are bringing those together, and they were actually on site yesterday, doing really incredible work, and will be here throughout the rest of the week to help us better understand our purpose.”

She also highlighted the addition of Jarrod Grasso as NAR’s first-ever senior vice president of industry relations as “so significant that it cannot be overstated” and that he and his team are in charge of breaking down “silos” internally at the trade group.

“Yes, you can say that we are strong in advocacy,” Wright said.

“Yes, you can say that we are strong in research. Yes, you can say that we are getting stronger in education and training. But you should also be able to not just cherry-pick specific aspects of the business, but understand how NAR brings the entire house to the transaction to help people go forward.”

Some in the crowd yelled “Yeah! Yeah!” in agreement.

Wright continued. “We are and should be the base camp of the industry. Regardless of what company you work for, at the end of the day, you should always be able to come back to NAR and understand how you can move to your next company, how you can move to the next tier in terms of profitability, how you can start your own brokerage… That is the true North.”

Wright noted that NAR has a new general counsel, Jon Waclawski, who is leading NAR’s effort towards “de-risking the portfolio” and said she wanted NAR to be “the first voice” to talk about what NAR is doing.

“You should be able to come to NAR to understand what the de-risking of the portfolio is, not listening to chatter out there, swapping ignorance on social media, but understanding exactly what we are doing,” Wright said.

Her comments spurred applause and laughter. One woman in the crowd declared, “She’s a badass.”

Regarding 2026’s expected revenue shortfall, Sears noted that for 2025, NAR had budgeted for fewer members — 1.4 million — and had cut nearly $20 million in expenses this year to account for that. For 2026, NAR expects “continued contraction on membership” and is therefore budgeting for 1.2 million members, according to Sears.

Since that means trimming an additional $32 million from the budget, Sears said the leadership team asked NAR’s staff to conduct a similar process to last year where cuts would “hurt us all equally.”

“We need to be able to maintain the products and tools and services and especially the advocacy that we’ve all come to expect, and I believe that in the budget that we’re presenting to the board on Thursday, you will see that,” Sears said.

Sears emphasized that NAR will not be raising dues after hearing from large brokerages who were left out of the antitrust settlement.

“Unfortunately, as part of the settlement, there was a carve-out of approximately 92 or 96 brokerages, and so they’ve had to negotiate their own settlement, and rightfully so, they’re upset now,” Sears said.

“We broke their trust overnight, and now we have slowly trying to rebuild it. One thing we heard loud and clear is: ‘Don’t increase dues. We can’t do it on our end. You shouldn’t do it on your end.’”

Consequently, NAR will instead take about $10 per member from its $45 per member special assessment for its consumer ad campaign to fund its budget and make sure that NAR can make its next, $72 million settlement payment by February 24, 2026, Sears and Wright said.

NAR can do this because at NAR’s annual conference last November, the NAR Executive Committee approved a motion that advocacy and consumer advertising campaign reserves “be used to fund NAR’s settlement obligations … and that the board designation for these funds be suspended for the duration of the settlement period.”

Wright also noted that at least 22 state Realtor associations around the country have their own consumer ad campaign budgets.

“So what we should be doing is leveraging the three-way agreement and working together to make sure … we are managing that at the local level, and that we are able to provide resources where we need them to be,” Wright said.

Inman has asked NAR for its current membership count and will update this story if and when a response is received.

The session ended with a brief presentation from Grasso on rebuilding relationships with local and state associations, the value of the three-way agreement, and the value of the Realtor brand. He displayed graphics NAR had created in the past week to illustrate that value.

Jarrod Grasso at “The Leadership Scoop” session at the Realtors Legislative Meetings in Washington D.C. on June 1, 2025

“Local associations: They are the boots on the ground. They’re the main point of contact. They are the foundation of our organization, and I wanted to make sure that I emphasize key components of what they do to bring value to the membership,” Grasso said.

“State associations back up those local associations, provide enhanced value, but also have strategic partnerships when it comes to our lobbying efforts on specific state issues.”

“The National Association of Realtors: We bring more value and connect all three levels,” he continued.

“We’ve got [NAR Chief  Advocacy Officer] Shannon McGahn and her amazing team and the work that you’re going to do today and this week up on the Hill, making sure that we emphasize the issues that are impacting us.”

Graphic presented by Jarrod Grasso at “The Leadership Scoop” session at the Realtors Legislative Meetings in Washington D.C. on June 1, 2025

“The three way agreement is a true value,” he added.

“It’s part of the ecosystem. It’s what we bring to the members, and it’s a unique value that no other industry truly has.”

Email Andrea V. Brambila.

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Trending: Agents, it’s time to show your face (and find your voice)

by Jessi Healey | Jun 1, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

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The open house system that generates leads like clockwork

by Jimmy Burgess | Jun 1, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!

