According to the NAR’s just-released 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the number of buyers who cited proximity to their job as a top factor in choosing their neighborhood has dropped to just 31%. That’s nearly half the share from 2014, when it was 52%. It’s a striking reversal, given that many employers have tightened their return-to-office policies over the past year.

So, what’s really going on here?

The great reshuffle is aging, literally

It turns out today’s homebuyers are the oldest in modern history. The median age hit 59, while first-time buyers are now on average 40 years old, up from 38 last year and the late 20s in the 1980s. With age comes equity and flexibility. More repeat buyers, now with years of appreciation in their pocket, are making larger down payments (23%) or paying cash (30%), giving them freedom to move for lifestyle reasons instead of job proximity.

Half of repeat buyers are over 62, and nearly one in five cite being closer to friends and family as their top motivation, a theme echoed throughout the report. Affordability challenges have slowed the entry of younger buyers, but older generations are still buying, just differently.

The family home isn’t full anymore

Only 24% of homebuyers have children under 18 – the lowest share ever recorded! That figure was 35% a decade ago. The drop reflects both demographic and economic shifts: lower birth rates, rising childcare costs, and delayed family formation.

It’s no wonder that 14% of buyers purchased multigenerational homes, often to care for aging parents (41%) or save on housing costs (29%). Blended households are replacing empty nests

Boomers are the stay put Gen

Another subtle but powerful shift: Sellers are staying put longer, 11 years before moving. When they do, many are cashing out and buying newer or larger homes. Fifty percent of sellers traded up to a newer property, while one-third upsized.

With older, equity-strong sellers driving most transactions, the market increasingly favors those who already own. That’s the heart of the “two cities” story NAR’s economists describe: owners with cash versus would-be first-time buyers still locked out.

The diversity gap quietly narrows

Buried deeper in the report is a hopeful data point: 34% of first-time buyers identified as non-White, compared to just 15% of repeat buyers. That suggests new buyers, though fewer in number, are helping diversify homeownership, even in a tough affordability climate.

A market of late bloomers and long stays

The 2025 NAR Profile reads like a snapshot of a maturing housing market: older buyers, later starts, longer ownership, and fewer kids at home. The traditional “starter home to family home to downsizing condo” progression has fractured. Today’s buyers might skip steps entirely or stay in one place for decades.

That shift has profound implications for both agents and housing policy. For agents, it’s about serving a clientele that’s less defined by life stage and more by lifestyle. For policymakers, it’s a warning sign: when homeownership begins at 40 instead of 30, the ripple effects can last a generation.

Bottom line: When you think about “first-time buyers,” picture your parents – not your kids.

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From Left to Right: Rajeev Sajja, Rajeev Sajja from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Michael Hickman from Seven Gables Real Estate, Matthew T. O’Connor from Terrie O’Connor Realtors, Kevin Greene from Cotality Real Estate Solutions, and Kevin Hawkins from WAV Group Communications

Some of the best conversations happen behind closed doors.

That’s probably why one of my absolute favorite events for years has been the RISMedia CEO & Leadership Exchange. Unlike our industry’s bigger conferences, this gathering is more intimate. It attracts the top brokerage leaders, many of whom you rarely see at other events.

What really sets it apart is that nothing is recorded. You are either in the room, taking notes from C-level execs sharing their insights, or you miss out. That exclusivity drives higher attendance and keeps more butts in seats than probably any other conference I attend.

Content that mostly delivers

The quality of the content overall is excellent – year in and year out, and 2025 was no exception.

Are there occasional sponsor sessions that sound more like infomercials than thought leadership? Absolutely. But the keyword here is occasional, and they are mostly tolerable.

When you examine the entire agenda, with more than 120 people on stage, including the foremost MLS executives and leaders from the leading regional and national brokerage brands, the balance tips firmly in favor of high-value content. And a shoutout to Darcy Sledge at RISMedia, who did a terrific job in herding these cats.

The atmosphere feels different

The vibe of this event is what other smaller conferences lose as they grow. The size makes it easier to navigate, the networking feels more natural, and the entire thing has that VIP quality.

Credit also goes to the RISMedia team that pulls it together. The group includes stalwarts in our industry, led by the iconic John Featherston, one of our industry’s top advocates and evangelists. John has even come around on AI. Not long ago, at RISMedia’s Power Broker session at NAR, he noted that the session would break ranks and not focus on AI, but instead double down on human intelligence. Today, he uses AI every day. That is remarkable progress.

Today’s RISMedia team is a terrific mix of industry veterans and creative newcomers, and what ties them together is how approachable, down-to-earth, and genuinely nice they are.

Moderating the AI panel

A highlight for me was moderating the AI panel, “Upping the Ante on AI Strategies.”

Rajeev Sajja from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Michael Hickman from Seven Gables Real Estate, Matthew T. O’Connor from Terrie O’Connor Realtors, and Kevin Greene from Cotality Real Estate Solutions made it one of the best sessions of the event.

The panel delivered real-world takeaways, sharp insights, and memorable quotes, including a laugh-out-loud reference to an “AI putter” – thank you to the other Kevin. We were the only thing standing between the audience and the cocktail reception, yet engagement stayed strong until the end. That says a lot about the quality of what was shared, and I was honored to be part of this group.

More AI, from first-rate to misfires

Beyond my panel, I was able to audit Michael Thorne’s 90-minute working lunch on AI, and it was a mini-class all its own. Michael, who runs the AI Bootcamp for Buffini & Company, is a British Columbia-based Realtor and broker with an arsenal of AI tools and tactics in his day-to-day practice.

Michael delivered a first-rate session, and I admit I am biased since we share many of the same beliefs and philosophies about how agents should use AI.

Across the conference, there were plenty of nuggets of wisdom and even some hysterical life-story confessions that made the takeaways even more memorable. But not everything landed. Like every conference, there were a few misfires, and some of the AI content outside of our panel did not measure up. I plan to put a spotlight on a few of those AI miscues, separately.

What was missing

One area the event could improve on is incorporating audience Q&A. With the tech we have today, it should be possible to crowdsource the most popular questions and get at least the most popular or compelling one to the stage. Having that kind of interaction would add another dimension to the sessions.

Looking ahead

Next year, the RISMedia CEO & Leadership Exchange will celebrate its 38th edition and make two significant changes. The dates move to September 30 through October 2, 2026, so there is no longer a Labor Day conflict. Additionally, the event remains in DC, but the venue relocates to the Fairmont Hotel in Georgetown.

This remains an event where being in the room matters and one you’ll want to mark down on your 2026 calendar.

The post Takeaways from the 2025 RISMedia CEO & Leadership Exchange. appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

Even at HousingWire’s excellent AI Summit this week, the myth that AI is already killing search was also stated as fact on stage by at least one AI speaker.

The implication is that SEO as we know it is dying. Some go as far as to claim that SEO is dead.

The reality? The data tells the truth.

