AI, Big Data, and Breaking Down Silos with Matt Wilson, EVP at Maronda Homes

In this episode of US Homebuilding "The Masters" Series, host Jamie Panter sits down with Matt Wilson, Executive Vice President at Maronda Homes, for a deep dive into how artificial intelligence and big data are revolutionizing the homebuilding industry. Matt brings a unique perspective, having worked his way up through virtually every position at Maronda—from marketing when AdWords required special certification to now overseeing corporate innovation and operations for what they proudly call "the largest builder you've never heard of."

Episode Highlights:

• Why Homebuilding Is 20 Years Behind - Matt's candid assessment that the industry's slow-to-change reputation is "100% accurate," with advice to look at the auto industry to stay ahead
• Data Replaces Gut Feeling - Why instinct no longer works in modern homebuilding and how data must drive business decisions
• The Affordability Crisis Starts with Land - Understanding that rising land costs are the number one problem, and how data helps identify viable tertiary markets
• Building Custom AI to Avoid Hallucinations - Maronda's approach to creating proprietary neural networks that keep data private and prevent AI errors
• The 90-Day Sales Prediction Success - How Maronda's AI predicted they'd miss sales goals, identified fixes, and helped achieve 26% over budget in December 2024
• Future of Sales: New Home Champions - Transforming the sales role where AI handles research while humans focus on customer satisfaction
• Meeting Buyers at 2 AM - Enabling buyers to research, configure, and potentially purchase homes entirely online at their convenience
• Rilla's AI Sales Coaching - How AI analyzes buyer sentiment during conversations and provides immediate feedback on missed opportunities
• Breaking Down Silos - Matt's argument that getting marketing, sales, design, estimating, and operations working together is the number one change any builder can make

Notable Quotes:

"Go look at the auto industry. Whatever they're doing, they're already 20 years ahead of us." - Matt Wilson

"AI is only as good as what you teach it. If you don't have good data behind it, then it doesn't matter." - Matt Wilson

"AI will take an A player and make them an A plus player. It will take a C player and make them a B player." - Matt Wilson

"The number one thing is you gotta get the silos broken down. Everybody needs to have a seat at the table. The moment we changed that was the day we started soaring." - Matt Wilson

Key Takeaways:

• The gap between data-driven builders and those relying on gut feelings will create massive competitive divides
• AI requires excellent data as its foundation—without clean, comprehensive data, technology cannot deliver meaningful insights
• Custom neural networks and enterprise AI accounts protect proprietary data and prevent hallucinations
• Breaking down departmental silos is the single most important organizational change a builder can make
• Start small with AI adoption—solve one problem well before attempting company-wide transformation
• Budget season should be every month, not once a year—continuous evaluation allows companies to move faster

About the Guest:

Matt Wilson serves as Executive Vice President at Maronda Homes, overseeing corporate innovation, operations, and data-driven decision making. His career spans nearly every position in the company, from marketing to CRM development to production processes. Matt's philosophy emphasizes breaking down organizational silos and creating collaborative environments, transforming Maronda into a "heavy data company" positioned for aggressive growth even in challenging market conditions.