In a time when many agents are struggling with high lead costs and low conversion rates, broker Josh Ries out of South Dakota has developed a system that uses one of the oldest tools in the book: open houses.

“If you’re wondering how to get face-to-face with more buyer and seller prospects, open houses are one of the best ways to do it,” Ries said in a recent interview. “And when done right, they generate real results.”

He isn’t speaking in theory. His strategy is consistently generating prospects, and it’s designed to be repeatable. From content planning to signage, every step of his process is intentional.

Where it all began

Ries’s background in digital marketing started early. At 13, he was already running Google Ads for local businesses. That background helped him later when, after getting his real estate license in 2016, he and his wife discovered their business had a profitability problem.

“We were selling homes, but we weren’t making money. Our lead generation and nurture costs were too high,” he explained.

That’s when he tore everything down and rebuilt it with one goal: reduce acquisition cost and boost conversion through efficient, repeatable strategies. Open houses became a core part of that system.

The secret is in the setup

Once a listing is secured, Ries and his team skip the standard “just listed” and “open house” posts on social media. These posts and promotions are driven by educational short-form content. They identify unique or compelling aspects of the home and create videos around those features. They also tell stories about the different rooms and features and how the current family enjoys these areas of the home.

These videos serve two purposes:

• They boost listing exposure by aligning with keyword-driven, SEO-style content.
• They promote the home, and in turn the open house, in a more engaging, curiosity-piquing way.

Targeted marketing with social science

Every post and video is created based on Google keyword research. That ensures the messaging resonates with what people in that market are actually searching for. Social platforms are chosen based on where the ideal buyer is most likely to engage — whether that’s YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or another channel.

Ries avoids trends or “viral” styles and instead focuses on lasting visibility through search. Google keyword research can be extensive, but an easy way to identify what people are searching for is to go to the Google search bar and type in [Your City] home features and benefits. 

Once you press search, Google now provides an AI overview of the most desirable features and benefits for your area. The list of desirable features and benefits provides a simple way to identify the features you should highlight in your social content and promotion of the home.

The neighborhood packet

Before the open house, Ries assembles a “neighborhood packet” that includes:

• An MLS sheet with the home’s specs
• QR codes to the educational videos created about the home and the neighborhood
• Local stats and seller-friendly insights

These packets are distributed while door-knocking in the area prior to the open house. The goal is to drive traffic to the open house and also build curiosity and seller leads.

If they are too busy to door-knock the neighborhood, they send the packet as a mailer (with those same QR codes). This helps get better reach than traditional open house flyers.

Day-of: A high-tech, low-pressure experience

Ries uses QR codes throughout the house during the open. Each code links to a video explaining the amenity or room where the QR code is located. At the entrance, visitors find a table with the home info flyer, the neighborhood packet and a buyer’s guide.

Ries never forces people to sign in. Instead, he positions himself in the kitchen and lets visitors tour at their own pace. If it feels natural, he offers to text or email a video version of the buyer’s guide or the home’s details.

Tools and tactics that elevate the experience

Ries emphasizes branding consistency across QR codes, packets and social media.

He recommends:

• Using the same headshot and style across materials
• Including platform logos (YouTube, Instagram) next to QR codes to boost click-through rates
• Leveraging pattern interrupts, such as unusual signs or offers, to draw attention

He also uses social platforms as digital resumes. “The content we drive them to should prove what we promise. It shows we’re out there, actively doing the work.”

The follow-up most agents skip

After the open house, Ries doesn’t just debrief with the seller — he has a system for following up with the prospects that visited the home, utilizing Instagram’s connection to your contact list to drive prospect awareness of him. Instagram has stated that when you connect your Instagram account to your mobile device’s contact list, it will use your contacts to help you connect with people on Instagram in that list. 

Ries said the first thing he does after the open house is that he adds the prospect to his contact list, including their phone number and email address. He then follows the prospect on social media. He utilizes a video text the afternoon after the open house to thank the prospects for attending, including a contact card they can save. 

If he hasn’t heard from the prospects within three days after the open house, he follows up with a phone call. He stated they often tell him that ever since the open house, they have been seeing all his posts on social media, which he credits to this process.

After-the-sale neighborhood follow-up

Once the home is sold, he revisits the neighborhood. He door-knocks the neighborhood again with details about the sale, along with a seller’s guide. This compounds his efforts from the original open house and creates brand awareness for him and his team as neighborhood experts.

A system that converts

Ries’s open house system solves multiple problems. It gives agents a way to generate buyer leads affordably. It enhances seller marketing with modern tools, and it provides tangible proof of value during listing presentations.

Whether you’re in a hot market or a slow one, this process works. And for agents or team leaders struggling with profitability, it might be the refresh they didn’t know they needed.

You can connect with Josh Ries on Instagram or on TikTok.

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