Industry conferences like AREC (Australasian Real Estate Conference) and REIV events provide valuable windows into where the industry thinks it’s heading. Attending these events—or at least understanding the themes—helps agencies anticipate and prepare.

Here are the technology insights worth noting from recent industry gatherings.

Dominant Technology Themes

Several technology themes dominated recent conference discussions.

AI Integration Consensus

The debate has shifted from “whether AI” to “how AI.” Presenters across sessions assumed AI adoption as given, focusing on implementation rather than justification.

Key points:

• AI is becoming embedded infrastructure, not optional add-on
• Practical applications outweigh theoretical concerns
• Agent-AI collaboration models are emerging as standard thinking
• Training and change management are recognised challenges

The industry consensus has moved toward embracing AI assistance while maintaining human relationship primacy.

Data Strategy Emphasis

Multiple sessions emphasised data as competitive advantage.

Themes included:

• First-party data becoming more valuable as privacy regulations tighten
• CRM data quality as foundation for technology effectiveness
• Integration challenges between platforms
• Analytics capability as differentiating skill

Agencies were encouraged to treat data strategy as seriously as marketing strategy.

Client Experience Technology

Technology enhancing client experience received significant attention.

Discussion areas:

• Communication platform preferences shifting
• Transparency expectations increasing
• Process visibility as trust builder
• Technology-enabled service enhancement

The message: technology should improve client experience, not just agent efficiency.

Cybersecurity Awareness

Security sessions drew larger audiences than in previous years.

Topics covered:

• Business email compromise targeting real estate transactions
• Data protection obligations
• Incident response preparation
• Cyber insurance necessity

The industry is recognising security as essential rather than optional concern.

Vendor Presentations

Technology vendors showcased capabilities worth noting.

CRM platforms demonstrated AI features for:

• Automated follow-up recommendations
• Predictive lead scoring
• Communication optimisation
• Workflow automation

Marketing platforms showed:

• AI content generation improvements
• Personalisation at scale
• Performance analytics enhancement
• Cross-platform integration

Data providers highlighted:

• Predictive analytics capabilities
• Market intelligence tools
• Integration improvements
• Mobile accessibility

The competitive pressure among vendors is driving rapid feature development.

Speaker Perspectives

Experienced practitioners shared technology perspectives worth considering.

On AI adoption: Start with high-volume, low-complexity tasks. Build confidence before expanding scope.

On technology selection: Choose tools that integrate well over tools that promise everything independently.

On implementation: Training and change management matter as much as the technology itself.

On differentiation: Technology commoditises; relationships differentiate. Use technology to enable better relationships.

Cautionary Notes

Not everything presented deserves uncritical acceptance.

Vendor optimism: Vendors naturally present best-case scenarios. Real-world implementation is usually harder.

Survivor bias: Speakers with success stories get platforms; failed implementations aren’t presented.

Hype cycles: Some discussed technologies remain unproven at scale.

Apply critical thinking to conference content. Validate claims against your market reality.

Practical Takeaways

For agencies, these conference insights suggest:

1. AI readiness: Evaluate your AI adoption status and plan next steps
2. Data audit: Assess your data strategy and quality
3. Integration review: Identify platform connection opportunities
4. Security check: Ensure security measures are adequate
5. Training investment: Budget for technology training alongside technology purchase

Industry conferences indicate where collective thinking is heading. Agencies that understand and appropriately respond to these directions are better positioned for evolving market expectations.

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Linda Powers attends industry events to synthesise technology trends and translate conference insights into practical agency guidance.