How artificial intelligence is changing real estate investment

Welcome to the world of AI. Last March, the online asset manager AlphaFlow launched its first so-called automated investment fund for real estate loans. Rather than tapping employees to search for investment opportunities, the company uses a computer program to sift through listings services and find mortgages to purchase based on property characteristics, borrower history, recent market data and other criteria. "We're not ready to take our hands off [our work]," said Ray Sturm, co-founder of the California-based company, explaining that humans still make the ultimate investment decision. But, he noted, machine-driven algorithms are doing increasingly more.