EP 137: Don't Let AI Do Your Thinking

[upbeat music] Welcome to Real Estate AI Flash, the podcast that helps you understand how AI is changing real estate and the strategies you can use to win. I'm your host, Rajiv Saja. In today's episode, "Don't Let AI Do Your Thinking," I sit down with Jim Young, longtime real estate leader, coach, and former president of Edina Realty Title, to explore why AI should enhance your judgment, not replace it. Drawing on three decades of experience as an agent, broker, executive, and coach, Jim shares practical strategies for using AI to strengthen client relationships, create more personalized marketing, improve lead conversion, and build sustainable business habits that drive long-term success. If you're looking for practical ways to use AI as a thinking partner while keeping your expertise, critical thinking, and human connections at the center of your business, this conversation is for you. Let's get to it now with Jim Young. Welcome to another episode of "Real Estate AI Flash," and I can't believe we're almost done with summer. We're staring down Labor Day. We're obviously recording this a few weeks before, and today's guest is a special guest and a good friend of mine, uh, Jim Young. He was, uh... He, in his most recent title, he was the president of Edina Title, but he's obviously doing something himself right now with coaching. We'll get into all of that. And what I love about having Jim on the show is he's, he's experienced almost all of the roles that most people experience in real estate. He's been a practicing realtor. He's coached agents, still coaching agents. He's led brokerage. He's led title. So we're gonna get into all things AI and with Jim Young. Jim, welcome to the podcast.

Hey, thank you very much for having me on, and I know we haven't talked in the last month or two, but you and I collaborated on many things-

Yeah

... in our former roles, and it was always a pleasure. So I'm exceptionally happy to be here and join you, and if nothing else, it's good to see a friend.

Of course. For sure, for sure. So, um, I gave you what is probably an el- an elevator pitch introduction for, uh, a long career. So walk us through the listening audience that are listening. Um, we have agents and brokers alike. Um, how'd you get started in real estate? And bring us to today.

Sure. So I started 30 years ago with Edina Realty, and I'm still with Edina Realty, but as an independent contractor now versus as an employee. Uh, I spent my first 10 years as an agent, and after about two or three years, uh, I decided to build a team. We worked a little bit of new construction and, you know, I think by standards then, I would say we were, uh, you know, one of the larger producing teams. You know, we would do 75 transactions on average a year between two agents with a couple assistants and roughly 20 to 25 million in volume. And again, that was in, you know, '98 to about 2005. About 2005, I took the w- road less traveled.

[chuckles]

Uh, I decided what filled my cup more than being a realtor was training others. So after 10 years as a top producing agent, I said, "I, I wanna go be the broker. I wanna train other people. I wanna develop other people." I, in, in all