Lee Davenport, Ph.D

By: Lee Davenport, Ph.D

Technology has come a long way, and as I test it out, I’m realizing that there are ways we can leverage these advances to aid in, keeping us organized and efficient, and in the fight for fair housing. Yes, I’m talking about artificial intelligence.

But first, a note on due diligence: With any AI you should always proofread because AI is prone to what the techie community calls “hallucinations” which is when the tool confidently presents inaccurate information as fact. For example, you may ask about common, easily discoverable local fair housing laws, and the AI tool may hallucinate by adding information that doesn’t exist or omitting crucial information from these laws.
Furthermore, beyond hallucinations, AI has been found to instigate unfair housing. Many examples exist, including ChatGPT suggesting lower income neighborhoods to Black people. In short, AI is a tool. In its current iteration, it operates by aggregating information that’s already out in the world, and not all of that information is true, good or useful. AI tools function as good assistants that need to be fact-checked, and if you’re going to use them due diligence is required—they should never be put on autopilot.

That said, in my own experience, I’ve found that one tool in particular has actually made it easier for me to ensure I’m limiting bias, catching all parts of the conversations I have and increasing my efficiency so I can focus on helping my clients: notetaking tools. These tools also help me stay more productive and leave a comprehensive paper trail so I can stay organized and access the information I need in an efficient way.

Simplify the Note-Taking Process

Is taking notes to recall what everyone has said the bane of your (or your assistant’s) existence?
Or, are you irked by an email thread that has hit double-digits with back-and-forth emails, making it hard to locate specific points, key instructions and must-do comments?

Have you ever been in a Zoom meeting where you or another participant were constantly asking them to “repeat that please”?
Then it’s time to do a free trial of Read.AI (or a similar AI note-taking tool; since I am familiar with Read.AI, let’s discuss it).

Read.AI is simpatico with various CRMs (like Slack), workflows (like Zapier), messaging apps (like Teams), notetaking tools (like OneNote), productivity (like Gmail and Calendar), and virtual meeting tools (like Zoom).

Let’s review a few real examples from my actual account.

Provided for use by Lee Davenport

Virtual Meetings

I have not had to take one screenshot or note during a Zoom meeting since I added Read.AI to my toolbox. For the first time ever, I have been able to join a Zoom meeting and simply listen and respond.

That is because the Read.AI meeting recap includes a summary, a list of topics mentioned, action items, key questions, and a full transcript.

Of course, I proofread the recap to make sure it is accurate and make any changes needed while my memory is fresh (as of yet, I have not had to make any significant changes other than correcting things like name spellings). But it is refreshing to be present and not concerned that what was said, even if someone else was taking notes, would be missed.

As I teach fair housing classes across the nation, I consistently meet real estate agents and brokers who are committed to ensuring equal opportunity for all homeowners. Often, when making the case for going beyond agreeing with fair housing and being an advocate, I feel like I am “preaching to the choir.” In other words, I am surrounded by many who have as much fervor as I do. I’ve found that Read.AI is also a great tool to enhance fair housing efforts, and I recommend it highly to those in the industry for this purpose.

Read.AI acts as a real-time coach to identify participant talk time, engagement, interruptions and even bias and inclusivity. No need to wait for a broker or your state’s real estate commission to call you on the carpet for misspeaking. You can self-correct after every meeting.

Provided for use by Lee Davenport

Provided for use by Lee Davenport

Adding a tool like Read.AI or using another virtual meeting with a note taking option adds a layer of accountability to your client consultations. As you likely know, when a Zoom meeting is being recorded, participants have to opt in to stay and speak, which also protects you when it comes to consent needed for various state laws about recording conversations.

Emails

But wait, there’s more (in my best impersonation of a 1990s infomercial voice, ha).

In between teaching classes, I exchanged several emails with my PR representative about an upcoming need. My thoughts were elsewhere in the multitasking, and I could not quite remember what we had decided the next steps were.

Sure, I could have skimmed through our 10+ emails (ugh!). But instead, Read.AI created a readout and put the following email summary at the top of the thread to refresh my memory (see screenshot). It included the following information:

• Key Takeaway: Lee Davenport provided insights on HOAs, CDDs, and wildfire insurance for condo owners to Kim Anderson for a journalist.
• Kim contacted Dr. Lee Davenport for insights on HOAs and California wildfires’ impact on condo fees.
• Lee provided detailed explanations about HOAs, CDDs, and the importance of insurance for affected homeowners.

Provided for use by Lee Davenport

Read.AI does this for every email conversation, which is vital when dealing with real estate contracts and other legal obligations, particularly if the “ball is in your court” for the next action item.

In summary, AI note-taking may enhance:

1. Real-Time Fairness Coach: As a fair housing advocate, this is gold. Read.AI keeps an eye on talk time, engagement, language inclusivity and even potential bias. It’s like having a fairness fairy on your shoulder.
2. Legal Protection: If you ever get into hot water over fair housing issues, Read.AI’s got receipts. It’s your digital alibi for being fair and fabulous.
3. No More Note-Taking Nightmares: Say bye-bye to frantically scribbling during Zoom calls. No more “Can you repeat that?” moments. Read.AI captures everything, letting you focus on the convo, not your notepad. Get a full breakdown of your virtual meetups, including summaries, topics, action items, and key questions. It’s like having a personal assistant.
4. Email Thread Tamer: Tame those wild email threads that go on forever. Forget scrolling through endless email chains. Read.AI gives you the TL;DR version at the top of each thread. It’s like Cliff Notes for your inbox.
5. Tech-Savvy Integration: It plays nicely with some of productivity’s best apps – Slack, Zapier, Teams, OneNote, Gmail, Calendar and Zoom. It’s like the social butterfly of AI tools.

If you decide to try AI note-taking or already have it, has it upgraded how you work? How so? Here’s to your success!

Dr. Lee Davenport is a real estate coach/educator and author (including Be a Fair Housing D.E.C.O.D.E.R. and How to Profit with Your Personality). Dr. Lee trains real estate agents around the globe on how to work smarter with their unique personalities and how to “advocate, not alienate,” so everyone has access and opportunity in real estate.