At this year’s RISMedia Conference, industry leaders came together to solve challenges and share strategies for navigating paths forward. Across keynote addresses and panels, a clear message emerged: The future of real estate will be built on two essential pillars, data-driven strategy and unshakable trust.
Representing Luxury Presence at the event, Director of Business Development, Drew Wilke reflected on the recurring themes he heard throughout the conference.
“What struck me most was the alignment between technology and relationships,” Wilke said. “This year’s conversations were all about balance. AI will never replace agents, but those who fail to adopt it risk falling behind. When used well, these tools help agents create deeper, more meaningful connections with their clients.”
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Building for scale with data and technology
Leading one of the largest global real estate networks, Sue Yannaccone, president and CEO of Anywhere Brands, spoke about the operational challenges of managing 18,000 offices and 300,000 sales associates across 120 countries.
Yannaccone emphasized the need for a mindset evolution within brokerages, calling for a shift from gut feelings to data-driven decision-making, noting that layering data over experience allows leaders to anticipate market changes, allocate resources effectively, and equip agents with actionable insights.
Her company processes 15,000 documents daily, underscoring the scale and complexity of modern real estate transactions. By integrating technology into every stage of the process, she explained, brokerages can free agents to focus on what truly matters: Guiding clients through some of the most important decisions of their lives.
Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in this evolution. “AI presents limitless opportunities for the industry,” Yannaccone said, while stressing that these tools should augment human capabilities rather than replacing them.
While AI is changing everything, Sue Yannaccone points out that it’s also “changing nothing in a lot of ways.” The core of the real estate business remains the same: Competition is not against the technology itself, but against other professionals who have access to the same tools.
As she states, “technology hasn’t replaced agents, but agents that use technology effectively are going to replace the ones that don’t.” The true advantage lies in leveraging these tools to be the best in the market.
This balance was echoed during a separate AI in Real Estate panel, where Rajeev Sajja shared that his company achieved a 35% productivity improvement after adopting AI to automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows. These real-world results illustrate how technology can effectively create space for agents to focus on relationships and strategy.
Recruiting, retention, and cultural alignment
Yannaccone also addressed growth through recruitment and acquisitions. Her organization achieved a 31% year-over-year increase in recruiting, with retention rates consistently between 95% and 98%. These results, she explained, stem from a focus on values and culture, not just metrics.
When considering mergers and acquisitions, Yannaccone emphasized that cultural alignment and financial viability must go hand in hand. Expansion without shared values risks eroding trust and weakening long-term success.
Wilke said this message resonated strongly with him. “Hearing Sue talk about growth through alignment really stood out,” he said. “It’s not just about numbers, it’s about making sure agents and clients feel connected to something bigger.”
The trust crisis in real estate
While Yannaccone focused on data and systems, Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, tackled an equally urgent issue: Trust.
She began her keynote with a stark statistic: “Only 20% of consumers trust real estate agents.”
This trust deficit, she explained, affects every interaction in the industry, from initial consultations to closings.
To illustrate the emotional impact of trust, Freedman contrasted two personal experiences. At a hotel gym, she encountered a self-serve snack station built on the honor system, which made her feel valued and respected.
The next day, at a New York City drugstore, she found every item locked behind glass, requiring repeated requests for assistance. These moments, she said, reflect how trust, or the lack of it, shapes consumer behavior and perceptions.
“Our industry has prioritized volume over values and production over process,” Freedman said. This transactional focus, she warned, has distanced agents from the people they serve.
Radical transparency and purposeful technology
Freedman outlined three strategies for rebuilding trust: Radical transparency, redefining the agent role, and using technology with intention.
On transparency, she was direct. “People don’t want to hear sales pitches. They want honesty,” she said. Agents must be willing to address commissions, market realities, and client concerns candidly, even when those conversations are difficult.
On technology, Freedman echoed Yannaccone’s belief that tools should enhance human relationships. “Tech should simplify the client experience, not replace the human one,” she said. Technology should create clarity and efficiency while allowing agents to remain deeply present with their clients.
Wilke reflected on this point as a key takeaway. “Hearing Bess talk about radical transparency really resonated with me,” he said. “The right technology isn’t just about efficiency. It should empower more honest, human conversations between agents and their clients. That same trust has to exist between brokerages and their tech partners, which is why our mission at Luxury Presence is to serve as a dependable, relationship-driven partner for the brokers and agents we support.”
Connecting marketing, data, and trust
The conference also featured a Marketing Revamp session, which tied these themes together. Panelists discussed how consumer behavior has shifted toward instant gratification and personalization.
Real estate marketing must evolve to keep pace. This includes leveraging CRM systems and AI-driven tools to mine data for insights, personalize outreach, and engage consumers with targeted storytelling. The message echoed Freedman’s emphasis on trust: Modern marketing succeeds when it blends authentic narratives with data-driven precision.
“Random marketing is out. Targeted, integrated campaigns are the new standard,” one panelist noted. This shift mirrors the broader industry move toward meaningful, measurable interactions.
Where data and trust intersect
Across sessions, one theme stood out: Data and trust are not opposing forces. They are interdependent. Data provides the insights and scalability brokerages need to thrive in a competitive landscape. Trust ensures those systems are grounded in authentic, human relationships.
As Wilke summarized, “It’s clear that the brokerages who will thrive are the ones who integrate cutting-edge tools with a culture of care. That’s exactly the space where we partner with our clients, helping them use technology to elevate, not replace relationships.”
Building a future-ready brokerage
For brokers and agents, success in the coming years will hinge on embracing both innovation and integrity. Those who combine operational excellence with emotional intelligence will set the standard for the next generation of real estate leadership.
Luxury Presence provides the platform and expertise to help real estate leaders achieve that balance. From data-driven marketing tools to stunning websites that inspire trust, our solutions empower you to grow your business while staying connected to what matters most: Your clients.
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Agents using Luxury Presence grew sales nearly 2x faster than their peers, increased sold listings by 6%, and closed over $300B in transactions. Ready to grow your business? Let us show you how.
