AI assistants for commercial real estate brokers: ten questions to ask any vendor
Every vendor in this category says its AI is accurate, compliant and safe. These ten questions turn those words into answers you can check. Ask them in writing, score each reply, and keep the ones that hold up.
Who wrote this. SourceDeck, which sells software in this category. The questions apply to any vendor, ours included, and none of them names a company. Where SourceDeck answers, the answer sits in a labelled box and links to the page that states it. Last checked against those pages on October 31, 2026.
Data sources and licences
AskList every source of the data your AI uses to find owners, properties and contacts. Say which are public records, which are licensed or bought, and what each licence lets me do with the data.
- Why it matters
- An assistant is only as good as what it reads. Records of unknown origin go stale without warning, and data used outside its licence becomes your problem when you send a message or publish a number built on it.
- A good answer
- A named list of sources, each marked public record, licensed or supplied by you, with the date it was last refreshed and a plain statement of how it may be used. They also tell you which data they will not use.
- A red flag
- A "proprietary database" with no sources, scraped social profiles presented as records, or an answer that treats licence terms as someone else's concern.
Human approval before anything is sent
AskCan your AI send an email, letter or text to a client, prospect or owner without a person approving that exact message first? If a setting allows it, who can change the setting, and where is the change recorded?
- Why it matters
- Everything an assistant sends goes out under your name and your licence. A message that reaches a client cannot be recalled, so the point of control has to come before the send.
- A good answer
- Outbound messages start as drafts and wait for a named person to approve them. Any exception is off by default, is a deliberate choice by the account owner, can be switched back, and leaves a record.
- A red flag
- "Fully autonomous outreach" offered as a feature, no way to read a message before it goes, or an approval step that anyone can bypass.
Coverage in your counties
AskWhich counties and states do you cover today, how complete is the data in each, and what happens when I work in a county you do not cover yet?
- Why it matters
- Commercial real estate is local. Strong data in one county says nothing about the next, and a tool that fills gaps with averages or guesses looks complete while being wrong where you work.
- A good answer
- A county by county list showing what is loaded, what is missing and when it was refreshed, an honest "not yet" for the rest, and a way to ask for a county that is not covered.
- A red flag
- "Nationwide coverage" with no county detail, blank fields shown as zero, or no way to see what is missing in your market.
Published pricing
AskWhat does the product cost for one broker, what is included, what is metered or extra, and can I see the price without talking to sales?
- Why it matters
- A price you cannot see tells you what the vendor thinks you will pay, not what the tool costs. Usage charges and setup fees are where surprises live, and a price you cannot compare is a price you cannot negotiate.
- A good answer
- A published price, the length of the commitment, what the monthly fee includes, and a stated rule for anything metered. Heavy use is discussed before it is billed.
- A red flag
- "Contact sales" for every plan, per-seat pricing that hides usage charges, or a long contract before you have used the product.
Published accuracy
AskWhat share of your results are right, how do you measure it, on how many examples, and where can I read the numbers?
- Why it matters
- Every assistant sounds sure of itself. Accuracy decides whether you can act on its output or must re-check it, and a vendor that has measured it will show you the method and the sample size.
- A good answer
- Figures by market or data type, with the method, the sample size and the date, weak spots included. Where there are too few examples, they say so instead of printing a number.
- A red flag
- A single headline figure with no method, "up to" claims, accuracy described only through customer quotes, or a refusal to say how it is measured.
Data ownership and export
AskWho owns the contacts, deals and notes I put in? Can you or anyone else train a model on them? Can I download all of it, in which format, whenever I want?
- Why it matters
- Your contact book and pipeline are the assets you carry between firms and tools. If they are hard to export, or feed a model that serves your competitors, switching later costs more than the subscription ever did.
- A good answer
- A clear statement that the data is yours, a written position on model training, and a self-service export in standard formats that covers every record type, with a manifest so you can check nothing is missing.
- A red flag
- Export only on request or for a fee, no statement about model training, or terms that give the vendor broad rights to your content.
Security and customer isolation
AskHow is my data kept apart from your other customers' data, what independent evidence do you have (a report, an audit or tests I can read about), and what is not covered yet?
- Why it matters
- A brokerage's pipeline is its competitive position. "Bank-grade security" is a phrase, not a control. What matters is where the separation is enforced and what proves it.
