Technology is an ally in real estate, but ethics are paramount.

The conference "The Future of Realtor Mediation!" turned out promising concepts, including creating empathy, valuing people, emphasizing personal brand, maximizing the use of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), professionalism and non-abuse of ethics. The event took place on December 15, 2023 at Art's Business and Hotel Centre in Lisbon (in the Parque das Nações). The forum was organized by real estate company Principal Star and the media partner was idealista.

Luis Filipe Janeira, CEO of Principal Star, the main guarantor of the brand in Portugal, which plans to be renamed Capital Star in 2024, emphasized that the real estate business must adapt to the "new demands and challenges" that technology brings with it. "Artificial intelligence will be of great importance in the future," he said in an interview with idealista/news.

One other key idea emphasized at the conference is worth noting - the importance of people and interpersonal relationships. "In a high-tech world, man and his fundamentals are likely to make a big difference. People need care, support, solidarity, understanding, natural and human approach. Things a machine can never do. The emotional and human component will always be of great importance," added the executive, who was a board member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2021 representing Western Europe.

Ethics above all else. Customer guarantees are an integral aspect of

Luis Filipe Janeira emphasized in his speeches the importance of professional ethics and the protection of the interests of clients, who are often property owners. "There needs to be a strong foundation of trust. Besides the emotional component, there should be guarantees in the ethical and qualitative aspect. Buyers, investors, private owners, builders and others need to be reassured. If the real estate business does not undergo an evolution to a format in which these guarantees are built in, problems may arise," the expert argues.

"Real estate belongs to the owner, who has the right to make decisions about his own property (...) It is important that the client does not feel like a loser by hiring a certain service. The service must add value. The main package of value that realtor mediation offers to the client is to protect the value of the property, that the owner will be able to sell his property at the highest possible price, and that there can be no doubt about this, either ethically or legally," he emphasizes. Business must be "transparent "

According to Luis Filipe Janeira, serious means not breaking the law, and therefore it is essential to conduct "transparent transactions" in real estate mediation, as in other areas.

"Things should be formalized, and if something goes wrong, someone is responsible. People have to make a specific analysis, there have to be guarantees, trust. This activity must be respected, it generates a lot of money and people must be on top of their wages," emphasizes Luis Filipe Janeira. The importance of empathy and personal brand

The conference also discussed the importance of empathy in the real estate business and the need to value people. "Empathy is one of the few qualities in which AI will not be able to overtake us," said Luis Sobral, director of digital marketing at Sobral Digital Agency, emphasizing, however, the importance of "using technology today without fear of the future. "

He also drew attention to the importance of building a "strong personal brand" as "advisers need to be able to promote themselves".

Marina Ferreira, a business consultant and trainer with 20 years of experience in the real estate market, believes it is essential to use available technology but also to pay attention to the human aspect. "Managing people in companies has tremendous potential for growth. Businesses need to focus on how we look at people to get consistent results. What makes the difference? Those who have their identity (ADN) clearly spelled out, their strategy and who focus on people, both internally and externally (in the case of realtor mediation)," concludes the expert.

idealista cooperates with II

Joaoão Braz, head of idealista/data Portugal, was also one of the participants of the conference "The future of realtor mediation!". In his speech, he also emphasized the importance of combining technology with human relationships to enhance professionalism in real estate mediation.

"Technology is not a necessity, it is an obligation, so it is important to adapt quickly to changes [in the industry]," he commented.

Joaoao Braz spoke about the benefits of using the tools and data that are available to idealista users, and noted the importance of having up-to-date information and real time in relation to the real estate market. He also talked about the importance of multimedia services such as video visit and virtual interior design (VHS) in order to "sell real estate faster".

With regard to AI, the expert noted that idealista already offers a service to improve the description of properties that are posted for sale or rent. This is an additional option that allows the advertiser to edit the text before publishing it. You can learn more about this tool at..