Data-Driven Decisions: How Leaders Are Shaping 2026

Overview

Session Notes

• Key Takeaway: Housing leaders who invest in data strategy, analytics, and actionable insights are gaining a long-term competitive advantage, using data not just to understand market shifts, but to drive agent productivity, corporate strategy, community impact, and sustainable growth.
• Dan Duffy: Using Data to Build Long-Term Strategic Advantage
• The real estate industry remains significantly underinvested in data strategy, analytics, and data science, leaving massive untapped opportunity for competitive differentiation.
• Clean, well-structured, and properly labeled internal data is essential for generating meaningful insights and enabling AI-driven decision-making.
• United Real Estate is building a data-first strategy to improve agent productivity by identifying early signals, behavioral trends, and transaction timing opportunities.
• Data is reshaping United’s corporate strategy by uncovering new revenue streams, improving unit economics, and expanding services that better support agents’ total business needs.
• Rather than reacting to short-term market volatility, United is focusing on long-term horizon planning, identifying emerging “green wave” trends before they become obvious to competitors.
• Organizations should invest intentionally in data scientists, analytics infrastructure, and leadership alignment to ensure insights translate into business action.
• Duffy encouraged leaders to dedicate focused time to evaluating their data assets, identifying monetization opportunities, and building a cohesive data-first strategy.
• Nora Guerra: Turning Data Into Action Across Markets and Communities
• Guerra emphasized becoming a “student of the industry,” using layered data analysis, economic research, and buyer persona studies to identify meaningful trends.
• By combining national data, localized microdata, and demographic insights, she helps lenders and real estate professionals make informed, market-specific decisions.
• At Guild, data informs market expansion, strategic recruiting, community initiatives, and long-term business planning.
• Guerra led the deployment of 18 community lending initiatives in strategic growth markets, driving financial literacy, buyer readiness, and access to housing.
• Migration trends, millennial demand, affordability challenges, and payment-focused education are shaping Guild’s outreach and lending strategies.
• Clear data storytelling helps originators overcome consumer hesitation, shift focus from rates to affordability, and create actionable local business plans.
• A bias toward action — supported by clear data, contingency planning, and rapid iteration — enables teams to move quickly without falling into analysis paralysis.