Today we are asking a practical question. Can you get a leading indicator of what is happening in real estate before monthly or quarterly reports from the major brokerages?

If you really want to look at the leading indicators, how would you do it? How could you do it?

Well, as it turns out, Brokerages like Redfin and Zillow can see activity before it appears in the monthly statistics. They see searches, appointments, open houses, offers, cancellations, and pending contracts. How can an ordinary investor get closer to that same information and understand where the market is moving before the headlines catch up?

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**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:**
Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)
iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)
Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)
LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)
YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)
Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)
Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)
**Y Street Capital:**
Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)
Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)
Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

On today’s show we are talking about the difference between pattern recognition and intelligence.

We’ve all seen the cases where AI is completely lacking in common sense. In order to understand how this happens, we need to understand how AI has been trained.

By examining historic patterns, AI algorithms take the lazy path to predicting the next step in the pattern. But not all patterns are predictive.

The nearest car wash is really close by, only a few hundred yards. The answer to the next question is telling. If it’s only a few hundred yards away, should I walk or drive? The AI then suggests that you could walk.

This is hilarious and obviously lacking in common sense. Walking is not going to get your car cleaned. This is the difference between pattern recognition and intelligence.

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**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:**
Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)
iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)
Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)
LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)
YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)
Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)
Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)
**Y Street Capital:**
Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)
Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)
Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

Our book of the month is "This is Strategy" by Seth Godin. When this book was published, I knew I wanted to read it. I’ve been following Seth for years.

Rather than presenting strategy as an academic discipline or a collection of management frameworks, he describes it as a way of thinking about systems, incentives, and long-term change. The result is a book that is less about business tactics and more about understanding how meaningful change actually occurs.

His assertion is that what is taught in school consists of questions where the answer is known. If the teacher doesn’t know the answer, they can’t write a test to give you a mark. As a result, schools don’t teach you how to answer questions where the answer is not known. In fact, part of the job will be to define the question. The true underpinnings of strategy come from asking these types of questions.

------------

**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:**
Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)
iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)
Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)
LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)
YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)
Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)
Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)
**Y Street Capital:**
Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)
Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)
Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)