merging technology is continuously changing the real estate landscape. Whether it’s a home search portal or lead-generation system, buyers and sellers expect technology to streamline their experience and make transactions easier and faster.

Yet, at its core, real estate is a very human business. The idea of home is innately human. It’s where memories are made and relationships evolve. Even the transaction of real estate relies on human relationships — the trust and rapport between client and agent.

New, flashy real estate companies and technologies are appealing but they aren’t the end-all-be-all. Their AI backbone lacks the sophistication to navigate unique situations and truly understand buyer and seller motivations. It takes a devoted and experienced real estate agent to fully interpret all relevant data and bring the right intuition to every transaction.

This dynamic creates unique opportunities for all real estate players.

Traditional agencies can play to their strengths — their human benefits, to remain competitive among new clients. In fact, we’ve been doing just that through our work with Windermere, one of the most established real estate agencies on the West Coast. Through podcasts, news segments, and various other initiatives we celebrate the people that devote their time and expertise to others and genuinely care about their clients’ journeys before, during, and after the transaction. The work is all about elevating the human connections involved in buying or selling a home. After all, it is an emotional and bonding journey.

That said, traditional agencies still need to embrace the digital side of real estate to truly speak the language of today’s consumers. Especially Millennial buyers who were born and tech and notoriously have a “DIY” mentality. Whether it’s a new Alexa skill that houses neighborhood and economic data or new ways to get paired with an agent online, traditional agencies are challenged to keep up with the evolving tech and consumer expectations.

Conversely, digitally-driven real estate companies are born and bred with all the right tech tools. Their challenge is to humanize the process. A search portal can make home-browsing a breeze, but how can the buyer communicate with their agent? How is the trust and rapport that is critical to the real estate process actually built?

Striking the balance of tech and relationships is critical. While we always enjoy finding new ways to leverage technology for our clients, we ultimately love sharing the human connections and stories that have a lasting impact on brands. And in real estate, there are plenty of them.