Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a far-off concept—it’s here, and it’s changing the way we build, market, and outfit homes. From design to project management, technology is reshaping the housing industry at an unprecedented pace. To help members understand how to embrace these tools, we sat down with Kristin Marvin, Housing First Minnesota’s director of growth technology, to talk about AI’s potential, practical applications, and the smartest way to get started.
Q: How do you see AI shaping the future of the housing industry?
Artificial intelligence is the new technical frontier and is drastically revolutionizing global industry. Construction is no exception. From blueprint interpretation to project management, to the physical home build itself, AI is being integrated into every aspect of the process. The benefits are wide-ranging: greater efficiency, reduced waste, fewer accidents and errors, and the potential for lower costs—for both homebuilders and buyers. In a market challenged by a nationwide housing shortage, these outcomes are no small matter.
Q: For those who feel overwhelmed or skeptical, what’s the easiest way to get started?
AI is advancing at such a rapid rate that it can feel like trying to set your sight on a moving target. My advice is to start small. Experiment with simple prompts and work your way up to more complex, multifaceted queries, and let the system show you what it can do. As you build confidence, you can use AI like a personal assistant—offloading repetitive and cumbersome tasks such as data analysis, market research, meeting notes, and email summaries. This frees you up to focus on high-value work like managing customer relationships, strategic planning, and creative problem-solving.
Q: You talk a lot about “prompt writing.” Why is this so important?
I tell my team to think of prompt writing as “verbal code.” You’re telling the system what you want it to do with exactness and precision. Remember: Vague instructions lead to poor outcomes. If you don’t get the results you want, refine your prompt and try again. Be clear about the role you want AI to play (“act as a project manager” or “summarize as a marketing expert”), specify the format you need (a bulleted list, a two-paragraph email draft, a comparison chart), and provide constraints like length or tone. Adding hyper-specific details—like an example of the style you prefer—can dramatically sharpen the output. You can even ask your AI tool if it has clarification questions before executing the task, which can help refine expectations and avoid misfires.
Q: Once someone is ready to move beyond experiments, how should they approach building a technology infrastructure?
Whether you’re building your tech stack from the ground up or evaluating it for improvement, it’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of your organization’s goals and strategic direction. I recommend focusing on eight principles:
- Align on organizational goals
- Identify your system “source of truth”
- Prioritize cohesion and integration
- Plan for growth and scalability
- Invest in optimization
- Manage user adoption
- Perform regular health checks
- Embrace change and new ideas
Maintaining a healthy stack is essential to overall business success and longevity. Companies that are committed to enhancing and optimizing their technical stack are far more likely to outperform and outlast those that don’t.
Q: How can AI help with marketing tasks?
AI can completely transform the way businesses connect with customers. Beyond campaign planning and content writing, tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot can generate social media calendars, suggest trending hashtags, draft ad copy variations for A/B testing, and even create eye-catching visuals sized for each platform. More advanced users can also analyze engagement data to see what’s resonating and refine campaigns in real time.
Q: And what about day-to-day operations?
Incorporating AI into daily business operations can significantly increase productivity and efficiency across teams. When integrated into systems like Outlook or Salesforce, AI can automatically log interactions, track customer preferences, and surface predictive insights during meetings. Afterward, it can generate meeting summaries, assign follow-up tasks, and even draft client-ready emails—completing hours of work in mere minutes. AI can also support operational tasks such as sales forecasting, BI and data visualization, project management, competitive analysis, and technical problem-solving. AI isn’t just a tool for marketers or IT professionals; it’s a business-wide accelerator.
Q: Once a company chooses a new tool, how do you recommend getting staff on board?
New technology only works if people use it. To foster adoption and lead through change, start by communicating the “why” behind the rollout, the problems it solves, and the benefits it will bring. Then, offer training in stages: first broad overviews, then role-specific sessions, and finally, one-on-one support. This tiered approach gives people the opportunity to learn at their own pace and ask questions they might not otherwise ask. Remember, adoption happens at different speeds, so leverage early adopters to share their successes with peers who are more hesitant. Finally, be sure to provide ongoing support after the rollout, whether through refresher sessions, working groups, or user guides. Ensure your team has the confidence, resources ,and encouragement necessary to succeed.
Q: What safety or security concerns should professionals keep in mind?
Many AI platforms default to learning from user input, meaning anything you put in may be used to train the system. Never input sensitive or confidential information, even if learning is disabled. It’s also important to be cautious of scams. AI can be used to create emails, replicate voices, or even produce video that could be used in phishing attempts. Lastly, be diligent about AI use that may have legal implications, such as plagiarism, use of likeness, or rights to creative or intellectual property.
Q: Looking ahead, where do you see AI going?
The immediate future of AI is robotics. Companies like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, 1X, and others are already piloting humanoid robots that can assist with tasks ranging from household chores to search and rescue missions. Even within the housing industry, builders are utilizing robotics and 3D printing for home construction. Long term, the possibilities with AI are nearly immeasurable. We may see a time when diseases are nearly eradicated, when accidents claim fewer lives, and when people have more time to do the things they love. For me, I hope that means traveling more and doing laundry less.
