Tech-forward Realtors® should ask these questions
New technology can make your business more efficient—but it can also create new risks around data, licensing and cybersecurity. Before adding another tool to your tech stack, ask the right questions about how it protects you, your clients and your content.
As the chief of MLS and innovation at Miami Realtors® + RWorld, Liz Sturrock, RCE, evaluates technology for Realtors® and often advises vendors how they can improve their products.
One case in point: A Harvard student emailed her three years ago about a virtual staging product he’d created as a class project. Sturrock was impressed by the offering and suggested he expand its design options. The company, virtualstaging.ai, was later acquired by Zillow.
When vetting products you’re considering using, look for the following attributes, says Sturrock.
• Products should offer perpetual licenses or copyrights for data or images. Many Realtors® are using AI tools that weave together dozens of property photos to create walk-through video tours. If Realtors don’t have permission to use those images, they could receive cease-and-desist letters from photographers. “We have seen it happen time and time again,” says Sturrock. Often, licenses are for a limited time or a single listing, she adds.
• Make sure products spell out data usage policies. As a Realtor, you are responsible for keeping your customers’ data private, says Sturrock. Under a Florida statute, if you have more than 500 contacts in your database and are hacked, you must inform the state of Florida and everyone in your database, she adds. Paid large language models (LLMs) are a must since, as a paying customer, you have more rights and control; and companies can’t change their terms as easily.
• Vendors need to take cybersecurity seriously. Ask how often they conduct penetration tests, Sturrock suggests.
GOOD TO KNOW
The truth about seniors and tech: “Seniors not using tech is a false narrative. They are using it differently. They still love Facebook. They all have cameras for surveillance and smart doorbells. They’ve figured out streaming devices. My grandmother is 91 and lives on her iPhone and Kindle. She uses Hulu and can use her smart TV.”—Liz Sturrock, chief of MLS and innovation at Miami Realtors® + RWorld