The numbers don’t lie

Even as ChatGPT’s usage explodes, now processing more than 2.5 billion prompts every day, it is still a very small fraction of Google’s daily search volume.

Google handles between 10 and 16 billion searches every day. That is four to six times larger than the entire ChatGPT prompt universe. And when you look at actual web traffic, the gap is even wider:

• Google Search daily clicks sent to publishers: ~16 billion
• ChatGPT daily clicks sent to publishers:: ~25 million

That’s 640 times more clicks coming from Google to publishers than from ChatGPT. The reason is simple. Google’s business model is designed to send users out to other sites. ChatGPT, by design, keeps users in the conversation.

SEO is still your primary growth engine

For companies that rely on being found online, whether you are looking for buyers and sellers or growing your brand awareness, Google remains the most vital source of organic discovery.

If your goal is traffic, leads, and conversions, you must prioritize search optimization.

ChatGPT visibility is the new brand awareness play

However, dismissing ChatGPT entirely would be a major mistake. When users ask ChatGPT a question, your company name or product could appear directly in the answer. It is not the same as a click, but it is an early trust signal and is becoming a major brand touchpoint.

We wrote about the importance of PR to keep from being ghosted by AI in January 2024.

Think of the most effective strategy this way:

• SEO ranking = you win the click
• ChatGPT ranking = you win the mention

Both matter, but for different reasons.

The winning strategy: Optimize for both

The most successful companies will run parallel SEO and LLM strategies – often dubbed AEO – answer engine optimization. Continue investing in traditional SEO work such as keyword research, high-quality content, technical optimization, and link-building.

At the same time, build ChatGPT-friendly content by publishing fact-rich, authoritative information that can be easily quoted. Make sure your expertise appears in reputable sources that ChatGPT is likely to reference, and track where your brand is cited in AI responses.

Power of the short FAQ

One additional tactic that works for both SEO and ChatGPT is adding a short FAQ section after each blog post. Google’s algorithms like structured Q&A because it can qualify for rich snippets in search results. ChatGPT also favors this format because it mirrors how users prompt AI, and the concise, clear answers are easy for it to quote. Keep FAQs short, natural, and focused on real questions your audience asks.

A short FAQ can do double duty

An FAQ at the end of your content is a simple way to serve two audiences at once — human readers looking for quick answers, and the algorithms that decide whether your content is worth showing in results. Search engines can display your questions and answers right on the results page if you use FAQ schema. And ChatGPT can lift well-written FAQ answers directly into its responses, giving you visibility even when the click never happens.

Here is what that might look like for this very topic:

Is SEO still worth the investment in 2025?
Yes. Google is still the primary driver of organic traffic on the internet. While AI chatbots are growing in popularity, they do not send anywhere near the same number of clicks to websites.

Should I be creating content specifically for ChatGPT?
Yes, but not at the expense of your SEO work. Focus on producing clear, concise, authoritative answers to common questions in your industry. ChatGPT often uses well-structured information it can quote directly.

Will ChatGPT referrals eventually overtake Google Search?
They may close the gap over time, but the scale difference today is enormous. The best strategy is to position your brand so it is visible in both places — high in Google search results and cited in AI-generated answers.

Ignore the great AI myth

LLMs are changing how people interact with information, but they are not replacing search. In fact, only 7 percent of Americans use ChatGPT every day, a Reuters 2025 study finds. Well over 200 million Americans use Google every day, accounting for 3.2 billion daily searches.

At least for now, Google remains the primary gateway for discovery and traffic. The smart play is to meet your audience in both places: at the top of search results and inside AI-powered answers.

The future is not search versus AI: It is search plus AI.

The post ChatGPT is not killing Google Search: AI myth debunked appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

What if you could harness dozens of hours each month without cutting a single corner in your client service? For real estate professionals, this is fast becoming a new reality as AI transforms the way agents manage their daily workflow.

It all starts with one surprising number: 179.

AI versus the checklist: What can be automated today

NAR’s widely circulated list of 179 tasks that a REALTOR® may perform during a transaction is a powerful reminder of how comprehensive – and often irreplaceable – an agent’s role really is.

But when you look at this list through the lens of today’s technology, and in particular Generative AI and Agentic AI, the landscape starts to shift.

I asked ChatGPT to carefully review NAR’s list of 179 tasks and identify which ones can be fully automated or meaningfully accelerated using readily available AI tools.

According to ChatGPT, 110 of those 179 tasks – over 60% – can now be done by AI.

The Gen AI advantage: The content creation speed demon

Generative AI, like ChatGPT and other LLM-based tools, can help streamline over 65 tasks on the list, ChatGPT claims.

We agree from our own experience that ChatGPT Teams excels at creating written content, summarizing complex inputs, analyzing large document files, and organizing data into practical formats.

Let’s get specific: Gen AI-powered tasks from the NAR task list:

• #5–6, #8: Drafting CMAs and summarizing market activity
• #16, #34–36: Creating marketing plans, listing presentations, and explaining contracts
• #59–61: Summarizing amenities, inclusions, and repair lists
• #82, #86–87, #91: Generating ad copy, mail-merge letters, and brochures
• #104, #118, #154, #166: Creating weekly market studies, offer summaries, completion logs, and closing figure reviews

These aren’t “someday” use cases but are happening now. Agents who embrace Gen AI are reducing turnaround time on marketing, improving the clarity of their communications, and elevating the professionalism of every single client touchpoint.

Agentic AI: Letting smart systems do the heavy lifting

While Generative AI creates content or analyzes information to assist you, Agentic AI acts on your behalf. Taking automation a step further, Agentic AI uses goal-directed intelligence to act for you.

These tools can handle tasks that used to require manual coordination across platforms: think CRM updates, appointment scheduling, calendar syncing, and follow-up reminder emails.

According to ChatGPT, over 50 tasks from the list fall into this category.

Agentic AI automations are already happening:

• #1–2: Confirming appointments via SMS/email
• #22, #32, #44: Auto-populating CRM records and setting showings
• #75–81: Uploading data to transaction management and other platforms
• #100–106: Scheduling ad submissions and sending reports to clients
• #127–128, #140–143, #171–174: Automating deal status changes, loan tracking, and closing coordination

Today, agents can connect their CRM to a tool like Fyxer, Zapier, or RealScout, so once a showing is logged, a feedback email is automatically triggered and sent to the buyer’s agent within 24 hours.

Important distinction: Agentic AI tools don’t replace the agent. They function more like an invisible assistant, helping agents stay on top of everything while reducing their daily workload.

What still requires the human touch?

Tasks such as document drafting, data entry, appointment scheduling, and marketing are among the most adaptable to today’s AI.

But not everything can be delegated to AI, and it shouldn’t be!

Negotiation skills, local expertise, deep local knowledge, and client care still require an agent’s touch.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most emotionally charged life events that requires a fellow human with empathy and emotional awareness to navigate correctly. You can’t lean on the shoulder of an AI bot!

