How Briggs Freeman delivered clear ROI with their AI assistant

The hidden friction in real estate

AI is everywhere. And for most real estate brokerages, it’s hard to tell what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s actually worth investing in.

But there’s a real, solvable problem sitting right in front of most brokerages: intent doesn’t wait.

When a buyer is ready to act – to book a showing, to ask about a listing – every moment of delay lowers the chance they convert. They go cold, they bounce, they click over to a portal.

This is the kind of friction that AI can solve. Not in theory – in practice. By meeting the buyer in that exact moment with helpful, immediate engagement, brokerages can protect opportunity and deliver a better experience.

Will Stokes, CTO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International, saw this clearly. So in April 2024, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty became one of the few luxury brokerages in the U.S. to deploy a branded AI sales assistant, Briggs, powered by Roof AI.

The goal wasn’t full automation. It was to catch intent at the moment it appears – and turn it into opportunity.

The decision: reduce friction, raise perception

The team launched Briggs on the corporate website with a clear objective: tackle the critical moment between interest and action. 

Can we improve website-to-showing conversion and deliver a better digital experience for clients – without overwhelming agents or requiring process changes?

The answer was yes.

Rather than redesign the site or overhaul backend systems, they added a conversational assistant – a low-lift enhancement that made the digital experience more human and responsive.

It worked because it met people where they were. Buyers didn’t have to change behavior. The experience just felt smoother. The brand, more available. The response, immediate.

The results: appointments that closed

Over the course of 12 months, Briggs converted hundreds of buyer leads through showing requests on the brokerage’s corporate website. These weren’t casual inquiries – they were appointment bookings.

Of those leads, 7.5% closed  significantly outperforming typical online lead conversion benchmarks. Just to repeat those were actual closed transactions! 

Even more importantly, every closed transaction originated from a showing request, meaning Briggs wasn’t just starting conversations – it was driving transactions.

The ROI: measurable, not theoretical

The brokerage tracked every closed deal back to its source. When it came time to evaluate performance, there was no ambiguity:

• 7.5% lead-to-closed transaction
  
• 946% ROI based on Gross Commission Income
  

With minimal disruption and no staff retraining, Briggs gave the brokerage leverage at one of the most high-value points in the buyer journey.

Why it worked

Several factors contributed to the success of the deployment:

• Brokerage-wide rollout: Briggs was live on the entire corporate site, making the experience consistent for all visitors.
• Timely engagement: Briggs responded when interest peaked — not hours later.
• Perceived professionalism: Buyers felt guided and taken care of, not abandoned in a lead form.
• Luxury-ready engagement: Briggs handled conversations with professionalism and relevance, proving that AI can support luxury clientele without compromising brand experience.
• Clear attribution: The team could track every showing request and resulting transaction back to the assistant, giving the initiative hard accountability.
  

Unlike a lot of AI tools in the market, this wasn’t a “wait and see” initiative. It was a direct-line investment that produced measurable outcomes.

A model for other brokerages

Will Stokes and his team didn’t need a massive transformation. They needed something small, focused, and impactful.

While others debated where AI belonged, he picked a high-leverage point in the funnel – and saw real results.

This case is proof that AI doesn’t have to be complex to be valuable. And that a good online experience isn’t just for mid-market or tech-first firms – it’s a must for every brokerage, even in luxury. Especially when it happens in a way that’s simple, on-brand, and designed around real human behavior.