L
eaders in real estate and technology gathered in Chicago for the Innovation, Opportunity, and Investment (IOI) Summit hosted by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). The two-day conference at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk featured over 20 presentations on how technology is impacting various aspects of the industry, including lead generation, productivity, insurance data, mortgages, and the future of real estate.

    Alex Lange, vice president of strategy and innovation for NAR, emphasized the importance of collaboration among the conference attendees to envision the future of real estate. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a dominant topic throughout the conference, with Likely.AI CEO Brad McDaniel encouraging all real estate professionals, regardless of their comfort level with technology, to start learning about AI.

    During a discussion on leveraging AI for productivity, Joseph Wihbey, co-founder and COO of Productive.ai, suggested using AI to learn more about AI itself. He recommended asking questions like "explain AI like I'm a 5-year-old" to gain a better understanding of the subject.

    James Dwiggins, CEO of NextHome Inc., provided an insightful presentation on how agents can differentiate themselves from their peers and enhance their value, particularly after a transaction is completed. He cited a survey indicating that 51% of clients value customer service over price and suggested agents focus on customer service. Dwiggins suggested a tiered pricing model where clients can pay for premium services such as unlimited showings, packing, organizer services, landscaping for 90 days, and a handyman for four hours.

    The conference's highlight was the sixth-annual Pitch Battle competition, where 12 startups showcased their innovative real estate tech solutions to a panel of judges and the audience for a chance to win $15,000. The winner was Tether RE, which offers a suite of tools to enhance safety and productivity for real estate professionals. The audience favorite was Tuesday, which simplifies real estate market data and intelligence into a user-friendly social feed.

    "This year's Pitch Battle featured exceptional innovations that are setting new benchmarks in the real estate sector," said Dan Weisman, NAR director of innovation strategy. "Tether RE's achievement represents the progressive strides we support at the iOi Summit and NAR's ongoing efforts to enhance services for real estate professionals and consumers alike. We congratulate Tether RE on their outstanding achievement."