An Important Distinction About Artificial Intelligence

Today, there is considerable discussion about artificial intelligence and the information it produces. Some people question whether to take material prepared with AI as seriously as material written entirely by a person.

I would like to share a different perspective, based on more than 52 years of real estate experience and ICIWorld’s development since its launch on the Internet in 1994.

Yes, we use artificial intelligence extensively to help organize our thoughts, improve our writing, explain ideas, and communicate more effectively.

But I personally review, verify, and approve every word before publication. I question statements, make corrections, and ensure the final message reflects my knowledge and experience. I check factual claims requiring independent confirmation against appropriate sources.

AI assists with our communication. It does not replace my personal experience, judgment, or responsibility.

But there is something even more important about AI and ICIWorld that the real estate industry needs to understand.

It All Begins With a Real Estate Broker or Salesperson Asking a Question

Every day, real estate brokers and salespeople speak with property owners, business owners, investors, buyers, sellers, friends, and customers.

In those conversations, they uncover valuable information.

These are simple questions, but the answers can be extremely valuable.

A property owner might consider selling even though the property has never been listed. An investor might be looking for an apartment building. A business owner might be considering retirement.

AI did not ask these people the questions. A real estate professional did.

The information originates with people and their relationships.

A Real Example: The Dentist Who Considered Selling

One of my favourite examples involves a residential real estate salesperson who asked a dentist whether he would consider selling his practice for the right price.

The dentist was interested, but did not initially want to sign a listing agreement.

Through ICIWorld networking, the salesperson connected with another real estate professional who had a potential purchaser.

The brokers arranged the necessary representation and listing documentation, brought the parties together, and completed a successful transaction. The participating brokers reportedly earned substantial commissions.

That opportunity began with one question.

It did not begin with AI, an MLS listing, or an advertising campaign.

It began with a person uncovering information and using a real estate networking database to find a connection.

This is something residential and commercial real estate professionals can learn to do, subject to their brokerage policies, licensing requirements, and applicable real estate rules.

ICIWorld Provides the Information Listing Service

Since 1994, we have been developing ICIWorld as a global real estate Information Listing Service, or ILS, designed to operate alongside MLS®.

MLS® helps share listings. ICIWorld’s ILS helps share Haves, Wants, listings, and networking opportunities, including information that may not otherwise appear on MLS®.

ICIWorld maintains two important databases:

This is the information infrastructure we have been developing and improving for more than three decades.

When members contribute information, it becomes part of a searchable system that can help connect people locally and internationally.

Now AI Creates Another Way to Discover ICIWorld Information

Something very encouraging has been happening.

Members have told me that their customers are searching for real estate using artificial intelligence and that AI-assisted search results have included information from ICIWorld among other websites.

I find this wonderful.

Why?

Because it demonstrates another possible way that information placed by our members can be discovered.

When someone asks an AI-powered search service about real estate, the service may locate and reference information from publicly accessible websites and search indexes, including ICIWorld where its pages are accessible and relevant.

The AI service is not necessarily searching our private database directly. It may be finding information that ICIWorld has made publicly available on the Internet. ICIWorld-published information appears on thousands of places on the internet, and AI could have found it there, too.

That distinction matters. ICIWorld provides the underlying real estate information. AI-assisted search provides another possible discovery channel.

Of course, being on ICIWorld does not guarantee that a particular AI service will discover, display, or recommend any given opportunity. Search results depend on accessibility, indexing, relevance, and the system being used.

But the opportunity for additional exposure is exciting.

What Does This Mean for Your Real Estate Marketing?

Think about this.

You may have a buyer looking for an apartment building, a shopping centre, an industrial property, a hotel, a business, or a residential property.

Or you may know an owner who would consider selling for the right price.

If that information remains only in your personal notes, your telephone, or your memory, how will other brokers or potential customers discover it?

If you place appropriate information into ICIWorld, you are giving other people an opportunity to find you.

ICIWorld also provides additional networking and distribution channels, including member website links, email distribution, and direct database searching.

And now, eligible publicly accessible ICIWorld content may also benefit from discovery through AI-assisted search.

This is why I encourage our members to place their legitimate Haves and Wants into the system promptly and keep the information updated.

Confidential or identifying details must only be shared with appropriate authorization, and all information must comply with applicable real estate laws, brokerage policies, and professional obligations.

Our Experience Is Real — AI Helps Us Share It

I have been involved in real estate since 1973 and licensed as a broker since 1974.

My experience with CCIM networking, including the sharing of commercial real estate Haves and Wants, helped inspire the development of ICIWorld.

Since ICIWorld was launched on the Internet in 1994, our members have reported over $1 billion in real estate transactions through networking.

These results were not created by artificial intelligence.

They were generated through the activities of brokers, salespeople, buyers, sellers, investors, and cooperating real estate professionals.

Our objective has always been to make this type of information sharing easier, faster, and more accessible.

Artificial intelligence gives us new ways to communicate and new potential channels through which our publicly available information can be discovered.

But the underlying opportunities and the human relationships remain the most important part of the service.

A Personal Invitation to the Real Estate Industry

For more than three decades, ICIWorld has worked toward an ambitious goal: helping create one global place where real estate professionals can share Haves and Wants, discover opportunities, and develop business relationships.

That goal is just as important today as when we started.

AI may help people discover information, but it is the real estate community that creates the information worth discovering.

Imagine the possibilities if more brokers and salespeople regularly asked the right questions and contributed their legitimate Haves and Wants to a searchable networking service.

More information could lead to more connections, more referrals, more listings, and more potential transactions.

We invite real estate professionals to participate, share their experience, and help build this global networking opportunity.