The buzz around Artificial Intelligence (AI) can feel a little deafening. Everywhere you look, there’s a new tool promising to revolutionize your life, write your listing descriptions in Shakespearean sonnet form, or predict the exact moment a lead is ready to buy.
It’s exciting, but it’s also overwhelming. You got into real estate to connect with people and help them find their dream homes, not to become a prompt engineer or a software developer.
But here’s the reality check we all need: AI isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s quickly becoming the dividing line between agents who are burning out and agents who are scaling up.
If you missed our recent webinar, “AI Meets ROI: Build a Real Estate CRM That Grows Your Biz With You,” you missed a masterclass on navigating this shift. Hosted by Tina Lapp, Head of Industry Relations at Colibri Real Estate, the session featured a dynamic father-son duo: Mark Stepp, a legend in real estate tech (he’s built two major CRMs over the last 35 years), and Cody Stepp, a second-generation technologist with a passion for innovation.
Together, they broke down exactly how to stop fearing the robot and start using it to reclaim your time. The goal isn’t to let a computer run your business; it’s to build a system that supports your life so you can focus on what matters—friends, family, hobbies, and closing deals.
Whether you’re a brand-new licensee or a broker with decades of experience, understanding the intersection of AI and ROI is your next big milestone.
Key Takeaways
- Own Your Relationships: Ensure your CRM allows you to export your contact data so you can take it with you if you switch brokerages, protecting your long-term business assets.
- Keep Humans in the Loop: Use AI to draft emails, workflows, and content, but always review and approve the output to maintain your authentic voice and accuracy.
- Focus on Experience: Leverage automation to handle routine tasks so you can dedicate more time to providing world-class, personalized service that drives referrals.
- Leverage Don’t Panic: Move out of the “denial” or “panic” stages of AI adoption and embrace it as a tool to scale your efficiency and reclaim your time.
The Three Buckets of AI Adoption
Mark Stepp laid it out clearly: when it comes to AI in real estate, you are likely sitting in one of three buckets.
First, there’s the Denial Bucket. These are the agents hoping that AI is just a fad, like 3D TVs or low-rise jeans. They want nothing to do with AI. Unfortunately, this is a dangerous place to be. As the industry evolves, those who refuse to adapt risk obsolescence—not because AI will replace them, but because agents using AI will run circles around them.
Second, there’s the Panic Bucket. This is where the anxiety lives. “Will I lose my job? Is ChatGPT going to steal my clients? Am I already behind?” Panic is paralyzing. It stops you from making strategic moves because you’re too busy worrying about the hypothetical apocalypse of the industry.
Finally, there is the Leverage Bucket. This is the sweet spot. This is where you realize AI is just a tool, a powerful lever that allows you to lift heavy tasks with minimal effort. Agents in this bucket understand that AI handles the grunt work (data entry, drafting, scheduling), so they can be the “human in the loop.” They use technology to enhance their relationships, not replace them.
Are you ready to elevate your real estate career with the power of AI? Most agents are still unsure how to effectively leverage AI in their businesses—but you don’t have to be one of them.
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Get the REAIS Certification for free or at a discounted rate, along with complete access to all Continuing Education (CE) courses for your state, with Colibri’s CE membership.
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Green Flags and Red Flags: Choosing Your Tech Stack
Not all CRMs (Customer Relationship Management systems) are created equal. If you’re shopping for a new system or evaluating your current one, Mark and Cody shared some crucial “green flags” and “red flags” to watch for.
The Red Flags 🚩
Be wary of systems that slap a “Now with AI!” sticker on a clunky, outdated database. A chatbot sitting on top of a messy spreadsheet isn’t innovation; it’s a headache. Another major red flag is a system without guardrails. “Set it and forget it” sounds great until your AI hallucinates and sends a nonsensical email to a luxury lead. You need a system that drafts content for you while allowing you to review it before sending.
The Green Flags ✅
Data Ownership: This is non-negotiable. If you’re using a CRM provided by your brokerage, ask yourself: If I leave tomorrow, do my relationships come with me? You need a system where you own your data. Portability is power.
True Workflow Automation: Look for a system that doesn’t just store phone numbers but actually builds workflows for you. Can the AI suggest a 10-day nurture campaign for first-time homebuyers and then build the emails, texts, and reminders instantly? That is the standard you should be looking for.
The CORE Framework
To realize ROI from your tech, you need to apply it across the four pillars of your business. Mark introduced the CORE framework: Conversions, Operations, Retention, and Experience.
Conversions: moving beyond “low-hanging fruit”
Paying for leads is the “low-hanging fruit” of the industry. Anyone with a credit card can do it. The real magic happens in how you nurture those leads. Cody Stepp emphasized becoming a local expert to drive organic conversions. Are you the go-to person for the best new restaurants in St. Louis? Do you have the ultimate guide to the local school district?
AI can help you generate these “lead magnets.” Instead of staring at a blinking cursor, you can use an AI-native CRM (like the Stepps’ “SAM” system) to generate a guide on “Downsizing for Seniors” or “First-Time Buyer Mistakes.”
You answer a few questions about your voice and niche, and the system creates the content. You polish it, make it pretty, and suddenly, you have a value-packed resource that brings leads to you.
Take a peek at the SAM system discussed in the webinar:
Operations: don’t drop the ball
Once a lead becomes a client, you enter the Operations phase. This is contract-to-close. It’s deadline-driven and stressful. A good CRM acts as your safety net. It ensures that inspections aren’t missed, contingencies are met, and communication is seamless.
The “Human in the Loop” concept is vital here. You want AI to draft the updates and reminders, but you need to be the one to ensure the tone is right. Automation should never feel robotic. It should feel like you on your best, most organized day.
Retention and experience: the long game
Real estate doesn’t have a monthly repeat cycle. You might not see that client again for seven years. How do you stay top-of-mind without being annoying?
This is where “Experience” leads to “Retention.” If you give a client a world-class experience, where they feel guided, informed, and cared for, they become a walking billboard for your business. AI helps you maintain that relationship during the long gap between transactions.
Imagine a “Stale Contact Rescue” routine. You have hundreds of names in your database that you haven’t touched in months. An AI workflow can scan that list and draft personalized check-ins. It might notice a contact loves Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (because you noted it) and suggest a message referencing that hobby. That level of personalization at scale is impossible to do manually, but it’s effortless with the right tech.
Watch how Mark Stepp leverages his CRM to personalize messaging at a deeper level:
Stop Typing, Start Connecting
The biggest takeaway from the webinar? You don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need to be willing to evolve. Tools like “Sam” (Systems Accelerator Manager) are being built to bridge the gap between complex prompt engineering and user-friendly design. They are designed to ask you the right questions, so you don’t have to guess what to ask the AI.
If you are feeling the pressure of a shifting market, remember that technology is the great equalizer. It allows a solo agent to operate with the efficiency of a massive team. It allows you to produce high-quality content, manage complex transactions, and nurture thousands of relationships without burning the candle at both ends.
Don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you in the “Denial” or “Panic” buckets. Jump into the “Leverage” bucket. Your future self, the one with a thriving business and free time on the weekends, will thank you.
Ready to move from “Panic” to “Leverage”? Don’t let the complexity of new technology hold you back from the success you deserve. Our exclusive webinar replay dives deep into how agents like you are using AI to reclaim their weekends while scaling their business.
Discover the specific tools and frameworks that bridge the gap between technical prompt engineering and intuitive, user-friendly design. Watch now to unlock the insights you need to automate your growth and lead a more balanced, empowered career.
