10 AI & Technology Recommendations for Builders

As technology continues to reshape the home building landscape, New Home Star remains at the forefront of helping builders navigate the intersection of innovation, people, and process. At The Builder’s Daily’s Focus on Excellence conference, New Home Star Founder Dave Rice led a dynamic discussion on how builders can leverage AI and technology to drive efficiency, elevate customer experience, and future-proof their organizations.

The session brought together leading voices from across the industry—Stephanie McCarty of Taylor Morrison, Linda Mamet and Urmila Menon of Tri Pointe Homes, Brandon Sharp of Brookfield Residential, and Mark Minor of Higharc—to explore practical strategies for digital transformation.

Their collective message was clear: technology is no longer a luxury or differentiator; it’s the foundation of operational excellence, customer trust, and scalable growth.

1. Get the Foundations Right: Data, Definitions, Discipline

The conversation opened with a universal truth: technology can’t fix what isn’t operationally sound.

“Technology doesn’t erase poor operations or a lack of discipline; it amplifies what’s already working, or exposes what’s not,” said Dave Rice.

Many builders struggle to unlock the full potential of digital tools because their data is fragmented or inconsistently defined. Brandon Sharp underscored the importance of accurate cycle time measurement, while Mark Minor reminded the audience that automation starts with clean data and structured plans.

Action Steps:

• Standardize key definitions (start/completion, cycle time, margin components) and enforce one source of truth.
• Kill side spreadsheets: put critical tracking into your ERP/CRM.
• Stand up a basic data warehouse (even light-weight) and a data governance cadence (owners, SLAs, exception handling).

2. People First: Upskill, Communicate, and Lead Through Change

Every successful technology initiative starts with people who understand its purpose.

“Our number one value is excellent careers for our people, and that starts with helping them see technology as a path to advancement, not replacement,” said Rice.

Stephanie McCarty shared how sales teams that embraced digital tools at Taylor Morrison consistently outperformed their peers. Urmila Menon added that building a growth mindset through upskilling is crucial for sustaining innovation.

Action Steps:

• Launch internal “tech wins” programs to celebrate success stories.
• Invest in role-specific training (AI prompts for sales, RPA for accounting, etc.).
• Clearly communicate the “why” behind every tech rollout.

3. Automate the Busywork: Small Bots, Big Hours Back

Automation doesn’t eliminate jobs; it unlocks capacity.

“Automation gives people time back to do the work that matters most: relationships and problem-solving,” said Rice.

Linda Mamet detailed how Tri Pointe Homes implemented bots to handle closing documentation and data entry, freeing up teams for higher-value work.

Action Steps:

• Identify the top repetitive tasks within each department and pilot simple automation solutions.
• Combine small in-house tools with best-of-breed SaaS platforms.
• Track ROI through hours saved and error reduction.

4. Simplify Your Product First: Plan & Option Rationalization

Complex product catalogs slow innovation.

“You can’t create automation from chaos,” noted Minor.

“Rationalizing plans and SKUs may not sound glamorous, but it’s the single biggest enabler for future automation,” added Rice.

Action Steps:

• Audit plans for performance and retire or merge underperformers.
• Reduce long-tail options that add little value to customers or margins.
• Create localized catalogs to prevent SKU overload.

5. Elevate the Customer Experience with  Transparency and Control

Today’s buyers expect the same transparency and self-service experience they find in every other industry.

“If we keep saying, ‘we don’t do it that way in home building,’ we’re going to lose trust,” said Rice.

Stephanie McCarty highlighted the need for buyers to engage on their own terms, while Urmila Menon stressed that omnichannel experiences must feel seamless from online research to model home tours.

Action Steps:

• Provide guided online experiences with transparent pricing and lot availability.
• Enable CRM systems to capture and act on digital “breadcrumbs.”
• Measure micro-conversions to identify friction in the buyer journey.

6. Prove It Small, Scale It Fast

The panel emphasized experimentation as the fastest path to sustainable ROI.

“You don’t have to swing for the fences. Prove one or two things work, and the momentum will follow,” said Rice.

Mamet shared how 90-day pilots at Tri Pointe Homes allow teams to measure results before scaling.

Action Steps:

• Define clear ownership, metrics, and timelines for pilots.
• Prioritize projects with clean inputs and measurable outcomes.
• Maintain a “Tech ROI Scorecard” to document and celebrate wins.

