Realay, a Michigan-based referral platform, will attend the Real Estate Distilled conference in Louisville, Kentucky, from March 16-18, marking its first major conference appearance since launching a voice AI-powered mobile app in late 2025. The conference draws approximately 250 independent brokers annually and is one of the few national events tailored to boutique brokerages operating outside franchise systems. Realay will operate a booth throughout the event and present a breakout session on March 17 focused on helping independent brokers match the referral capabilities of national franchises.
“Real Estate Distilled is one of the very few conferences that are held annually for independent brokers. We’re excited to attend so the attendees can learn how Realay can help them be more organized, responsive, and productive in their markets,” says John LeRoy, Realay’s founder.
The conference selection aligns with Realay’s strategic focus on independent brokerages that lack the built-in referral networks of franchise agents. When clients relocate outside their market, franchise agents can tap sister offices; independent brokers often rely on Facebook groups or lose business. Realay’s platform provides a “plug and play relocation tool” that offers nationwide network access, automated tracking, and mobile functionality previously exclusive to franchises.
Realay will demonstrate agent-to-agent referrals and its recently launched contractor referral management system. The contractor feature allows brokers to organize preferred service providers—painters, plumbers, electricians—and refer them to clients via voice-activated commands in the mobile app. The voice AI, powered by OpenAI integration, lets agents submit referrals, update statuses, and coordinate services entirely through spoken commands, addressing the reality that agents spend significant time in vehicles.
“There will be an engagement program where we will walk the attendees through using our application and how they can benefit from using both the contractor function as well as the Realay platform,” LeRoy explained.
The March conference appearance comes as Realay shifts marketing strategy after initial paid advertising tests on Meta platforms. The company paused Facebook ad spending to focus on targeted outreach, including geographic campaigns and direct industry engagement. Realay operates on a pay-at-closing model with no upfront fees or monthly subscriptions, taking 5% of referral commissions while originating agents receive their standard 25% referral fee. This structure removes financial barriers for small brokerages testing new technology.
Franchise fees typically range from 6-8% of gross commission income, with nationwide referral networks as a key justification. If independent brokers achieve similar network access through technology at lower cost, it could alter the value proposition of franchise membership. Following the Louisville event, Realay plans to evaluate attendee feedback and assess whether conference format effectively reaches decision-makers at independent brokerages.
For independent brokers attending, the Realay booth offers a chance to experience how voice commands automate referral workflows, explore the contractor system, and understand the platform’s vetting process for quality connections across all 50 states. The March 17 breakout session will address challenges like the “black hole” problem—where referred clients disappear without updates—and the time drain of manual tracking via spreadsheets.
Whether conference attendance converts to platform adoption remains to be seen, but the Louisville event represents Realay’s bet that face-to-face demonstrations at industry-specific conferences will drive adoption more effectively than broad digital advertising. For more information, visit realay.com.
