Realay, a Michigan-based referral platform, will attend Real Estate Distilled 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, which draws approximately 250 independent brokers annually, is one of the few national events specifically designed for boutique brokerages competing outside franchise systems. Realay will operate a booth throughout the three-day event and present a breakout session on March 17 focused on helping independent brokers match the referral capabilities of national franchise operations.
“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 reflects Realay’s strategic focus on independent brokerages that lack the built-in referral networks available to agents at national franchises. When clients relocate outside their market, franchise agents can call sister offices across the country. Independent brokers traditionally hunt for connections through Facebook groups or lose the business entirely. Realay’s platform provides what LeRoy describes as a “plug and play relocation tool” that gives independent brokerages nationwide network access, automated tracking, and mobile functionality previously available only through franchise systems.
The company will demonstrate both agent-to-agent referral capabilities and the recently launched contractor referral management system. The contractor feature allows brokers to organize their preferred painters, plumbers, electricians, and other service providers, then refer these contractors to clients through voice-activated commands in the mobile app.
The mobile app’s voice AI functionality, powered by OpenAI integration, allows agents to submit referrals, update transaction status, and coordinate contractor services entirely through spoken commands. “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 hands-free capability addresses a practical reality of real estate work, as agents spend significant time in vehicles traveling between property showings, client meetings, and closings.
The March conference appearance comes as Realay shifts marketing strategy following initial paid advertising tests on Meta platforms. The company recently paused Facebook ad spending to focus on more targeted outreach, including geographic-specific campaigns and direct engagement at industry events. Real Estate Distilled’s focus on independent brokers aligns with Realay’s core market. The platform 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 preventing small brokerages from testing new technology.
Franchise fees typically range from 6-8% of gross commission income, with one of the primary justifications being access to nationwide referral networks. If independent brokers can achieve similar network access through technology platforms at lower cost, it fundamentally changes the value proposition of franchise membership.
Following the Louisville event, Realay plans to evaluate attendee feedback, gauge interest levels, and determine whether the conference format effectively reaches decision-makers at independent brokerages. The company will assess whether to expand its conference presence at similar events focused on the independent broker market. The Real Estate Distilled conference represents a test case for whether in-person demonstrations of voice AI functionality and contractor network capabilities resonate more effectively with independent brokers than digital advertising campaigns.
For independent brokers attending the conference, the Realay booth offers an opportunity to see how voice commands translate into automated referral workflows, explore the contractor management system, and understand how the platform’s vetting process ensures quality connections across all 50 states. The March 17 breakout session will provide deeper insight into how the platform addresses the specific challenges facing independent brokerages, from the “black hole” problem where referred clients disappear without updates to the time drain of managing referrals through spreadsheets and manual tracking.
Whether conference attendance converts to platform adoption remains to be seen. But the Louisville event represents Realay’s strategic bet that face-to-face demonstrations at industry-specific conferences will drive adoption more effectively than broad-based digital advertising. For more information, visit realay.com.