ChatGPT says that some 70 of the 179 tasks on the NAR list still depend on a real human.

Tasks that remain agent-driven:

• #17, #24, #27–29: Pricing strategies and in-person property assessments
• #33, #45, #50–54: Screening qualified buyers and helping sellers understand utilities or zoning
• #111, #150, #155: Explaining offer terms, overseeing repairs, disputing appraisal values
• #172: Managing a “no surprises” closing

Agents should embrace these tasks as this is where they shine – and why a bot will never replace agents.

Helped by AI, yes. Replaced by AI, no.

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Many of us know Jon well from his own real estate journey. He’s widely regarded as one of real estate’s most visionary and respected leaders. Whether serving as chair of Bright MLS, through RESO or leading influential initiatives at HomeServices of America, Jon is a trusted industry voice.

What many of us may not have realized was his brother also was a real estate pioneer and a serial entrepreneur.  Below is the email Jon shared with us, the incredible life – and real estate story – of Chris.

Chris Coile, 80, Pioneering Real Estate Executive Who Found Joy in Fishing and Music

Sanibel, FL — Chris Coile, a trailblazing real estate entrepreneur, rancher, fly fisherman, conservationist, and lifelong musician, passed away on Thursday, July 31, in Sanibel, Florida, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. He was 80.

“He was born attached to a small motor,” his mother, Peg Wallace, once said. “And that motor never stopped running.” That tireless drive, combined with his natural gift for persuasion and people, made Chris a born salesman who built thriving real estate businesses in the Baltimore-Washington-Annapolis area.

Chris grew up in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where his entrepreneurial streak showed up early. He sold Christmas cards and subscriptions to the Maryland Gazette, and shoes at Franklin Simon & Co. At Glen Burnie High School, he wanted to learn to pole vault, but the school had no program. So he bought a pole, built a sawdust pit, and became county champion, earning a scholarship to Penn State University.

At Penn State, he met his wife, Susan Schuyler, an artist and high school teacher. After a short stint managing a music store in Sarasota, they were headed to Maine when their car broke down. To pay off the $300 repair bill, Chris took a job selling business machines in Annapolis. He didn’t love it, and his mother nudged him to try real estate. In his first year, he sold 67 houses totaling $1.5 million – at age 23.

In 1970, Chris launched his first real estate firm, Chris Coile and Associates, Inc. in Severna Park, Maryland. Within a decade, it had 17 offices and hundreds of real estate agents (including his mother), and was featured in a Harvard Business School case study. At age 35, he sold the company to Merrill Lynch in one of the largest real estate deals of its kind. Chris stayed on to run operations east of the Mississippi.

At the peak of his corporate career, Chris stepped away. In 1982, craving adventure, he and Susan bought a 6,000-acre working ranch in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley, complete with 125 mother cows, horses, and mules. “A person ranches because he wants to see the cows, touch his calves,” Chris told the Washington Post at the time. “You don’t do it to make a lot of money.” The couple restored a homestead-era log cabin, built a six-bedroom guest lodge and launched a fly-fishing and big-game outfitting business. In the fall, he led elk hunting trips into the Bob Marshall Wilderness; in the summer, he took anglers on whitewater rafting trips. When he couldn’t find tents sturdy enough for his trips, he launched a canvas goods company, making custom tents, commercial awnings, luggage – even wallets.

Eventually, the pull of old friends and the thrill of a new venture brought them back to Maryland. In 1987, Chris reunited with his original management team to launch Champion Realty. More than 200 of his former agents immediately joined him.

Not long after, Merrill Lynch sued him for $17 million, claiming he violated the agreement tied to the use of his name. “Chris Coile is a famous name in Anne Arundel County and throughout parts of the metropolitan area – it means real estate,” a lawyer for Merrill Lynch told jurors at the trial. Ultimately Chris prevailed in court and celebrated by sending Merrill Lynch an oversized check for $1 in damages. Some jurors were so impressed by Chris’ testimony that they signed up for real estate courses with his new firm.

Champion grew rapidly, opening 20 offices and employing 700 agents across Anne Arundel and five Eastern Shore counties: Queen Anne’s, Kent, Talbot, Caroline, and Dorchester. The company introduced numerous industry firsts, including full-color print ads (“Champion Color”), and video tours for every listing. Chris also launched a mortgage company, a title company, an insurance agency, a property management firm, and a real estate school that trained hundreds of agents who are still working today.

By 1996, Champion was one of the nation’s largest independent firms. Chris helped co-found the Realty Alliance, a trade group representing the 70 biggest brokerages in North America. In 1999, Champion merged with eight others to form HomeServices of America, which was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Chris served as CEO of its Mid-Atlantic operations for six years.

Chris and Susan eventually settled in Sanibel, Florida, where they treasured views of the bay and visits from dolphins and manatees, and where Chris fished daily for snook, redfish, and tarpon. Chris also took his fly rod to fish around the world – for bonefish and permit in Mexico, peacock bass in Brazil, giant trevally in the Seychelles, smallmouth bass in Canada, and trout in the rivers of Montana and Wyoming, which he called the most scenic on earth.

As president of the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland, he became a powerful voice for protecting the Chesapeake Bay’s fragile ecosystems, believing that recreational anglers had both a right and a duty to shape environmental policy.

Chris had a lifelong love of music. A self-taught guitarist, he began playing at 13 and later toured with his band, Chris Coile and the Continentals, in the 1960s. A devoted Elvis fan, he kept performing into retirement—delighting crowds in both Wareham, Massachusetts, and Sanibel at the American Legion and George & Wendy’s Seafood Grille, and donating his CD sales to charity. In their later years, Chris and Susan launched a family foundation, and Chris served on the board of F.I.S.H. of SANCAP.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Peg Wallace and Russell Coile; two brothers, Russell Coile Jr. and Ben Coile; and his wife of 58 years, Susan, who passed away on December 14, 2022.

He is survived by two brothers, Jon Coile of Shady Side, MD, and Andrew Coile of San Jose, CA; his sister, Jennifer Coile of Hollister, CA; three nieces and nephews, Courtney Coile of Sudbury, MA, Zachary Coile of Washington, DC, and Simon Jane Coile Robrock of San Francisco, CA; and four grandnieces and grandnephews, Nathaniel Roman and Meredith Roman of Sudbury, MA, Katherine Coile and Emily Coile of Washington, DC.

A private service will be held in Sanibel.

Chris Coile will be remembered for his boundless energy and drive, his warmth and sense of humor, his adventurous spirit, and his kindness and generosity to his family, friends and community.

The post The incredible life of Chris Coile: In remembrance appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

What’s the most underrated skill in public relations today? It’s not mastering AI tools, or writing punchy subject lines, or even generating a buzz on social media.

For the long game? It is relationships.

