How AI & China Can Save You Thousands in Real Estate Development

Summary

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Earn Your Leisure

Episode: How AI & China Can Save You Thousands in Real Estate Development

Hosts: Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings | Date: November 7, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Earn Your Leisure explores innovative strategies in real estate development, focusing on how to leverage AI tools and global sourcing—especially from China—to significantly save money. The hosts, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, break down best practices for vetting contractors, negotiating better deals, and utilizing technology and international suppliers to maximize profit, both for individual homeowners and large-scale developers. The discussion delivers actionable insights for anyone interested in real estate, construction, and entrepreneurship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Due Diligence and Negotiation in Construction

• Vetting Contractors Thoroughly (02:31)

  • The hosts stress the importance of getting multiple quotes for any real estate project, noting that contractors often add unnecessary “tax on top of tax,” anticipating potential future price hikes (e.g., political changes).
  • “You really have to shop contractors right now because some people are just adding tax on top of tax…just because they think Trump is going to add the tax or they adding it right now before it's even in play.” — Host/Expert (02:31)

• Negotiation is Non-Negotiable (02:45)

  • Strongly encourage listeners to negotiate all quotes and terms when dealing with contractors, emphasizing this as a key skill in the 2025-2026 volatile market landscape.

Leveraging AI for Smarter Project Management

• Using AI to Assess Quotes and Find Vendors (03:04–04:00)
  • Rashad and others describe using ChatGPT and similar AI tools to upload contractor quotes, analyze whether they're reasonable, and get estimates for fair pricing.
  • “I upload that quote into my chat. GBT… if you put pictures of what you're looking to do and really break it down, then it will give you, like Rashad said, low, high, middle.” — Host/Expert (03:04)
  • AI tools can also help identify top-rated contractors in your area, arming users with critical market info for negotiation and decision-making.
  • By preparing with AI-generated questions and background info, homeowners and developers can approach contractor interviews more intelligently and confidently.

Sourcing Materials from China: Major Savings for Developers & Homeowners

• Documenting the “China Play” (05:09–06:13)

  • Rashad recounts traveling to China and partnering with experts to directly source building materials—a process that the team calls the "China play."
  • Significant cost reductions are possible, especially for major items like kitchens and bathrooms, when buying in bulk from Chinese manufacturers.
  • “If you're a real estate developer, I think you really need to tie in with this because… you can get mass items for cheaper.” — Co-host/Commentator (05:35)

• Case Study—Multiplying Savings (09:43)

  • Example: Saving $30,000–$50,000 per kitchen, multiplied across multiple houses in a development, can lead to $2 million in extra profit without compromising quality.
  • “You save, let's say, you save 30, 40, 50% times that, times five, you're going to have a substantial savings…Now you just made yourself $2 million by executing smartly.” — Co-host/Commentator (09:43)

• Practical Guidance on Navigating Suppliers (11:32–12:56)

  • Listeners are cautioned that not all Chinese manufacturers are equal; it’s usually best to partner with someone who knows the local landscape.
  • “You can't just show up in China and just be like, I'm here. You can, you technically can…But if you really, really want to get…each, like for instance, my kitchen and closet, I went to a store that specializes in just kitchens and closets. Right. And the prices were so good, I asked them if they could do everything, but they…only specialize in kitchens and closets.” — Co-host/Commentator (11:48)

Real Estate Segments: Residential, Commercial, and Hospitality

• Bulk Manufacturing for Hotels and Commercial Spaces (12:56–13:43)
  • Discussion turns to the hotel business, which benefits even more from bulk purchasing as every room has duplicated features (e.g., headboards, nightstands).
  • The hosts note that steady income from nightly rentals makes these efficiencies even more important.
  • “These things come in bulk, and now you're looking at like—wait, they've made savings on the actual building of the hotel or wherever the commercial space is, and now they charge you every night. So the long-term income comes back from it as well.” — Rashad (13:11)

Opportunities for Community Engagement & Education

• Panel Proposal at Invest Fest (10:50)
  • Hosts invite listener feedback on holding a dedicated panel at Invest Fest about the China sourcing strategy, highlighting significant audience interest and the desire to educate the community further.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Negotiation:

  • “Get three or four quotes and do not be afraid to negotiate…you have to negotiate everything and you have to use tools like AI.” — Host/Expert (02:40)

