Trust, tech, and transparency: The pillars real estate leaders can’t overlook in 2026

According to Pennell, in 2026, leaders will need to prioritise integrity while ensuring their teams and systems effectively use technology to streamline workloads, allowing more focus on customer experience and rebuilding trust.

She said that with the upcoming regulations and the sector's public perception, real estate leaders must accept that the old ways are gone and focus on doing the right thing, not just to avoid consequences, but because it’s the right approach.

“It's incumbent on all of us to rebuild trust with our customer base,” Pennell told REB.

“The fact that we fell to the very bottom last year is an indictment on all of us, and it's a tri-partisan solution that we have to work on. It's the regulators, it's the customers, and us.”

“But the minute we finger-point and call the problem someone else's and don't take ownership, then we're not part of the solution.”

Pennell said that with the advent of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), making everything more transparent, building strong processes, prioritising quality, and curating customer experiences will be more important than ever.

“In all industries, solutions to problems are nowhere near as complicated as we make them, and we can all take actions to be better.”

Building trust through better customer experiences

As 2025 has been plagued by underquoting, rental bidding, and misuse of trust accounts, Pennell said that rebuilding trust should be a top priority for real estate leaders over the next 12 months.

Last year, the industry ranked lowest on the Ethics Index with a -22 per cent net trust score, 4 points lower than in 2024.

She said that while trust has been broken, the sector can come back as a whole and make a united front to regain its reputation and integrity.

“We are either part of the solution or part of the problem.”

“So when we sit back and say trust is broken, well, what did we do to break trust? How can we focus on the solution rather than the problem?”

Pennell said that one of the solutions to rebuild trust is to focus on customers' experience rather than chasing the dollar value.

She said that agents need to remember that high-stakes transactions such as buying or selling a property are increasingly stressful, making empathy essential for successful interactions.

“I think in property transactions, retaining empathy is the only way we're all going to get through, without too much stress.”

“I recently had a very traumatic experience as a tenant, and it was really an eye-opener for me. I found it very stressful to go through personally, and it was made worse by the agent.”

“In retrospect, I was really grateful to have had that experience because it just reminded me of what customers can go through in their journey.”

She said that since then, Barry Plant has invested more heavily in its customer experience by being even more transparent, knowing that honesty remains the foundation of strong client relationships.

“The people that we trust the most are the ones that we can be completely honest with, and we know they'll be completely honest with us. It's one of the fundamentals.”

She added that leaders must help agents balance their financial goals with the human side of the business, prioritising client care over ego-driven metrics.

“If everybody in the real estate industry were inspired to help people for the right reason, rather than for the money, the trust problem would be immediately gone.”

“We don't need people sitting in boardrooms thinking of initiatives on how to rebuild trust? We all need to take accountability for bringing the human side into what the industry or find another job.”

Pennell said that by focusing on helping people and taking personal accountability, the sector could restore confidence and overcome its integrity challenges.

AML/CTF regulations on the horizon

In addition to rebuilding trust, Pennell said another key aspect of 2026 will be the upcoming anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regulations, set to start in July.

“It’s going to take a lot of people by surprise.”

Pennell said that money laundering has been an increasingly serious issue that many in the industry underestimate, carrying significant risks.

She said that AML/CTF will be just one of several regulatory changes set to impact the real estate sector, making robust systems and processes essential for networks.

For leaders, Pennell said that the "old approach" of operating loosely or relying on franchisors without proper systems will no longer be acceptable, encouraging the industry to adopt stronger, more accountable practices.

“There will be big fines, and anyone underestimating the impact may find themselves in trouble, particularly if they're either in a group or an independent office where there's no real solution provided.”

Smarter AI and innovation

With new regulations and rising customer expectations, Pennell said leaders must carefully integrate smart technology and select AI tools that best fit their teams’ needs.

According to Pennell, AI offers huge potential, yet misuse or overreliance can create risks, inefficiency, and even reputational damage.

“AI will probably blow up a lot of businesses, because the adoption of AI at the wrong speed or in the wrong way causes enormous brand damage.”

“Technology will be a problem for a lot of businesses because they overuse it or they over-engineer it or they use the wrong product or service.”

She said that the right technology can empower businesses and drive innovation, but real estate leaders must plan carefully and think several steps ahead before adopting new tools.

To be effective, she said that education on safe and reliable usage will be critical, as even smart users can falter when systems are misapplied.

Pennell said that leaders must balance adoption with caution, ensuring technology supports high-stakes transactions without exposing their business to unnecessary risk.

“It's not a risk-free change in our world by any stretch, and I would caution all leaders to be cognizant of that risk and moving fast is dangerous.”

“We are dealing with high-stakes transactions, so we do need to be responsible in our use of tech.”

Staff happiness and retention

According to Pennell, another pillar real estate leaders should focus on in 2026 will surround staff retention and office happiness.

She said that strong leadership starts with human connection and with building relationships where people feel safe being honest about what’s working for them in their role and what isn’t.

“When you have that human connection with someone, then they are free to express themselves, and as a leader, you can take the right actions.”

She said that openness creates early warning signs and the opportunity to address issues, retain the right people, or support others into roles better suited to them.

Additionally, she said choosing new staff well from the outset will continue to be critical for leaders, which is why Barry Plant has been relying on psychometric profiling to gain deeper insight beyond what interviews alone can reveal.

“I find the psychometric profiling to be a wonderful layer, so everyone in our team has been profiled.”

By profiling people, Pennell said it has helped the brand ensure they create the right environment by having strong leadership at every level and treating people as humans, not outputs.

“The old days of factory farming in corporate environments are again long gone.”

“We want more than that. We want psychological safety, to be cared about, and to be seen.”

Pennell said that while leaders should look after their teams, their top priority should be to lead by example.

She said that real change starts with self-reflection, and encouraged network leaders to ask themselves what they are personally doing to improve the industry.

“Look in the mirror and work to make things better for everybody. Let's stop attacking each other and attack the problem,” Pennell concluded.