Not the superficial, connect-and-forget kind built through mass emails or casual LinkedIn DMs. I’m talking about actual relationships. The kind that takes time, trust, consistency, and a deep understanding of the journalists we aim to work with; the kind built over years, not news cycles.

The latest Cision One State of the Media survey, which gathered insights from over 3,000 journalists across 19 global markets, drives this point home: the PR pros who focus on the “R” in PR are the ones who succeed.

And sadly, this essential practice is eroding, especially in real estate, an industry that often sees public relations as publicity, not strategy.

Let’s fix that.

The data says: Journalists want relationships – not spam

According to the Cision study, journalists are not anti-PR. Most welcome relationships with publicists who take the time to get it right. But here’s the catch: that welcome gets rejected fast when you cross the line from helpful to annoying.

Here’s what journalists said will get you blocked:

• 78%: Spamming with irrelevant pitches
• 59%: Pitches that sound like marketing brochures
• 56%: Providing inaccurate or unsourced info
• 52%: Following up repeatedly
• 26%: Canceling last minute

Now here’s what they do want:

• 72%: News announcements and press releases
• 57%: Exclusives
• 55%: Original research and data
• 63%: Connections to relevant sources
• 57%: Access to people or places
• 43%: Expert interviews

What this tells us is simple: journalists still value PR pros who bring insight, access, and accuracy, especially when those contributions are informed by a true understanding of the reporter’s needs and beat.

But don’t just take my word for it. I asked three award-winning and leading real estate journalists, as seasoned content creators, for their take on the state of PR. I asked for their unfiltered advice.

What they shared speaks volumes.

“Mention non-clients and find real people.” – Michele Lerner

Michele Lerner, an award-winning freelance journalist and editor with multiple top honors from the National Association of Real Estate Editors, has written about every angle of housing and real estate imaginable.

Her resume lists some of our nation’s most sought-after media outlets: The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, MSN, Yahoo!, Motley Fool, Barron’s, PRO Builder magazine, AARP, and many more.

Michele emphasizes that the best PR professionals aren’t just pitching a product: they’re helping build a better story.

“I think one of the best things PR reps can do is to mention that they can find more than one source on a topic and even recommend non-clients as potential sources for you to pursue. Most important: let you know if they can find you ‘real people’ that would be willing to be interviewed about how they have been impacted by a product or service the PR person represents.”

She added, “A deal breaker for me is a PR person who calls or texts out of the blue without an established relationship or any urgent need to disrupt my day. Another would be setting up interviews with sources who don’t have the expertise needed. So often I need an on-the-ground person, not the CEO, depending on the topic. A great PR person will take the time to learn who has the real knowledge and can be trusted to represent their company accurately and articulately.”

And if you’re thinking of reaching out just to have coffee or “chat,” think again. “Random requests to meet for coffee or a phone call just to chat about what I may write about, topics I cover, etc., don’t work for me. I’m too busy.”

So how does a strong relationship form? Slowly and deliberately. “I love to have relationships with PR people, but they need to happen after a couple of interactions. So, first, send me ideas that are relevant and sources that are excellent and well-prepared for the interview. Sending a client list and what they can talk about is also super helpful. Then we can connect and build a relationship over time.”

“There is no secret formula.” – Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski, Bankrate’s housing reporter and former long-time Palm Beach Post real estate journalist, cuts straight to the heart of the most common PR question he hears: “What’s the magic formula for getting you to cover my news release?”

“There is no secret recipe,” he said. “If your release happens to be relevant to my priorities – and those of my editor – at the moment I receive it, I’ll cover it. If not, I won’t. I know it’s a frustratingly vague answer, but it’s true.”

He added important context to help PR pros understand where their pitch falls in the editorial food chain.

“There are two levels of news events: Fed rate announcements, White House news conferences, and Apple’s earnings reports. Journalists drop what they’re doing to cover those, no matter what time the news comes out or how the information is delivered. Then there’s everything else. Your release probably isn’t something I’m going to drop everything to cover, and there’s no real code to crack that will change that. Send the news my way, and if it fits what I’m working on, I’ll use it.”

His advice is not just practical; it’s sobering. And his pet peeve is equally grounded in newsroom reality.

“After an interview, I often get multiple follow-up emails from the publicist who arranged the meeting asking when the piece is going to publish. The honest answer, in many cases: I don’t know. Usually, the reporter you talk to is responsible for creating the content but doesn’t have the authority to hit the ‘publish’ button.”

PR pros who understand that the job doesn’t end with the interview. Those who know when to step back – and when and how to circle back – build more credibility over time.

“Write for us, not at us.” – Stephanie Reid-Simons

Stephanie Reid-Simons is a founding member of RealEstateNews.com. A former content leader at Amazon and Zillow, she honed her journalism skills in the Pacific Northwest at both the Tacoma News Tribune and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

She framed the core challenge this way: “We’re always open to new ideas, especially when they reflect an understanding of who we are and who we serve: residential real estate professionals, with an eye toward consumers. The best pitches feel like they were written for us, not just at us.”

If that sounds like common sense, it’s not nearly common enough. PR pros who send templated pitches, generic “check-ins,” or push clients without alignment to the reporter’s audience are missing the point – and the opportunity.

Stephanie’s advice mirrors Cision’s findings: relevance wins. Personalization signals care. And those who get it right don’t just land stories, they earn ongoing trust.

Relationships drive results

Real estate journalists have helped shape the narrative of real estate news for decades. Their stories have reached millions of readers and drive today’s social media traffic and engagement.

Most importantly, most of the reporters and bloggers who cover our industry know our industry, its audience, and the craft of engaging readers.

The PR professionals who consistently earn their trust all have a few things in common. None of these are shortcuts.

First, they understand how a newsroom works. Know that not every pitch lands, that editorial calendars shift, and that the reporter rarely controls publication timelines. Instead of pushing for coverage, they provide support. They’re patient. They’re professional.

Second, they need sources who are credible, relevant, and ready. The PR pro who responds not only the quickest – but with the most credible source – wins. The best PR pros don’t waste a journalist’s time by sending unqualified talking heads. You must work to identify the right person who can add real value to the reporter’s story.

Third, the best PR pros know the journalist’s past work. They take the time to read it, understand it, and reference it in their outreach. That’s smart and respectful.

Plus, the best PR pros offer help that goes beyond the immediate pitch. Whether it’s sharing data, suggesting context, or connecting a reporter to a non-client source, they become a resource, not just another source.

That’s not just media outreach. That’s a hard “R” in media relations.

Real estate needs to understand PR better

The real estate industry is long overdue for understanding the complexities of PR: that it’s more than just a mission to generate publicity and backlinks.

Public relations isn’t solely about generating buzz or grabbing a headline. It’s a strategic discipline that, when practiced with care and credibility, can build awareness, shape public perception, and deepen market trust.

But more importantly, good PR helps your story get told in your words – and it is an essential tool to protecting a company’s brand and reputation.

But it only works when PR professionals practice this craft correctly.