• On AI Empowerment:

  • “Even if you put pictures of like what I'm looking to do and really break it down. And then it will give you, like Rashad said, low, high, middle…So now when I'm interviewing these contractors, I can have an intelligent conversation because I already have my questions already pre-written with that information.” — Host/Expert (03:20–04:00)

• On Global Sourcing Mindset:

  • “We had that call, you said, yo, I'm going to China for this. That and the third. And I was like, all right, this gonna sound good…The prices are just absolutely phenomenal.” — Host/Expert (05:09)

• On the Importance of Specialists:

  • “The prices were so good, I asked them if they could do everything, but they like, we really can't because we only specialize in kitchens and closets…But you gotta have somebody to kind of walk you through that process.” — Co-host/Commentator (11:50)

• On Maximizing Profit Through Smarter Sourcing:

  • “If you, if you're like, I probably saved $300,000. Right. But I'm a home, I'm just a homeowner. If I'm a home developer now, times that, times six, seven. But then I'm still selling that market rate. So now you just made yourself $2 million by executing smartly.” — Co-host/Commentator (09:55)

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Key Segments & Timestamps

• Shopping & Negotiating with Contractors: (02:31–03:20)
• Uploading Quotes to AI, Researching and Preparing: (03:04–04:00)
• Sourcing Materials from China—Personal Experiences: (05:09–06:13)
• Math Behind Developer-Level Savings: (09:43–10:50)
• Navigating Logistics in China, Importance of Local Experts: (11:32–12:56)
• Commercial Real Estate—Hotel and Bulk Purchase Profits: (12:56–13:43)
• Community Engagement—Panel Suggestion at Invest Fest: (10:50)

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Summary Takeaways

• Always secure multiple contractor quotes and negotiate assertively.
• Lean on AI tools (like ChatGPT) for pricing verification, due diligence, and contractor research—these can level the playing field for non-experts.
• Sourcing construction materials from China can yield massive savings for both homeowners and large-scale developers, but working with reputable specialists is crucial.
• The best strategies in sourcing and automation can be multiplied for larger projects, dramatically increasing profitability.
• Participate in community learning—hosts are eager to expand on these topics at Invest Fest or similar forums.

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For Listeners

This episode delivers an in-depth look at cost-saving strategies that combine technology and global sourcing to give developers and homeowners a financial edge in real estate. Whether you’re building your first home, considering a major renovation, or managing multi-unit developments, Rashad and Troy provide actionable insights and a candid, conversational guide to leveling up in today's fast-changing market.

Transcript

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[Host / Expert]

I don't know what the hell is going on with some of these quotes that people will give you on certain projects but you really have to shop contractors right now because some people are just adding tax on type of tax on top of tax just because they think Trump is going to add the tax or they adding it right now before it's even in play. So get three or four quotes and do not be afraid to negotiate. You have to negotiate everything and you have to use tools like AI. Like I know one thing that I do when I get a quote now, I upload that quote into my chat. Gbt.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Yeah, I've done, I did that before. I did that, the water, water basin thing and I, I detailed the whole thing and I said, I gave it the chat. I'm like, how do you feel? And it gave me an estimate of what it should, it should be on the low end on, on average.

[Host / Expert]

Yeah. And on high, it tells you everything. And if in the more details you put into it, the better if you, and even if you put pictures like what I've done, I'll put pictures of like what I'm looking to do and really break it down. And then it will give you, like Rashad said, low, high, middle. And then also ask Hope, okay, who are the companies in this area that I should be talking to? And they'll give you, give me the top 10 companies, right, that got the best reviews, you know, etc.

[Rashad]

Etc.

[Host / Expert]

And then it'll give you all these companies, right? So you have to use the AI and the technology that's out here available to help you do your due diligence, to help you research because let's face it, we don't know everything. Like I don't know everything about construction, so I got to use the tools that's in front of me to, to get the information. So now when I'm, when I'm interviewing these contractors, I can have an intelligent conversation because I already have my questions already pre written, so to speak, with that information. So the due diligence process, especially in 2025, going into 2026 with all this volatility in the market, you have to, you have to really dig deep. And that's why I'm really excited to hear you talk about China, because I've been speaking to the China people. Rashad and I had a call last night, matter of fact with Blair and the prices are just absolutely phenomenal. Some of the, that they're telling me right now deposit asap. Like let's now, because this is incredible. So, but that's later on the show. But like I had to throw that in there. But you have to do your due diligence and you might have to do Rashad then to fly out the country to go check out things for yourself to get better pricing or maybe you.

