At the 2026 Titans of Industry: Women in Real Estate Brunch, one session challenged attendees to think differently about leadership, productivity and the future of work.
In “Women-Driven Tech, AI-Ready Leadership,” presenter Marki Lemons Ryhal, Global Keynote Speaker of ReMarkiTable LLC, delivered a clear message: artificial intelligence is no longer optional for leaders who want to protect their time, sharpen their communication and stay competitive.
Her session focused on the practical application of AI tools. For women in real estate who are already balancing clients, contracts, visibility, leadership responsibilities and personal demands, AI, she argued, can serve as a practical second set of hands.
She explained how implementing AI into your work flow doesn’t mean replacing judgment or personality. It can be used to create systems that help leaders move faster, communicate more clearly and make better use of their time.
What to do when staying busy isn’t working
Ryhal opened with a reality many women in real estate know well: the day often starts before it feels like it should, and the to-do list is already overflowing.
In an always-on industry, being busy all the time can start to feel normal — but being constantly in motion does not always equate to strategic business growth. One of the biggest shifts she encouraged attendees to make was this: move from reactive work to intentional systems.
Instead of trying to manage every task manually, leaders should identify which activities can be supported, streamlined or automated.
To begin shifting your mindset, she posed the following challenge:
- Learn what your time is worth. Is it $25 per hour or $50 per hour?
- For someone aiming to earn $100,000 annually, working roughly 2,000 hours per year, that comes out to about $50 per hour.
- Then, determine what actually deserves your time and what should be delegated or automated.
When leaders understand the value of an hour, it becomes easier to make better decisions about where their energy goes, what they say yes to and which tools are worth paying for. Her point was simple: too many professionals hesitate over a modest monthly investment in technology, even when that technology could save them hours each week.
“If a tool gives you time back,” she suggested, “the return is already there.”
AI Is The tool — Your Voice is the brand
A common concern around AI is that it can feel impersonal or generic, but Ryhal pushed back on that idea. If AI-generated content does not sound like you, she said, it is often because you have not trained it to reflect your voice, style and tone.
She pointed to one tool professionals can use to better understand their communication patterns: Grammarly. By consistently identifying tone, whether confident, informative, assertive or appreciative, leaders can use AI more intentionally without losing their authenticity.
That distinction matters, especially in real estate, where trust, follow-up and personal brand are central to success.
The takeaway? Don’t concede your voice. Build systems that strengthen it.
Leadership Requires Better Filters
Ryhal also connected AI adoption to a larger leadership lesson: knowing what to say yes to and what to decline.
She spoke candidly about the importance of strategic focus. Not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Not every request deserves immediate access to your time and attention. Technology can help create efficiency, but leaders still need clarity around priorities.
That includes understanding:
- What supports your strategic plan?
- What distracts from your goals?
- What can be delegated, automated or declined entirely?
In that sense, AI is not just a tech story. It is a leadership story.
Are you ready to adapt?
Another one of Ryhal’s major points was urgency. Search behavior is changing. Content systems are changing. Client expectations are changing.
Automation is already reshaping the industry, and professionals who delay adapting risk losing time, margin and visibility.
Her recommendation was to experiment, stay curious and begin using tools that can support real business outcomes now, whether that means better follow-up, faster drafting, deeper research or stronger visibility. Leaders do not need to master every platform overnight, but they do need to start.
Those who benefit most from AI will not necessarily be the most technical. They will be the ones who learn how to apply it consistently and strategically.
Utilizing Tech To Get Your Time Back
Perhaps the most compelling idea in the session was that technology, when used well, should not just make work faster. It should make leadership more sustainable.
Used intentionally, AI can give professionals back time for higher-level thinking, stronger client service, personal priorities and the parts of life that too often get pushed aside. Ryhal revealed that the AI systems she has in place manage a portion of her workflow before she even signs on for the day, giving her more time to focus on health, wellness and other personal duties.
That is what made this session especially relevant for women leaders in real estate. The conversation was not about chasing trends. It was about building support systems that protect time, reduce friction and help leaders show up with more clarity and confidence. Because in a business that demands so much, the smartest systems are often the ones that help you lead without carrying everything alone.