[T]echnology: Geeking Out with Brandon Doyle
[E]ducation: Don't Pop the Champagne Yet
[C]oaching: Control Your Controllables
[H]ow To: Know When To Use AI
[T]echnology: Geeking Out with Brandon Doyle
Brandon Doyle joined me on Agent After Hours, and we nerded out for almost 40 minutes. If you don't know Brandon… he's on a father-son team in the Twin Cities, writes a smart home column for REALTOR Magazine, and has toured more than 250 model homes on his YouTube channel.
The line that stuck with me… "I don't log into my CRM anymore." 🤯
Brandon runs his business through Claude. It sets up his week on Monday. It sends his clients a recap on Friday. It finds holes in his database, like contacts missing an email. And every time he posts a video, it repurposes it for Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
His best tip is simple… use Projects. A Project is a separate workspace inside Claude, so each part of your business gets its own lane. Without them, everything bleeds together. Brandon caught his smart home content showing up in places it didn't belong.
His advice if you haven't started yet? Skip the fancy prompts and just have a conversation with it. Then spend the time you get back on real human moments. Record a quick personal video congratulating a client on a new baby instead of sending another "just checking in" text.
AI buys you time. Spend it on people. 🧑🤝🧑
[E]ducation: Don't Pop the Champagne Yet
Real estate stocks had a big day after Tuesday's midterms. Opendoor jumped 15.5%. Real REMAX Group was up 11.8%. Zillow climbed 10%. Most other brokerage and real estate stocks rose somewhere between 5% and 8%.
Before anyone gets too excited… a lot of these same companies are still down more than 50% over the past year. Some are down more than 70%. One good day doesn't erase that.
So why the bounce? Investors aren't betting on a housing bill. They're betting on energy prices. Back in issue 192 we talked about energy pushing inflation up… and inflation is a big reason 30-year rates sat above 7% through September and October. If energy costs come down, inflation cools, and rates have room to follow.
That's a big "if." Jake Krimmel, senior economist at Realtor.com, put it simply… "Wanting the conflict to end, and finding terms that work for all involved are two different things."
The forecast hasn't changed much either. Affordability is still expected to be a strong headwind for buyers through the end of this year and possibly into 2027.
Stock prices are a guess about the future. Your buyers aren't buying stock… they're buying a monthly payment. And a rally on Wall Street doesn't change what that payment looks like in your zip code this weekend. 💰💰
Wall Street moves on headlines. Your buyers move on payments.
Zillow and a handful of other big names report earnings this week, so expect more swings. Real Estate News has the full story.
[C]oaching: Control Your Controllables
Sticker and theme of this section courtesy of Jenifer Morin.
This week I spoke at an event in Richmond, Virginia, and the whole conversation kept coming back to the basics.
You can't control the results of the election. You can't control interest rates. You can't control what Wall Street does with the headlines.
But three things are always yours.
Attitude… Your buyers and sellers are already nervous about rates and the news. They don't need an agent who's nervous too. How you show up on that first call 📲 sets the tone for the whole deal.
Effort… The market decides how hard it is. You decide how many calls you make, how many people you sit down with, and how fast you follow up. When business slows down, a lot of agents pull back… which makes effort the easiest place to stand out.
Energy… People feel it at a showing, on a listing appointment, even in a text. Protect it. Like Brandon said up top, use the time you get back on people, not doomscrolling.
None of these cost a dime. None of them need a new app. And none of them care what the Fed does next month.
You can't control the market. You can control how you show up to it.
[H]ow To: Know When To Use AI
Something interesting is happening with AI. I’m starting to see businesses use their lack of AI-generated content as a way to go viral. Two recent examples are Prada’s holiday ad and the viral TikToks of local business owners holding up handwritten signs stating that they won’t be using AI, but instead are sticking to good old-fashioned pen and paper to advertise their businesses.
Check out Prada’s holiday ad, and while you’re at it, read the comments…💬
Did you catch the title specifically stating “drawn by hand”? I think we’re going to start seeing a lot more of this type of labeling as businesses use it to boost their appeal and stand out from AI-generated content.
Another trend I’ve been noticing is small businesses holding up handwritten signs proudly stating that they won’t be using AI for their advertising because good old-fashioned pen and paper will do just fine.
And the crazy thing is… it works!
Videos like this have been going viral all over TikTok. There’s a growing negative connotation surrounding the use of AI in advertising. I’m sure you’ve watched a commercial recently and thought to yourself, “Was that an AI person?” It leaves you feeling a little unsettled and weird.
People can feel the same way when they see you using AI in your marketing. And believe me, they’re getting much better at spotting it. That one AI slop video could have cost you a potential client in less than three seconds. The AI fatigue is real.
But AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere. So, how do you decide when and where to use it?
Start by using AI behind the scenes. Utilize it to improve your workflow, act as your assistant, help you brainstorm ideas, and organize your life. But when it comes to showcasing yourself and your brand, your clients want to see YOU.
Don't believe me? Test it.
Post an AI-generated video, then post a video of yourself talking in your car. I would bet that the video you filmed in one minute will outperform the AI-generated video. 🖥️
Post an AI-generated flyer for a new listing, then post a video of yourself walking through the home, talking to the camera, and showing off its features. Again, I would bet that the video featuring YOU will outperform that AI flyer.
AI makes creating content easy. But isn't the whole point of marketing to get more eyes on your listings and ultimately attract more clients?
I recently created a listing video for one of our agents. She was front and center in the video, showcasing the property herself. Want to know how many views that video received? 20,000 views.
That's the power of putting a real person in front of the camera. An AI-generated flyer simply can't replicate that personal connection.
Still don't believe me? Test it out for yourself this week. Compare the results and see what your audience responds to.
AI is a tool, not a replacement for YOU. And that includes your videos. 📹
If your brokerage isn't providing you with the AI tools you need to save time, generate leads, and grow your business, let's change that.
-Ty Morton + Abby G