[Rashad]

Could just watch what he's Done. He done did it for you.

[Host / Expert]

My, my notifications are on. I don't know about y', all, like, community service. Like, this is like, first of all, kudos to you, Rashad, with that because when you told us about this, like, what was this? Like in the April we had that call, you said, yo, I'm going to China for this. That and the third. And I was like, all right, this gonna sound good. Ty gonna shout out to Ty. He gonna document it. Yo, shout out the time.

[Co-host / Commentator]

He did a great job. Well, you know the thing about it too, because as you brought it up, I think people, okay, there's two people that can benefit from this China play. People that are building a home, furnishing a home, but then also real estate developers. Like, if you, if you're in the, if you are a real estate developer, one of our friends that's actually developing real estate, he's going out there today. I think if you're a real estate developer, I think you really need to tie in with this because depending on what type of development you're doing, you, you can, you can get mass items for cheaper.

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[Co-host / Commentator]

Like, and that's important because you got to figure if you, if you're developing, let's say a subunit and you're building, you know, six homes, right? And you got to put in six kitchens into those homes. So you might want to just do the basic kitchen like you know, from Home Depot. But depending on what neighborhood you you're building a home in, that might not necessarily fly or that might lower the value of the home, right? You might have to go a little bit higher in on your, on your kitchen. But if you go, you know, you know, like the kitchen is probably going to be one of the most expensive items in the house. Kitchen in the bathroom, right? So you save, let's say you save 30, 40, 50% times that, times five, you're going to have a substantial savings. What does that do? That adds more profit to you the more money you say, because you can still charge the same amount of money for the house, right? It's like you haven't compromised the quality of the home. So if you, if you're like, I probably saved $300,000. Right. But I'm, I'm a home, I'm just a homeowner. If I'm a home developer now times that, times six, seven. But then I'm still selling that market rate. So now you just made yourself $2 million by executing smartly. Right. So, and it's. Maybe it's something that we could talk about at Invest Fest. Let us know in chat. Let us know in chat if you're interested in having a panel about the whole China play in its entirety at Invest Fest. Because I've been getting a lot of dms and a lot of people, you know, been following the journey. So, you know, maybe that's something that we can really add to the Invest Fest portfolio per se. But I do think that you can def. And you don't have to go out there, like even you, like, you know what I'm saying? Like you, you're talking like that's the good thing. But you gotta know, you gotta work with somebody already there because they're not all the same. That's important for people to know. Like, you just can't show up in China and just be like, I'm here. You can, you technically can because it's like, you know, the area of Fu Strong that, that's manufacturing heaven. And they do everything from clothes to hair bundles, press on nails. Anything that you think of, they manufacture. So you can go electronics, you can go and just stumble and you can get still probably a better price than you'll pay in America. But if you really, really want to get like, because each, like for instance, my kitchen in, in closet, I, I went to a store that specializes in just kitchens and closets. Right. And the prices were so good, I asked them if they could do everything, but they like, we really can't because we only specialize in kitchens and closets. So I went to like six different stores to put it all together, but it's worth it. But you got to have somebody to kind of walk you through that process. Right. Like, you can't just do that on your own because you, it's kind of hard logistically to go to six different places.

[Rashad]

I think even from the, the standpoint. And you kind of mentioned in the video, but you start to think when you're building commercial spaces or you're building hotels, like they've been doing it all the, all this time. And the difference is that they get to charge you every night.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Yeah.

[Rashad]

So the, the long term pay, obviously, if you're building a subdivision. Those are, those are homes. But the hotel play like that's a nightly income that's coming in, especially if you've gotten the things manufactured in bulk. Whether it's the the nightstand or it's the headboard for, for the beds, every room pretty much is the same. Unless you, you know, get a specialized suite. These things come in bulk and now you're looking at like, wait, they've made savings on the actual building of the hotel or wherever the commercial space is and now they charge you every night. So the long term income comes back from it as well.

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