The Cision study offers a blueprint. These journalists’ insights provide real-world guidance. The rest is up to hiring the best PR pros who know this stuff by heart because we’ve been doing it for decades.

If you’re a real estate executive, tech firm, brokerage, or MLS still viewing PR as a support role or nice-to-have, it’s time to start seeing it for what it truly is: a strategic driver of long-term value that is built on connections that last.

Because real estate reporters want relationships, not pitches.

Are you listening?

Self-serving plug: If you are interested in discussing PR and content services provided by the WAV Group, reach out to kevin@wavgroup.com.

The post Real estate reporters want relationships, not pitches. Are you listening? appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

History repeated itself at Inman Connect San Diego this week. Once again, after sitting through AI session after AI session on the first day, I was struck by how much confusion still exists in the real estate industry.

As I experienced in early June after attending NAR Midyear, the AI “experts” on stage gave incomplete, misleading, or simply wrong information. One example just floored me.

During an AI panel, a presenter proclaimed that Gemini Pro was better than ChatGPT.

In what way? For content creation, hardly. Learning about your voice? No way. For daily use? Are you kidding me?

And there wasn’t even a clarification as to what flavor of ChatGPT: the free one, Plus, Pro, or Teams? And what version? With ChatGPT Teams we have 4o, 3o, 3o-pro, o4-mini, o4-mini-high, 4.5, 4.1 and 4.1-mini.

All LLMs/Chatbots have different strengths and weaknesses. If a speaker is going to make a blanket claim like this, they must be specific.

Again: Not all ChatGPTs are the same

We covered this topic two months ago in “Not all Chatbots are the same,” calling out AI experts on stage at real estate conferences who keep conveying the idea that all Chatbots do the same things. They do not.

Or that somehow an agent can choose the one they like most: they should not!

Today, not all ChatGPT versions are the same, nor do they do the same things. This is true for Gemini, Gemini Pro, and Gemini for Google Workspace.

Let’s cut through the clutter: ChatGPT Teams is what most real estate professionals should be using – period. Pay the $50 a month. Protect your business and your clients and have unmatched performance for the things agents use a Chatbot for most: especially for content creation.

There, I said it. Agents should use Teams or their brokerage’s Enterprise LLM solution.

Incomplete advice is bad advice

When someone takes the stage at what has been the most reputable real estate and tech conference for over 25 years and claims Gemini Pro is better when the audience is mostly real estate agents and brokers, it is, in my strong opinion, irresponsible.

Let’s compare: ChatGPT Teams vs. Gemini Pro

Here’s why ChatGPT Teams is far and away a stronger choice for real estate professionals than Gemini Pro, especially when it comes to speed, training, capabilities, and especially memory.

Speed: ChatGPT Teams is faster than Gemini Pro 2.5

When it comes to AI tools for agents, speed wins. ChatGPT Teams responds significantly faster than Gemini Pro 2.5. I have tested it side-by-side for more than an hour. (Gemini Pro didn’t even know about the Pro 2.5 version that I was using – it kept telling me there was no version 2.5 – until I gave it a screenshot to prove it when I was asking it why it was so slow.)

Faster responses mean you can keep your momentum without the wait. Quick responses let you brainstorm, refine prompts, and tackle complex tasks in real time, turning AI into a seamless extension of your workflow rather than a stop-and-wait tool.

The faster your AI responds, the more productive and effective you can be, and that’s where ChatGPT Teams pulls ahead.

Memory and context management

ChatGPT Teams supports Projects, a game-changer for real estate agent tasks. Projects allow you to organize your chats, uploaded files, custom instructions, and memory in one shared space that persists across sessions – not just within a single thread. Each Project can include up to 20 file uploads, making it easy to manage complex, multi-day tasks. With memory enabled, ChatGPT can recall relevant past interactions from your Project to deliver more consistent, personalized responses.

Gemini Pro, on the other hand, treats file uploads as one-and-done per conversation. There’s no long-term memory that’s equivalent to Teams and no structure like ChatGPT Teams Projects.

In practice? Teams gives you continuity. Gemini Pro doesn’t, except in a single thread and not across other prompts in other threads.

Capability differences (multimodal & analysis tools)

Teams lets you combine memory, Projects, and multimodal analysis across spreadsheets, PDFs, and even code. You can run advanced data analysis on MLS exports, for example. Advanced users can create custom GPTs to handle specific tasks.

Gemini Pro offers some multimodal capability but tends to hit walls faster, especially when doing large spreadsheet analytics or high-volume project analysis. At times, it can make it feel like you’re driving with a governor on the engine.

Administrative control & governance

For brokerages, Teams and Enterprise shine. You get granular admin controls for memory, retention, encryption, and audit trails. Data is private by default.

A paid Gemini “Pro” account on a personal Gmail address has zero administrative controls or governance features for a brokerage. For that, you need Gemini for Google Workspace.

Otherwise, there is no central admin console for a manager. There is no way to manage multiple users on a team. There is no way for a brokerage to set data retention policies or view audit trails.

Why the right GPT matters for real estate pros

Even with the improvements to Gemini Pro security, as someone who uses and compares ChatGPT Teams nearly daily to Perplexity Pro, Gemini Pro, Grok 4, and Claude Pro – and uses Meta (glasses) – it’s hard to beat the Enterprise-level security that ChatGPT Teams offers.

Real estate is already swimming in AI hype and half-truths. If you’re looking for a tool that respects your data, handles the file sizes and formats used by agents and brokers, and scales to real workflows without hitting daily caps, ChatGPT Teams is the clear winner.

Let’s tell it like it is with AI

Real estate conferences need to get rid of the self-serving AI sales pitches, academics who talk over our heads, and false “experts” who have little AI and/or real estate industry knowledge. As someone who has written more than 240 stories about real estate and AI in the last two and a half years, I wish we had an “AI BS Meter” at every conference. I volunteer to push the button.

——–

You can keep up-to-date on all the latest AI developments impacting real estate with REAL AI, real estate’s No. 1 free weekly newsletter on AI – subscribe here.

The post Real estate is suffering from AI misinformation appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

At this year’s NAR Legislative Meetings, well-known REALTOR®, educator, and author Marki Lemons Ryhal offered a new way to use artificial intelligence as a political advocacy engine. She reframed this unconventional use of AI by giving practical examples for brokers, agents, and association staff to engage with AI in scaling their influence.

If you’ve been thinking of AI strictly as a marketing or productivity tool, here’s another reason to think outside the standard AI box.

Use your content to drive engagement

One strategy is deceptively simple: combine a strong call-to-action with your tone and let AI scale it. She showed how she started with a top-performing Facebook post related to advocacy. The post was touting how NAR helped ensure buyer agent compensation with a VA loan to benefit our Veterans.

She took that post and uploaded it into ChatGPT. Assuming you have trained your paid version of ChatGPT to remember your style, tone and messaging, you can do the same. Using one social post, you can prompt ChatGPT to help you generate a new blog post, newsletter article, and even a news release on this same topic.

