by G. Sax, Head of Communications, RESO
This edition of RESO Three Questions is with Dan Weisman, Director, Innovation Strategy at the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). We talked about what innovation strategy looks like inside of a large organization, how commercial real estate standards are being implemented and used, how AI is reshaping career paths for new college graduates and, yes, collegiate bars. Enjoy!
Q1: You’ve had a fun title at NAR for nearly seven years – Director of Innovation Strategy, and before that, Director of Emerging Technology. If you had to name two or three main tasks that you find yourself doing each week, what would those be and how do they help your organization and the industry at large?
Dan: There are three main areas that I focus on: research, relationship building and industry outreach.
I spend a lot of time researching technology to build a full understanding of what’s out there – AI, crypto/blockchain, augmented and virtual reality, robotics and more.
I also work on building relationships with people across the spectrum, from early-stage ideators to major tech companies, to help drive innovation across the real estate ecosystem on behalf of our members. I work closely with REACH, NAR’s technology accelerator created by Second Century Ventures, on startups ranging from the ones you haven’t heard of yet to the ones already innovating at scale.
Once the research and relationship building are in place, my job is to tie it all together in a way that moves the industry forward. That means helping our members understand a more holistic view of innovation and tech and making sure adjacent industries are part of the conversation.
What I do – and what our team does – is stay plugged into the tech evolution in everything we touch. This means getting ahead of any technology that’s going to enter and potentially impact real estate.
RESO: Keeping members abreast of tech innovation is a tall task, because by NAR’s own admission, the median age of a REALTOR® in the United States is generally around 55 to 60 years old. Do you find it difficult to educate an older generation of members?
Dan: That’s an interesting question, because before GenAI hit the scene, I might have said yes. After one presentation I gave on generative AI – before ChatGPT was a household name – a REALTOR® from an older generation came up and asked if I could help fix their frozen iPhone, like I was IT support. In my head, I was thinking, “Did she just listen to anything that I presented?”
But today, with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and the rest, the ability to access and understand the power of technology like GenAI has leveled the playing field. If you can type or use voice tech, you can advance technologically. It’s changed how people ramp up their tech know-how. Anyone can use it.
Anecdotally, younger generations have usually adapted to tech changes faster. That’s not the case with GenAI. These new tools have a more direct impact on REALTOR® careers, and people are paying attention.
Q2: You have a rich history in new construction and commercial real estate development. In recent years, RESO has leaned into expanding standards beyond previously owned residential real estate into rental, new construction and commercial. While we’ve been able to create new fields for the Data Dictionary through these efforts, what advice do you have for RESO to assure implementation and usage?
Dan: I’d start by saying we need to broaden our membership and influence to include actual new-construction professionals who understand the terminology and sales process. If we do that, it will be a game changer.
Consider the likes of Lennar, D.R. Horton or PulteGroup – builders producing homes at scale. They have databases where things are named consistently across thousands of homes.
If we want to go down this path – especially for new construction – we need to bring those people in. In many ways, this subculture is similar to existing RESO membership. They understand the need for reliable standards.
If we can pull that together, it would be a big win for RESO and the industry. It’s an ongoing conversation. Having fields for new construction is a really good start. It’s a great initiative, and bringing the right people to the table will help us get it as close to right as possible.
Q3 (Part 1): The last question is about college. We’re only at the dawn of AI-generated content and creation, and these tools already feel like professional assistants, peers or even superiors. How will colleges and universities compete with this built-in skill set in the near future, if not right now? Will hiring managers even care about college degrees anymore, or will education shift from business case studies to prompt engineering?
Dan: My wife is a professor at Loyola University Chicago, so I’ve seen some of this up close. What I believe is going to happen is that we’re all going to be using generative AI. What younger generations are going to need to learn is that it’s a tool to brainstorm, not to think for you. We need to treat generative AI the same way we treated Google when it first came out.
You can’t just say it’s off limits. We know it’s going to be part of our resource set from now into the future. The goal is to help students use it to think, solve problems and turn ideas into something bigger.
Q3 (Part 2): You studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business. Because I also went to Madison, I have to ask this follow-up. Consider it an homage to Caitlin McCrory of Compass (formerly Anywhere) who didn’t think the third of her Three Questions was serious enough. What is your favorite bar in Madison and why?
Dan: Mondays, and I have two reasons. When I was a freshman, I lived in the dorm across the street. I grew up in Connecticut playing lacrosse and joined the club lacrosse team at UW. One of the guys on the team was a bouncer there, and they made the strongest drinks ever. Three-quarters of the glass was alcohol. It wasn’t great alcohol, but it sure was great back then!
Three Questions is a lighthearted interview series that features real estate industry professionals, their businesses and how they interact with real estate standards.
