Tech with Ty

[T]echnology: Atlas Fail
[E]ducation: The Fed, The Cuts, and The CFPB’s Curtain Call
[C]oaching: The Best Agent Doesn’t Always Win
[H]ow To: Use AI To The Fullest

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[T]echnology: Atlas Fail

I was excited to write about Atlas, OpenAI’s new agentic browser, but every time I try to use it, I get a server error. ❌

So…I’ll save that for a rainy day (hopefully next week). In the meantime, I’ll continue using Comet! ☄️

Instead, I’m going to cover a feature I swear I used in the past but somehow completely forgot about. 

Live Camera, launched just over a year ago in ChatGPT, is a hidden gem and your favorite new assistant.

To access it, you must first click the voice icon and then the camera icon.

ChatGPT’s Live Camera isn’t just for identifying random objects. You can walk through a home and ask for design ideas, staging tips, or quick renovation feedback. It’ll tell you what feels dated, what adds value, and what buyers will notice first.

Need content? ⬇️⬇️ 

Point your phone at a kitchen, ask for a short Reel script or caption, and it’ll give you something ready to post. It’s also perfect for training new agents. Show them examples of what to fix or highlight before a listing goes live.

Live Camera basically turns your phone into a property coach, a stager, and a marketing assistant all rolled into one.

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[E]ducation: The Fed, The Cuts, and The CFPB’s Curtain Call

The Fed is once again talking about rate cuts, and not small ones. Fed Governor Stephen Miran wants a fifty basis point drop at the next meeting, though twenty five is more realistic. He’s calling it urgent, pointing to trade tensions with China and a slowing labor market. His goal is to get back to neutral and keep the economy moving.

At the same time, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is being shut down. The agency that came out of the 2008 financial crisis is officially on its way out, and the process could be finished within a few months. Some people are celebrating the end of what they saw as an overreaching agency, while others see it as removing one of the few real guardrails left in lending. 🫣

Here’s my take. I’ve never been a fan of an agency with no checks and balances, especially one funded by the same fines it issued. But the intent behind it was good. It was built to protect consumers, hold lenders accountable, and keep things fair. Without it, there’s a real risk that people start slipping back into old habits.

Because let’s be clear. RESPA didn’t go anywhere. The rules still apply, and the penalties for breaking them can be brutal. The attorneys handling those cases don’t get out of bed for less than a six figure retainer. Kickbacks, joint marketing schemes, and creative referral arrangements will be under the microscope, whether there’s a CFPB or not. 🔍 

On the flip side, if the Fed does cut rates aggressively, buyers could finally get some relief. Cheaper money might wake the market back up and give first-time buyers another chance. That’s a good thing. But this is also when bad behavior tends to sneak in.

So this is the moment for agents and brokers to stay sharp. Do things right, stay compliant, and remember that integrity in business always pays off in the long run. The CFPB might be closing, but the consequences for cutting corners are still very much alive.
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[C]oaching: The Best Agent Doesn’t Always Win

I just spoke to around five hundred agents at the REMAX Northeast Agent Rally, and right before I went on stage, Michael LaFido (Luxury Guru) said something that hit me hard.

“A bad agent who’s great at marketing will beat a great agent who’s bad at marketing every single time.”

That one line says it all. 

The agents winning listings aren’t always the most skilled or the most ethical. Some of them are selling smoke and mirrors, but they are doing it confidently and doing it everywhere. 📱

The lesson isn’t to copy that behavior. It’s to make sure your skill and integrity are just as visible. If you care about doing things the right way, then you have to make sure people know it. Otherwise, the loudest voices will keep setting the standard, and you’ll be left cleaning up their mess.

So don’t shy away from marketing. Use it as your amplifier. Let it showcase the way you serve clients, not just the homes you sell. 

The market doesn’t reward the quiet expert. It rewards the one who shows up with value and says it out loud.

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[H]ow To: Use AI To The Fullest

I don’t know about you, but ever since AI became popular, I’ve felt completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how to actually use it. I either feel like I’m relying on it too much or not taking full advantage of its capabilities. It seems like I’m introduced to new AI tools, websites, or apps almost daily (thanks, Tyler), and honestly, I’ve had a hard time incorporating them into my workflow. 🖥️ 

Most of the time, I shrug them off because I’ve convinced myself that my work is still better than AI’s. And in many cases, it is. But sometimes…it’s not. 

Recently, I watched a video by my favorite marketing YouTuber, Latasha James, and she shared a simple framework that really clicked for me: divide your workload into three columns.

Column 1: What you must do yourself—and want to continue doing yourself.

As AI continues to advance, this list will likely come down to personal preference rather than ability. For me, this includes networking events, developing overall strategy, and video editing/filming. These are things I’ll always handle personally, never relying solely on AI without review or outsourcing.

What’s on your list? What are you not willing to trust AI with yet? What can’t—or won’t—you outsource?

Column 2: What you can outsource.

Who could you hire to handle certain tasks for you? Who would you trust to take over parts of your workload?

Column 3: What you can automate.

This is where AI really comes in. Recently, Metricool conducted a study for marketers, and here’s what they found…

96% of marketers use AI.

72.46% of marketers use AI daily. 

What AI apps are marketers using the most? 

I will be checking out all the yellow this week that I’m currently not utilizing. 
 
What is the most common use of AI? 

78% of marketers use AI for content idea generation. 

This stat honestly shocked me. It’s something I think everyone should be tracking because if your AI-generated content isn’t performing, you need to know that. Just because something can be made with AI doesn’t always mean it should be. If it’s not working, it’s not working. Especially as AI continues to develop, this will give you valuable insight into whether you should keep using AI for these tasks or return to doing them yourself. 

Going into 2026, what do you want AI to take over with your workflow?

 ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Personally, I want to start utilizing AI more for video b-roll footage and creating graphics. If there is a way, I would love to have AI automate scheduling posts with captions written for my review. 

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-Ty Morton + Abby G