The result? One message repurposed for many formats, all in your words and, most importantly, in more hands. The core idea is to use AI to multiply your influence.

Pair national priorities with local relevance

NAR talking points are great for meeting with local representatives. However, AI can help brokers and their agents become more influential when they connect these national NAR priorities to the issues that matter in their local market.

The process to leverage AI? Download PDFs from NAR’s site, upload them into ChatGPT, and ask it to create custom summaries, talking points, explainer blogs, and social posts that reflect what’s happening in your backyard.

Better yet, look to your state and local associations for their policy goals and reports. Upload those PDFs into ChatGPT and ask to create more localized advocacy messaging.

Want a 30-day advocacy content calendar? Ask AI to generate one based on your local legislative goals and community demographics. It can format it in Excel, suggest initiatives, and even pair them with visibility actions. AI can become your local political policy brainstorming machine.

Innovative advocacy funding

Marki noted how AI can also support non-dues revenue and fundraising efforts. Example: Engage your sphere to use AI to create art, print it on canvas, and contribute it for an online contest culminating with an AI art auction for donations, helping to raise money to support advocacy efforts.

You also can ask your favorite Gen AI bot for ideas on other innovative ways your brokerage or agents can generate revenue to support advocacy causes. It’s another way to leverage AI to amplify individual broker or agent efforts.

AI can give advocacy a bigger impact

Influence is measured by production and impact. Advocacy only works best when local messages land: when it’s understood, remembered, relatable and shared. AI can help make that happen.

You don’t have to be a policy wonk or a tech wizard. You need to think outside the box when using AI for more than just content creation.

Remember, influence isn’t given – it’s earned. AI can help you earn it faster.

The post NAR Midyear: Political advocacy using AI on your smartphone? appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

$27,000,000,000. Nine zeros. That atmospheric number is Iceland’s annual GNP. It’s also the total homes sales volume real estate titan and Texas legend Ben Caballero of HomesUSA.com did as an individual sales agent over the last two decades (2004-2024).

As a solo sales agent for every listing verified by the MLS, Ben averages over $1 billion in home sales annually.

Last year, Ben did nearly $4 billion in home sales. Again, that’s $4,000,000,000. That’s greater than the combined annual GDP of Grenada and St. Lucia!

Over seven thousand home sales: one year, one man

Ben’s record-breaking billions are only eclipsed by his unmatched productivity: 7,722 homes sold last year alone, totaling more than 68,800 in two decades.

That’s not a typo. That’s not a team. That’s one individual sales agent, listing every single home himself – and every sale audited and verified by the MLS. In 2024, Ben averaged more than 21 daily closings, including weekends and holidays, during a typical 40-hour workweek, which translates to closing a sale every 26 minutes.

If every home had a welcome mat, he’d have rolled out more than 68,000 of them, enough to pave a path from Dallas to Dublin and back.

And while these figures may seem algorithmically impossible, they are purely analog. Ben’s secret isn’t a cloning machine. His laser focus is on new construction listings for volume home builders and the use of technology he invented to automate accuracy and scale operations. It’s not about speed for speed’s sake; it’s about delivering high-value, high-trust service to more than 60 builders across Texas.

Not your typical agent

Ben is the first to admit he does not do what other agents do. He doesn’t work with buyers or individual home sellers. He only works with builders. But Ben does dozens of things that the typical agent does not do.

With his tech and admin team (no one sells but Ben except for a team member who sells his firm’s services to builders), his SpecDeck MLS listing system also serves as a complete soup-to-nuts marketing platform.

The tech behind the titan

Ben’s not just a real estate broker but an award-winning industry innovator. The online tech-forward MLS listing solution he created more than a decade ago to speed up listings and reduce errors has evolved into his newest invention, SpecDeck, an MLS listing platform designed to replace a builder’s antiquated in-house MLS listing process.

Every listing is updated an average of 21 times, with status changes from construction to sold. SpecDeck tech powers 52 automated listing validations for every home it processes. It ensures speed, unmatched data accuracy, MLS rule compliance, and optimizes marketing readiness (checking photos, using Gen AI for captions, updating status and pricing details, etc.).

Today, SpecDeck is used not just by Ben, but also by 60+ builder clients that serve major markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Leveraging automation validates builder-provided MLS listing data, and the results are faster sales as SpecDeck shortens time-to-market while empowering builders to maintain data accuracy across platforms like Zillow and Realtor.com.

“SpecDeck is my secret sauce,” Ben says. “It’s what allows me to deliver for my builders at the speed and precision they need.”

Builder trust, not just builder tech

Ben’s numbers may sound superhuman. But what really sets him apart is something far more human: trust. Specifically, the trust of his homebuilder clients, who rely on him to list their homes and help them build their businesses.

Production builders’ stakes are high, and the margins are tighter than ever. They can’t afford delays. They can’t afford errors. And they certainly can’t afford agents who aren’t fluent in the complexity of new-construction sales.

That’s where Ben shines. With decades of experience as both a former builder and a Realtor since the age of 21, he speaks their language.

“They know I understand what they need,” Ben said in a recent interview. “I don’t sell houses. I sell solutions.”

Maximizing the MLS

For Ben, the MLS isn’t just a system: It’s a battleground. It’s where builders win or lose time, visibility, and profit. That’s why Ben has spent years striving for price accuracy, smarter workflows, and better integration.

“The MLS was never designed for builders,” Ben says. “It was built for resale homes. But the volume, the speed, the stage-specific listings; none of that fits the traditional mold.”

So, he reimagined the builder listing process to make the MLS work for builders. He’s elevated the value of MLS exposure for new construction and created a blueprint for how it should be done.

He notes that real estate agents sell 86% of all homes, but far too many builders don’t fully leverage the leading sales channel for all homes.

Ben wants to change that. He’s inventing new services and technology that – like his past innovations – more than pay for themselves. Ben is thinking bigger. His focus isn’t on selling more homes but on building better systems to help more builders across the U.S.

A lasting legacy

Ben Caballero isn’t winding down. He’s ramping up.

At an age when most people are reflecting on what they’ve built, Ben continues to build. A Realtor, tech entrepreneur, and U.S. Air Force veteran, he remains a relentless force. Despite holding three Guinness World Records titles for home sales, he’s not chasing records but pursuing improvement. For his clients. For his systems. And for an industry that’s still catching up to the standards he’s set.

Ask him what matters most, and he’ll talk about the pride he gets in helping builders create new communities where families thrive.

“Every home I sell means someone else can start their next chapter,” Ben says. “That’s what keeps me going.”

Ben’s lesson? Volume isn’t just about velocity. It’s about vision.

