"Software is eating the world" was true a decade ago. Now, AI is cooking the next course.
In the last year or so, our engineering teams have stepped into a new era of software development. One where Generative AI, more recently "vibe-coding", and intelligent automation are helping us build faster, communicate better, and ship smarter. This more than a great productivity boost. It’s a fundamental shift in how we write software, solve problems, and now we're even starting to include non-coders in the creation process.
The industry calls it vibe coding – the blend of technical intent, natural language, and collaborative AI tools that allow anyone, from a product manager to a founder, to shape and influence the software we build.
What Is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding is the practice of coding with intent and conversation, rather than syntax and structure. Instead of starting from a blank file or IDE, you start with a prompt:
“Generate a dashboard layout for real-time property performance with tailwind styling.”
Or
“Write an API route that returns nearby listings sorted by price, with filters for bedrooms and suburb.”
The AI fills in the boilerplate. You review, refine, and adjust. Like a jam session with a very smart and very fast partner. The result? You stay in flow. You vibe with the code. You don’t fight the blank screen.
Even more powerfully, you don’t have to be a traditional coder to contribute.
Why Non-Coders Should Care
Non-technical team members are no longer locked out of ideation or implementation. With tools like GitHub Copilot or Cursor, anyone on the team can start to shape how the product works. We’ve had product managers sketch a flow, feed it into an AI prompt, and get back working code that our engineers can refine.
That kind of empowerment has huge implications:
Faster ideation: PMs and designers can generate UI components directly from user stories.
More experimentation: You can try an idea before it’s on the roadmap.
Less siloed thinking: It’s not “tech vs business” anymore. It’s one team building with shared context.
Engineering Velocity Is Up. Way Up.
In one measured experiment we saw comfortably double-digit improvements in engineering output since rolling out GitHub Copilot across our teams.
Developers report:
A 30-50% decrease in boilerplate coding time.
Fewer context switches (less “what’s the syntax again?” and more doing).
Higher morale (developers feel like they have a co-pilot, not just a keyboard).
McKinsey reports similar gains across industries in their recent study on genAI and developer productivity, showing that tools like Copilot and ChatGPT can unlock 20–45% productivity improvements depending on team maturity and task type.
For us in proptech we know full well that legacy systems, compliance complexity, and deep integrations can slow you down. So for us these kinds of velocity gains are a game-changer.
The Risks Are Real. So Are the Opportunities.
Yes, we’re flying into the unknown. Yes, we’re wrestling with ethical questions around bias, hallucinations, and the explainability of AI-generated code. And no, vibe coding doesn’t mean we throw out peer review or product strategy.
But here’s the thing: we’re no longer solving just for efficiency. We’re solving for creativity.
That changes the game. It makes room for:
Custom client solutions that don’t need a six-month dev cycle.
Smart automation layered into operational tools, not as add-ons, but as first-class features.
The Bottom Line
It’s an incredible time to be building in real estate technology. The walls between technical and non-technical are coming down. The speed at which we can move from idea to shipped feature has never been higher. And the barrier to entry for software creation is lower than ever.
At MRI, we’re leaning into the uncertainty. Because in every unknown, there’s an edge. And on that edge is where the opportunity lies.
Want to jam with us? We’re always keen to collaborate with builders, dreamers, and people who vibe with the future. Reach out.