Realay will attend the Real Estate Distilled conference in Louisville from March 16-18, marking its first major conference appearance since launching its voice AI-powered mobile app. The conference draws approximately 250 independent brokers annually, representing a key market for the Michigan-based referral platform. Realay will operate a booth and present a breakout session on March 17 focused on helping independent brokers match the referral capabilities of national franchise operations.
The conference selection reflects Realay's strategic focus on independent brokerages that lack the built-in referral networks available to agents at national franchises. When clients relocate outside their market, franchise agents can call sister offices across the country, while independent brokers traditionally hunt for connections through social media or lose the business entirely. Realay's platform provides what founder John LeRoy describes as a plug-and-play relocation tool that gives independent brokerages nationwide network access, automated tracking, and mobile functionality previously available only through franchise systems.
The company will demonstrate both agent-to-agent referral capabilities and its recently launched contractor referral management system during the conference engagement program. The contractor feature allows brokers to organize preferred service providers like painters, plumbers, and electricians, then refer these contractors to clients through voice-activated commands in the mobile app. The mobile app's voice AI functionality, powered by OpenAI integration, allows agents to submit referrals, update transaction status, and coordinate contractor services entirely through spoken commands, translating voice requests into completed platform actions without typing.
The hands-free capability addresses a practical reality of real estate work where agents spend significant time in vehicles traveling between property showings, client meetings, and closings. The voice interface eliminates the need to pull over and type information or wait until returning to a desk. The March conference appearance comes as Realay shifts marketing strategy following initial paid advertising tests on Meta platforms, with the company recently pausing Facebook ad spending to focus on more targeted outreach including geographic-specific campaigns and direct engagement at industry events.
Real Estate Distilled's focus on independent brokers aligns with Realay's core market. The platform operates on a pay-at-closing model with no upfront fees or monthly subscriptions, taking 5% of referral commissions while originating agents receive their standard 25% referral fee. This structure removes financial barriers preventing small brokerages from testing new technology. Franchise fees typically range from 6-8% of gross commission income, with one primary justification being access to nationwide referral networks. If independent brokers can achieve similar network access through technology platforms at lower cost, it fundamentally changes the value proposition of franchise membership.
Following the Louisville event, Realay plans to evaluate attendee feedback and determine whether the conference format effectively reaches decision-makers at independent brokerages. The conference represents a test case for whether in-person demonstrations of voice AI functionality and contractor network capabilities resonate more effectively with independent brokers than digital advertising campaigns. The hands-on engagement format allows attendees to experience the platform's ease of use directly rather than reading about it in promotional materials. For independent brokers attending, the Realay booth offers an opportunity to see how voice commands translate into automated referral workflows and explore how the platform's vetting process ensures quality connections across all 50 states. The breakout session will provide deeper insight into how the platform addresses specific challenges facing independent brokerages, from referred clients disappearing without updates to the time drain of managing referrals through spreadsheets and manual tracking.