The post Ben Caballero: Real Estate Titan, Tech Innovator and Texas Legend Sets a New World Record for Home Sales appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

As a data junkie, I’ve often wondered why, in a data-rich industry like real estate, do so many decisions still rely on incomplete or inconsistent information? The answer lies not in a lack of data but in our inability to apply the resources necessary to see what the data shows.

That’s where artificial intelligence is beginning to usher in a new era of insight.

AI’s most transformative role in our industry may not be content creation, automation, or even marketing. It’s interpretation. It’s AI’s ability to extract, clarify, and illuminate the hidden signals in data that the human eye either misses or the undertaking is too large to consider.

Today, AI unlocks data in minutes and hours that would take humans dozens or hundreds of years.

AI discovers a $27 billion risk

A terrific recent example comes from a new White Paper by computer vision leader Restb.ai, “The Impact of Condition and Quality on Appraisal Accuracy.”

By analyzing 1,271 appraisals and 6,495 comparable properties using its computer vision tech, Restb.ai discovered that 33.6% of appraisals posed a high risk of valuation error due to flawed condition and quality (C/Q) adjustments. That adds up to an estimated $27 billion in lender repurchase risk.

The problem? Appraisers often work with limited, subjective data points, using a scoring system that is not granular.

Restb.ai found that most appraisers repeatedly use the same two ratings to describe a home’s condition and quality. That’s kind of like calling nearly every house “average” without looking closely at the details.

In fact, more than 86% of homes were given one of just two scores for condition and 97% one of two scores for quality. That’s a problem because if almost every home is labeled the same, it becomes nearly impossible to spot real differences that affect value.

Even more confusing, appraisers often make price adjustments between homes, even when they’ve given those homes the exact same condition or quality rating. That happened nearly 12% of the time for condition and more than 5% for quality. So not only are the scores being overused, but the logic behind adjustments is unclear, making the whole process less consistent and harder to trust.

Restb.ai used a different approach by leveraging an AI scoring system that uses photo-based property analysis, but does the analysis faster and more consistently. Instead of giving a home a vague overall score like “C3” or “C4,” the AI breaks it down with more granular precision. It might see a kitchen closer to a C3.4 and an exterior more like a C4.1. That kind of detail helps spot significant differences between homes that standard appraisals often miss. And when you’re making decisions that affect home values and loan risk, those differences matter.

Appraisers fear AI but need to embrace it

Unfortunately, AI-based research often receives blowback. At the heart of this issue is fear. Many appraisers worry that AI is coming for their jobs and, as a result, dismiss its value outright.

But the intent is just the opposite. The most compelling argument for AI isn’t that it replaces appraisers. Utilizing AI strengthens them.

Using photo-based scoring to detect differences faster and more efficiently, AI gives appraisers a defensible, data-rich foundation for their assessments, more time to do more appraisals, and increases their income.

Fannie Mae has already acknowledged this shift, noting that appraisers who adopt rigorous, fact-based C/Q ratings will hold a competitive edge as the industry modernizes. Those who don’t may find themselves flagged more frequently for defects, subject to reconsideration of value requests, or even pulled into quality monitoring.

Unlocking more data

Restb.ai’s remarkable research highlights a better path for tapping into more data-driven decisions by leveraging AI. It’s not about “man versus machine” but about using better tools to do better work.

AI is helping us raise the bar in an industry where trust and precision are vital. Appraisers resisting this new tech shouldn’t worry about AI replacing them; they should worry about appraisers who use AI taking their jobs.

Check out the Restb.ai White Paper for yourself here.

The post AI is becoming the Rosetta Stone for real estate data and value insights appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

Americans are sitting on a record $17 trillion in home equity in the US. According to Cotality, the average homeowner has over $300,000 in wealth locked up in their homes.

What if real estate agents could help their potential sellers see how they could increase their net proceeds by $100,000 or more? What if agents could reach out to past clients and “wow” them with a free AI tool that reveals how they can maximize the price of their home by leveraging the newest – and perhaps most powerful way – to sell a home?

Research from the National Association of Realtors tells us the number one source for agents’ new business comes from past clients – and their referrals. But what can you offer them that will spark their interest in talking to you about selling their home soon?

Unlock listings by describing a new way to sell

Chances are, most of your sphere has never heard of a presale renovation. It’s even more likely that few are aware of presale renovation firms that work with agents and homeowners to provide all the upgrades needed, plus the financing to pay it off at closing.

Presale renovation can be the ideal catalyst to spark a new dialogue. Today’s market is no longer about just selling as-is. It’s about maximizing value through strategic updates without the homeowner having to pay a dime upfront.

But do you know the ins and outs of presale renovations? Can you give your potential sellers what they need to see what it would look like: the budget and the strategic improvements they’ll need for their home? Do you have real-world examples where you can share the details of sellers increasing their home’s proceeds by $100,000 or more by working with a presale renovation firm?

A new benchmark study paves the way

Revive, a leading presale renovation powerhouse, recently released a groundbreaking document – The Revive Renovation Report. It is far and away the most comprehensive resource for helping agents quickly get up to speed on this blazingly hot trend.

This free, 45+ page report does a deep dive into how presale renovations can help sellers achieve their number one goal: to maximize their sales price.

Proof in the numbers

Well-researched and highly organized, the Revive Renovation Report is chocked full of presale renovation data and documents its sources. This includes Revive’s internal research, which shows their sellers average an increase of $145,000 in profit with a presale renovation.

That’s a typical ROI of triple-digits: 112%. There may not be a faster path to being seen as a hero to your past clients than delivering thousands of dollars in additional sales profits.

Real-world examples

The Revive Report details real-world examples, revealing all the financial numbers. One example is a home in San Clemente, CA. The “as-is” price was $2.7 million, but Revive saw that the potential was much higher.

Revive made strategic renovations of $500,715, propelling the final sale price to $3,400,000. That’s a staggering $700,000 over its as-is value, resulting in an additional profit of nearly $200,000.

Another impressive example from the report is an Austin, TX home with an “as-is” value tagged at $900,000. A $114,346 renovation investment by Revive led to a final sale price of $1,205,000. The extra profit was $190,654. That’s an ROI of 167%!

While individual results will vary, Revive’s website, under its Case Studies section, features dozens of real-world success stories from agents who have helped their clients maximize their proceeds without any out-of-pocket expense. Most importantly, Revive discloses all financial details of each presale renovation.

The new AI advantage

AI impact on real estate now includes presale renovation. Revive Vision is accessible under Agent Tools at revive.realestate. It leverages AI to give agents and homeowners an instant, data-driven look at how their property stacks up against neighborhood conditions. This feature helps agents show sellers how a presale renovation could realistically play out, offering a clear budget estimate upfront.

This new AI tool helps agents bring valuable, tangible data into listing presentations, setting them apart from the competition.

Start a conversation

The key to leveraging presale renovation is for agents to begin integrating it naturally into all client communications: on their websites, in their blogs, for social posts, and past client emails.

