BOMA Special Report: Staying Human in the Age of AI

As AI continues to streamline repetitive tasks and threaten certain types of jobs across all industries—CRE included—emphasizing the uniqueness of being human will be key to standing apart and getting ahead.

That theme emerged from several sessions at the first day of BOMA’s annual conference and expo in Long Beach, Calif. One panel titled “How to Network, Influence and Elevate your CRE Career” quickly delved into the topic of why developing a personal bond with coworkers and clients is becoming even more important.

Tyler Courson, president of Core Executive Recruiting, said that his company follows what he called the “90/10” rule when meeting with clients and potential customers.

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“Ninety percent of the time you’re with somebody, spend most of that talking about them as individuals—as people—and then 10 percent you talk about business,” Courson explained. “If you get business, great. But regardless, you really gain a ton of friendships.”

The core of this approach, Courson said, is putting people first—and then business will follow.

Doubling down on the human touch

CRE skills have always been relationship-dominated. As AI makes information and data analysis increasingly accessible, those relationship and trust-building abilities will be even more crucial for industry professionals to distinguish themselves, according to Paul Voss, president of the leadership consulting firm Ethikos and an associate professor at Georgia State University.

“There are lots of people who can do what you do,” Voss told a packed room, projecting loudly from the stage with no microphone. “What makes you different is how you do what you do.”

How you do what you do, Voss explained, refers to traits like demonstrating empathy, maintaining strong relationships and being able to effectively communicate and build rapport. These are all things unique to humans, and that is not likely to change anytime soon.

Maintaining a work-life balance

Property management is a demanding field. From dealing with difficult tenants to lining up vendors, tasks can often spread beyond a typical 9-to-5 schedule. Across both the networking panel and Voss’ talk, the speakers reminded attendees to focus on what really matters in the grand scheme of life.

“Remember that when you quit or get fired, they will replace you in a heartbeat—won’t think twice about it,” said Kimberly Hagwood, managing partner & co-owner of Melan Property Management, who shared that she recently quit what she called “an amazing job” of nearly 10 years in order to spend more time with her granddaughter.

“Your family must come first,” she emphasized.

Voss also told his audience to balance what he called “resume virtues,” such as your career history, skills and credentials, with your “eulogy virtues,” meaning the more personal aspects of your life that people will remember you for. While both are important, many resume virtues may end up being commoditized by technology.

“Your resume virtues are AI,” Voss said. “Your eulogy virtues are your humanity. Get them both.”