- A good answer
- A plain description of where isolation is enforced, the evidence behind it with dates, and an honest list of what is missing, such as an audit the vendor does not have yet.
- A red flag
- Security badges with no report behind them, "military-grade encryption" and nothing else, or a list of certifications the vendor cannot show you.
Who is accountable when the AI is wrong
AskWhen your AI gets a fact wrong, writes something it should not, or a message it drafted causes a complaint, who is responsible, what does your contract say, and what record shows what happened?
- Why it matters
- The licensee answers to clients, the state and the other side of the table. A vendor that is silent on responsibility leaves the whole risk with you, which is workable only if you know it before you sign.
- A good answer
- A plain statement that the broker remains responsible for what goes out, a contract that says what the vendor does and does not warrant, and an activity record showing what the assistant did and who approved it.
- A red flag
- Marketing that promises accuracy while the contract disclaims everything, no activity record, or a refusal to put the split of responsibility in writing.
Email, text and call compliance
AskHow does your product help me meet CAN-SPAM, the TCPA and state telemarketing law such as the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act? What does the software enforce, and what is left to me?
- Why it matters
- Penalties for unwanted email, texts and calls are large and they fall on the sender, which is you. An assistant that can reach thousands of people can create a violation faster than you can read it.
- A good answer
- A short list of what the software enforces (sender identification, a working unsubscribe, a permanent suppression list, consent records, calling hours), what the customer must still do, and a statement that none of it is legal advice.
- A red flag
- "Fully compliant" with no detail, bulk cold texting or calling as a feature, or no way to record consent and honor an opt-out across channels.
What happens to your data when you leave
AskIf I cancel, how do I get my data out, how long until you delete it, and does it stay in backups, logs or with your subprocessors after that?
- Why it matters
- Most vendors explain how to sign up and say little about leaving. Your clients' contact details are personal data you answer for, so you need to know where copies remain and for how long.
- A good answer
- A self-service export before you cancel, a stated deletion process and time frame, a plain account of how long backups keep a deleted record, and a list of the companies that process your data.
- A red flag
- Deletion "on request" with no time frame, no mention of backups, or terms that let the vendor keep and use your data after you leave.
How to score what you hear
Give each reply a score, add the ten, and compare vendors on the same form.
| Score | Meaning | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No clear answer, or a red flag | The vendor dodged the question, answered in marketing words only, or gave the red flag answer. |
| 1 | Partly answered | An answer, but nothing you can check: no page, document, test or named record behind it. |
| 2 | Clear and checkable | A specific answer you can verify yourself from a published page, a document or a demonstration. |
| Total out of 20 | Reading | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 17 to 20 | Strong | Most answers can be checked. Confirm the few that are not in writing, then decide on fit and price. |
| 12 to 16 | Mixed | Go back to every question you scored 0 or 1 and ask for the evidence in writing before you decide. |
| 0 to 11 | Weak | Too much rests on trust. Ask for a written answer to each zero, or keep looking. |
Questions marked resolve in writing matter whatever the total. If a vendor scores 0 on one of them, get a written answer before you sign.
Questions about this guide
Who wrote this guide, and is it neutral?
SourceDeck wrote it, and SourceDeck sells software in this category. So the ten questions are written to apply to any vendor, and none of them names a company. SourceDeck's own answers sit in separate, labelled boxes, and each one links to the page that states it. If an answer does not match its page, email us and it will be fixed and the review date changed.
How do I score a vendor?
Give each answer 0, 1 or 2: 0 for no clear answer or a red flag, 1 for an answer you cannot check, 2 for an answer you can verify yourself. Add the ten scores. 17 to 20 is strong, 12 to 16 is mixed, 0 to 11 is weak. 4 questions are marked to resolve in writing, because a zero on one of them matters whatever the total.
Can I use the checklist to compare more than one vendor?
Yes. Download one copy per vendor. Type the vendor's name before you download and it is printed at the top of the form.
Is the compliance question legal advice?
No. Question 9 helps you find out what a vendor's software enforces and what it leaves to you. Ask your own counsel what applies to your outreach.
Spotted something wrong?
This guide says what SourceDeck publishes, as of October 31, 2026. If an answer here no longer matches its page, or a question could be fairer, email [email protected]. We will fix it and change the date. This guide is not legal advice.
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