It starts by reaching out to past clients with a simple question: “Did you know about a new way to sell your home that unlocks even more of your home’s value?” Once homeowners’ interests are piqued, you can share insights from the Revive Renovation Report.

Past clients and others in your sphere are more likely to begin a conversation when they see real numbers and the potential return on investment, and understand that they won’t need to pay upfront. Revive AI is an express path to showing them how it could work individually for their home.

Removing the No. 1 pain point

As detailed in the Revive Report, many homeowners hesitate to take on renovations because of cost concerns or the fear of disruption. The role of a knowledgeable agent becomes crucial to allay these concerns. Agents can explain how Revive covers the costs until closing and manages the entire process, from contractor selection to final inspections. This takes the stress off the homeowner and keeps the project on track versus a do-it-yourself route.

Competitive differentiation

Agents who understand and promote presale renovation as a viable strategy can set themselves apart. As today’s market balance shifts from the seller to the buyer, being the agent who offers innovative solutions like this makes the agent memorable and valuable.

Making presale renovation a table stakes conversation and exploring it as a potential option during every listing presentation shows that the agent’s interests are aligned with their sellers: to maximize their profits.

The timing couldn’t be better

The winds are changing nationwide. Inventory is rebounding. Days on Market are lengthening. The presale renovation conversation helps agents differentiate themselves and deliver real value to their clients. It shows agents are being proactive, knowledgeable, and committed to getting their clients the highest possible sale price.

The Revive Renovation Report and Revive Vision are free tools to show agents how to present a compelling, data-backed case for renovations that maximize profits. Agents who embrace the new way to sell, by working with a presale renovation firm, will be the ones who remain the local go-to agents homeowners want to hire.

The post How do you get potential sellers to move off the fence? appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.

Back in the mid to late 1990s, when virtual tours were primarily used for luxury listings, they felt clunky and slow, and often required buyers to download special browser plugins just to view a listing.

I remember vividly IPIX and its 360 virtual tour tech at the first mainstream Inman Real Estate Connect at the San Francisco Hilton. It wowed the crowd but cost $1000 a tour.

Most agents initially looked at virtual tours as a marketing gimmick until around 2010. Fast forward to today, and they are a mainstay in most property marketing efforts. What started as a novelty quickly evolved into an essential part of every real estate marketing strategy.

It was also data-driven: Over 67% of buyers expect a virtual tour on listings, according to NAR research, and it remains a Top 5 feature consumers want to see on a website.

Presale renovation is following the same path – and it’s accelerating fast.

Once viewed as something only available to flippers or luxury homeowners, presale renovation is now becoming a mainstream movement. And if you think it sounds complicated or out of reach for a typical seller, think again.

A groundbreaking new report from Revive Real Estate reveals how today’s presale renovation model is doing for homeowners what Uber did for transportation: removing friction, reducing complexity, and putting more power in the consumer’s hands.

The 2025 Renovation Report: Data that changes the game

Revive’s new white paper, “The Power of Presale Renovations: Transforming Properties for Maximum Market Impact and ROI,” is free to download and is the first of its kind. It’s an industry-deep dive into how strategic, AI-powered home upgrades are reshaping real estate.

Based on more than 1,200 completed projects by Revive, the data that explains the movement is astonishing:

• $145,000: The average added profit for a seller who completes a Revive renovation (and they stress individual results will vary, but that’s a huge average number)
• 112% ROI: The typical return sellers see on their renovation investment
• 28% increase in property value after improvements

The market also is priming the presale renovation movement as well:

• 80% of millennial buyers prefer move-in ready homes, and millennials comprise the largest group of home buyers.

Again, presale renovations aren’t a fad. They’re a movement that empowers sellers to act like flippers but removes much of the risk, the hassle, and the need for upfront cash.

Almost an “Easy Button” for strategic home flipping

Revive is leading the pack by engineering a new kind of flipping and now leaning into AI: a path where the homeowner doesn’t lift a hammer or write a check. Sellers tap into a fully managed process where Revive provides the funding, planning, and vetted contractors to complete renovations before a home hits the market. Sellers don’t pay a dime until closing.

That’s not just convenience; it’s transformative.

As Revive Co-Founder Dalip Jaggi puts it, “Presale renovations are not just about aesthetic improvements to appeal to the maximum number of potential buyers; they are also a powerful tool for wealth creation.”

AI is driving the shift

The biggest difference between past renovation strategies and today’s presale approach? Data. Revive AI, the first smart renovation planning tool of its kind, analyzes listing photos to determine property condition, suggests the most valuable improvements, and estimates the after-renovation value (ARV).

Key AI-powered features include:

• Computer vision that diagnoses what a home needs
• Market-tuned renovation recommendations based on buyer trends
• Budget estimates sourced from local contractor pricing
• A neighborhood benchmarking tool to compare local home conditions

This level of insight helps sellers make smart, profitable decisions. Perhaps more importantly, it gives real estate agents a data-backed game plan to win listings.

Meeting the new buyer mindset

Modern buyers don’t want a project. They want a lifestyle. The report notes that nearly 4 out of 5 millennials – again, the largest homebuying group – prefer move-in ready homes. These buyers are often juggling remote work, starting a family, and facing higher mortgage rates. Renovating isn’t on their radar.

Presale renovation ensures sellers don’t lose these buyers’ attention. It makes listings competitive, faster to sell, and, historically, far more likely to generate multiple offers.

Real sellers, real results: A case study from Austin, TX

In the report are several real-world case studies, including one in Austin, Texas: a four-bedroom, three-bath home was originally valued at $900,000. With a $114,346 investment fronted by Revive, the project focused on strategic, high-ROI enhancements: updating the flooring, two full bathroom renovations, fresh interior paint, repairing tree damage, and professional staging.

The result? A final sale price that was $1,205,000, a $305,000 gain over its as-is value. The seller repaid Revive at closing and captured a 167% return on investment, a profit of $190,654 for the sellers from the renovation, and a 34% increase in commission for the agent!

This is what is driving the presale renovation movement: maximizing the final sales price for sellers while increasing GCI for agents.

Agents become wealth strategists

Presale renovation doesn’t just change the listing, it also changes an agent’s role. Agents are more than marketers and negotiators. With tools like the Revive Renovation Report in hand, you become a strategic advisor guiding your client toward potentially additional six-figure profits.

When a homeowner faces foreclosure or financial hardship, a presale renovation can even serve as a lifeline, turning a potential loss into a life-changing gain.

This isn’t a trend. It’s a tipping point.

Like virtual tours, presale renovation is shifting from “nice to have” to “must discuss” for every listing presentation.

The 2025 Revive Renovation Report doesn’t just document this shift: it will help drive it. Whether you’re a real estate agent, a brokerage leader, or a homeowner exploring your options as a seller, the report is a must-read.

Download the full report for free at https://lp.revive.realestate/renovation-report

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The post A New Report: Presale renovation is moving from niche to mainstay – and AI is leading the way appeared first on WAV Group Consulting.