AI Prospecting in Commercial Real Estate: Why Brokers Hate Cold Calling
Insights from the CRE Secrets podcast episode, “This One Prospecting Shift Will Change Your CRE Business,” where Aviva Sonenreich sits down with Kusiima Boswell, co-founder of Terrakotta, the AI prospecting platform helping commercial real estate professionals turn cold calls into real conversations.
AI prospecting in commercial real estate is solving one of the oldest problems in the industry: cold calling. Ask any broker what part of the job they dislike most, and you’ll hear the same answer. Endless dials, ignored voicemails, and tedious CRM updates don’t just waste time—they drain energy and stall momentum.
One young broker told Kusiima Boswell, co-founder of Terrakotta, that he spent two years leaving hundreds of voicemails for a single property owner before finally landing a call back. The deal closed, but the process was exhausting and wildly inefficient.
The truth? Cold calling still works. But in 2025, it’s also the #1 bottleneck holding back deal flow for brokers and investors. That’s why more firms are turning to AI prospecting in commercial real estate to scale outreach and connect with owners faster.
Terrakotta’s AI-Powered Prospecting Platform
That frustration is exactly what led Boswell and his co-founders to build Terrakotta.ai, an AI prospecting in commercial real estate platform designed for brokers, investors, and acquisitions teams.
Here’s how it works:
- Lead Sourcing: Type in a GPT-style prompt and Terrakotta automatically builds a targeted list of property owners or prospects using public records and AI-driven data extraction.
- Smart Dialing: Hit “dial” and let the system run. If a prospect answers, you talk. If not, the AI drops a voicemail in your own cloned voice—personalized, professional, and efficient.
- Workflow Automation: Every call is logged. Voicemails, CRM updates, and notes are handled automatically, freeing up brokers to focus on closing, not admin.
- Data Validation: Terrakotta cross-checks numbers with telecom carriers to confirm accuracy—boosting connect rates and cutting down on wasted dials.
The result? A souped-up AI phone system that takes proven CRE prospecting strategies and scales them with technology.
Proof That Brokers Close More Deals with AI Prospecting
Terrakotta isn’t theory—it’s already powering results across the industry:
- 50–75% Data Accuracy: On first pass, Terrakotta outperforms manual public record pulls (30–40%), giving brokers faster access to verified contacts.
- Deal-Snowball Effect: A veteran multifamily broker in the Midwest uses Terrakotta to pull lists of property owners within a 10-mile radius of his listings. By mailing, emailing, and calling those owners, he creates a ripple effect where “deals sell deals.”
- Consistent Calling at Scale: Brokers who once struggled to make 50 dials now hit 200+ with automation, keeping the personal touch without the burnout.
- Real User Feedback: “We didn’t reinvent the wheel,” says Boswell. “We just built AI agents to do the exact tasks brokers already do—faster and more accurately.”
Ed Winslow calls this proof stacking—layering real results, credible voices, and measurable improvements that build undeniable authority. Terrakotta checks every box.
How Brokers Can Start Using AI Prospecting in Commercial Real Estate
For brokers and investors who want to increase deal flow in 2025, ignoring AI is no longer an option.
Here’s how to take action:
- Audit Your Prospecting Workflow – How much time are you wasting on voicemails, data entry, and bad contact info?
- Test Terrakotta.ai – Schedule a 15-minute demo at Terrakotta.ai to see AI prospecting in action.
- Start Small, Scale Fast – Use AI to handle repetitive prospecting tasks, then reinvest saved time into relationship-building and closing deals.
- Stay Consistent – As Boswell puts it: “You overestimate what you can do in a year and underestimate what gets done in a decade. The compounding effect of consistency is the real secret.”
The brokers who adopt AI prospecting in commercial real estate now will own their markets tomorrow.
Q1: What is AI prospecting in commercial real estate?
A1: AI prospecting in commercial real estate uses artificial intelligence to automate lead sourcing, dialing, voicemails, and CRM updates—saving brokers hours of manual work.
Q2: How accurate is Terrakotta’s contact data?
A2: Terrakotta achieves 50–75% accuracy on first pass, validated with telecom carrier data to improve connect rates.
Q3: Does AI replace brokers in cold calling?
A3: No. Terrakotta handles repetitive tasks like leaving voicemails and verifying contacts, but brokers still handle live conversations and deal-making.
Q4: Who can benefit from Terrakotta?
A4: CRE brokers, investors, and acquisitions teams who want to scale prospecting and connect with more property owners through AI prospecting in commercial real estate.
Q5: How do I get started with Terrakotta?
A5: Visit Terrakotta.ai and schedule a free 15-minute demo to see how AI prospecting in commercial real estate can fit into your workflow.
Your Commercial Real Estate Edge — Connect with Aviva & The Warehouse Hotline Today
🎧 Listen to the full episode at CRE Secrets, This One Prospecting Shift Will Change Your CRE Business.
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