I Choose Buyers

In 2017, when my wife and I sold our home, we became victims of real estate wire fraud. It was a frightening experience. 

As a real estate broker and former attorney who worked on policy issues on Capitol Hill, I got involved in national and local wire fraud prevention efforts.

What struck me then — and still troubles me now — is that the real estate industry is full of powerful lobbies representing agents, brokerages, lenders, and title companies. But there’s no real voice for homebuyers and sellers.

That realization shaped my perspective. And in 2024, when I decided to build an AI real estate platform, I knew I had to start with one question:

Who is my customer?

Instead of building tools for agents, I decided to build a platform that would empower homebuyers. If buyers found SmartBuyers valuable and trustworthy, I knew I could attract the best agents.

What It Means in Practice

We curate the agents. Think Hotel Tonight – only a few top buyer agents are invited onto the platform. These agents have deep local expertise, a track record of putting buyers first, and reputations for being honest, ethical, and collaborative.

Buyers stay anonymous. They can chat with each agent's AI, 24/7, without giving up their email or phone number.

Buyers decide if and when to set up a consultation. The AI conversations let buyers “sample” the agent’s tone, personality, and approach. When a consultation is scheduled, it’s not a cold lead. As Seattle agent Tyler Davis Jones of Compass said,

When they actually sit down with me, they've already developed a relationship and they understand that  I am an advisor they can trust.

In short, we let great agents scale their time, and let buyers access real help without pressure.

Why Buyers Need This

Buyers are being asked to do more than ever — shouldering more risk, navigating more complexity, and making bigger financial decisions with less guidance. The recent NAR commission settlement was supposed to empower buyers through transparency. In practice, it has shifted costs and confusion onto their shoulders.

The Compass vs. Zillow debate over off-market listings adds another layer. As private exclusives grow, not all homes are visible to every buyer. Zillow champions full transparency; Compass defends a seller’s right to privacy and strategy. But here’s the buyer’s reality: without a well-connected agent, they may never even see the right home.

That’s why networked agents — professionals deeply embedded in their markets — matter more than ever. And that’s who buyers will find on SmartBuyers AI.

Bottom line, buyers have a problem. Traditional brokerages and big listing platforms are built to serve real estate agents. Agents bring in the revenue, they are the customer. 

I’m flipping that model — and building a platform where the buyer comes first.

A Buyer-First Platform

SmartBuyers AI, like Uber, is a two-sided marketplace. Uber has drivers and passengers. SmartBuyers has homebuyers and agents. Our customer is the buyer. Just as Uber focused on riders to drive adoption, we prioritize empowering buyers: offering curated agents, anonymous AI chat, and zero-pressure guidance.

Agents benefit too — but only those who serve buyers exceptionally well.

By putting buyers first, we increase trust, improve outcomes, and build a better system from the demand side out.

Where We Go From Here

We launched in Seattle this spring with a small group of exceptional agents and AI tools that let buyers engage anonymously before scheduling a consult. 

Now, we’re focused on driving high-intent buyers to the platform and measuring what works — AI engagement, scheduled consultations, and signed buyer-agent agreements.

We’re overdue for a real estate system that puts buyers first. I’m building one version of that future — I’d love to hear what you think.