7. Where to Invest Now: Private Builder Edition

Private builders’ strength lies in their agility.

“If you’re smaller, your advantage is agility. You can make bold tech moves faster than the publics,” said Rice.

Action Steps:

• Invest in purchasing optimization, clean cost data, and cycle-time dashboards.
• Focus on CX enhancements, such as live pricing and appointment routing.
• Implement automation that directly reduces operational friction.

8. Build Innovation Capacity Even If You’re Lean

“Innovation doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when you carve out capacity to experiment,” said Rice.

Minor and Mamet agreed that empowering small, digitally fluent teams to test ideas can yield outsized results.

Action Steps:

• Create a cross-functional “Tech SWAT” team with budget and authority.
• Dedicate 5–10% of influencer time to experimentation.
• Host quarterly "demo days" to showcase the outcomes of pilots.

9. Modernize with Purpose: The Five-Year Lens

Tech modernization should enable resilience, not just novelty.

“Use new technology as a reward for good process. Don’t try to fix bad habits with fancy tools,” said Brandon Sharp.

Menon advised that modernization must include cloud-first infrastructure and disciplined governance, but timing and sequencing matter.

Action Steps:

• Map a two-to-three-year modernization roadmap aligned with business value.
• Layer in AI and event-streaming only after data governance is established.
• Establish a steering committee to oversee priorities and manage the pilot intake.

10. Conversion Everywhere: A New Mindset

Conversion isn’t one metric; it’s a philosophy.

“Every handoff, every delay, every missing data point is a chance to lose momentum,” said Rice.
“Conversion isn’t a single KPI, it’s a mindset.”

Action Steps:

• Track and improve micro-conversions throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Use contextual automation to re-engage prospects based on behavior.
• Combine human empathy with automated efficiency to shorten time-to-contract.

Moderator’s Wrap: Technology Enables Leadership

“Across every story we heard today, one truth stands out,” concluded Rice. “Technology works when people, process, and platforms are aligned. It doesn’t replace leadership, it enables it.”

The Focus on Excellence panel reaffirmed what New Home Star has long championed: The future of home building belongs to companies that blend operational discipline with a human-centered approach to innovation.

About the Panelists

David Rice
Founder & CEO, New Home Star
David Rice leads one of the nation’s largest private sales and marketing organizations for home builders, partnering with over 60 builders nationwide. Since founding New Home Star in 2008, he has leveraged technology as a force multiplier for sales performance and customer experience, transforming the company into a fully integrated platform business.

Stephanie McCarty
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Taylor Morrison
Stephanie McCarty oversees marketing, communications, and government affairs for Taylor Morrison. Under her leadership, the company has redefined the homebuying experience through personalization, transparency, and digital innovation, placing technology and empathy at the center of its brand.

Linda Mamet
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Tri Pointe Homes
Linda Mamet leads marketing strategy, customer experience, and brand innovation across Tri Pointe’s national footprint. Known for driving operational and digital transformation, she integrates data insights and consumer-centric design into every facet of the homebuyer journey.

Urmila Menon
Chief Information Officer, Tri Pointe Homes
As CIO, Urmila Menon spearheads Tri Pointe’s enterprise technology, cybersecurity, and AI strategy, aligning IT with business goals to deliver measurable performance gains. Her leadership bridges the gap between technology and operations, ensuring scalable innovation across the company.

Brandon Sharp
Chief Information Officer, Brookfield Residential
Brandon Sharp blends operational and financial expertise with data-driven IT leadership. His pragmatic approach has guided Brookfield through system modernizations grounded in governance, process clarity, and measurable ROI.

Mark Minor
Co-Founder & CEO, Higharc
Mark Minor leads Higharc, a software company revolutionizing residential design and construction through automation and connected data. Backed by major industry investors, Higharc is helping builders modernize product development and unlock efficiency at scale.

About The Builder’s Daily and the Focus on Excellence Series

Produced by The Builder’s Daily, Focus on Excellence convenes the nation’s most influential housing leaders for candid, data-driven discussions on the future of the industry. Each session goes beyond presentations to surface actionable insights, shared challenges, and opportunities for innovation.

Founded by journalist John McManus, The Builder’s Daily is the homebuilding industry’s leading intelligence platform, connecting decision-makers shaping the built environment through analysis, reporting, and events.