In this episode of The Brainiac Blueprint, Kyle sits down again with Lucy Edwards, a real estate marketing strategist with more than 25 years of experience helping agents, teams, and brands stay ahead of shifting markets.
Lucy dives into how AI can accelerate your marketing, why authentic video now matters more than polished imagery, and how to build a reputation that drives long-term referrals – even when the market cools.
Relationships First – The Foundation of Every Sale
Lucy’s story starts long before AI. She and her husband built their real estate marketing company from scratch in the New York metro area, pioneering floor plans outside of Manhattan and proving that relationships, not just listings, sell homes.
“It was word of mouth where the word spread that floor plans are needed, and that’s how we started building our reputation,” she said. “The foundation of any marketing strategy really is trust and relationships.”
After growing their company into a multimillion-dollar business, Lucy sold it to VHT Studios, where she helped expand beyond photography into video, drone storytelling, and property marketing. “You can tell the story with a drone video and then a walkthrough video of the property – and that’s your story,” she said.
When Matterport later acquired VHT, she repositioned 3D virtual tours as humanized storytelling tools, not just camera scans. “It’s about relationships, value, and being proactive,” she said. “You have to think for your client – that’s what’s important.”
For Lucy, technology has always been a way to serve people better – not to replace the human connection that builds trust.
From Seller’s Market to Buyer’s Market: Adapting Fast
Lucy believes today’s market shift is a wake-up call for agents to evolve. “Right now, it’s going from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market,” she said. “The strategy slightly changes because the shifting market is really an opportunity to shift your thinking – to change how you’re going to sell yourself.”
Inventory, she explains, has grown significantly – about 24 to 25% year over year in several U.S. markets. “You have to increase your value by 25%. You have to increase your marketing budget by 25%. Most importantly, you have to increase your creativity.”
Her approach is simple: keep learning. “I personally try to attend at least two or three different webinars on different subjects just to stay up to date on what’s happening,” she said. “Even if you take one hint from each, that’s progress.”
When the market moves, Lucy says, don’t pull back – rise to meet it. “Market shift equals opportunity,” she added.
Why Authentic Video Beats Perfect Imagery
One of Lucy’s strongest messages is that authentic video now beats outdated headshots.
“Your high school photo on your business card is not going to fly anymore,” she said. “Make a short video about yourself. People want to feel who they’re going to meet and work with.”
She encourages agents to bring useful insights to every video, like real numbers or data that help clients make decisions. “If you have a $500,000 property and you’re sitting on it waiting for rates to go down and prices to go up, you’re actually losing about 1%, about $5,000 a month,” she said. “That’s the kind of video that brings value to sellers.”
In a world where clients are flooded with content, Lucy believes people buy energy and authenticity first – and that kind of honesty can’t be automated.
AI That Accelerates – Not Replaces
Lucy calls her relationship with AI a “love-hate” one. “You hate doing it, but you love what the tool brings you and how it elevates you,” she said.
She uses AI to work smarter, not colder – and shared several tools that make that possible:
- DeepBrain AI: “You can do as many videos as you want. Create a few so you have enough for a whole week. All you have to do is change your clothes and the Word document you’d like to talk about.”
- Matterport & 3D Tours: “If you think someone from Spain or Argentina is going to fly to your open house, that’s not going to happen. But with tools like Matterport, you can really get things done.”
- ChatGPT: “It can create a really cool email for you quickly. You just tweak it a little to your personal needs – and here you go.” She recommends paying for the Plus plan: “It’s much better and much faster.”
- TrustScout: “You can go to a map, put a zip code, add filters like bedrooms or ownership type – and the map will create all the addresses according to your filter. It’s a really cool tool.”
“AI is an accelerator,” she said. “It’s shaping how we work, how we connect, how we tell stories. What’s important is to remember that you have to be authentic and still be human.”
To Lucy, AI doesn’t replace creativity – it simply removes friction so you can focus on the work that really matters.
Networking and Reputation in a Digital World
For all her innovation, Lucy’s success still comes down to people. She attends events like Inman, The Women’s Council of Realtors, and The Real Deal, focusing on conversations that lead to long-term relationships.
“I ask questions and I listen,” she said. “It took me years to learn that, but now I think I conquered the listening tool.”
Networking, for Lucy, is about giving before asking. “Even if it’s not for me, I think, who can benefit from this?” she said. “What goes around comes around.”
Her approach to reputation is just as direct. “Never offer anything you don’t believe in,” she said. “Think about the value you’re bringing to the person. And if you can’t convince someone, let it go.”
The best marketing, she says, is still word-of-mouth – earned through honesty, consistency, and a reputation that lasts.
Podcasting as a Trust Engine
Lucy’s pivot to podcasting began unexpectedly. “When I joined VHT, they didn’t want me to be in sales anymore,” she said. “They said, ‘Get out of sales. Do not talk to anyone, and we will have Lunch with Lucy.’”
Through her podcast, she turned that limitation into a platform for storytelling. “Even if I didn’t talk about VHT or Matterport, I was talking about what’s valuable,” she said. “People followed because they knew something interesting was going to be there.”
She’s since interviewed top names in real estate – including Hoby Hanna, Robert Reffkin, and Jay Ramley – always focusing on who they are before what they sell. “If you are authentic and passionate about finding out their success story, then it will be a successful interview,” she said.
For Lucy, podcasting is more than content – it’s connection that builds credibility.
Rapid-Fire Highlights
Favorite guest or interview:
“Ted Wang. He was such an outside-of-the-box thinker. I just wanted to be in his office forever, listening to his stories.”
One thing she’d change:
“I should have talked to more agents, buyers, and sellers. The final consumer is one of the most important topics right now.”
Drink of choice at events:
“Scotch. You can put a little soda water and an ice cube – it lasts longer.”
Favorite vacation spot:
“The Pacific Ocean – Fakarava, near Tahiti. We were swimming with wild dolphins. It’s another world.”
Death-row meal:
“Mexican food – enchiladas, tacos, the works. I was Mexican in my previous life.”
Closing Thoughts
Lucy ended the episode with one simple principle: success starts with mindset.
“Be passionate, be authentic, be true to yourself. Wake up in the morning and be happy. If you are not happy in the morning, go for a walk, go for a swim… get your attitude together. You have to have a positive attitude. If you have a negative attitude, you are not productive.”
It’s a reminder that no matter how advanced AI becomes, the most powerful part of your business will always be you.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Read the full transcript on Left Brain AI.
