Antoni Wisniowski specializes in harnessing cutting-edge technology and innovation to encourage change and reshape industries. Now, as the Chief Technology Officer of the Canadian real estate firm Sutton Group, he is bringing his expertise to drive impactful change in a new role.
He is now among a small handful of individuals in the brokerage industry, solely tasked with driving technology innovation. This isn’t new for Antoni—he’s transformed Ontario’s property assessment system as CAO and President of MPAC, led the foundational work to create GeoWarehouse® at Teranet to revolutionize real estate data access and insights, and, as CEO of RIOS Canada, advanced data and workflow solutions for the new construction sector.
Now with Sutton Group, Antoni shares his reasons for stepping into this new role and his vision for transforming data and information transparency within Canada’s real estate industry.
What drew you to join Sutton Group as Chief Technology Officer at this point in your career?
AW: I have always been at the forefront of using technology and innovation to drive business transformation and disruption. Sutton Group’s vision, championed by Ross McCredie, to reshape the Canadian real estate landscape is compelling, and I know that I can help make that happen. I also believe Canadian homeowners should have access to verified data and insights about their real estate investments, empowering them to be more informed and engaged in managing these assets. The opportunity to incorporate AI and Web3 technologies, such as verified credentials, NFTs and smart contracts, will put us on the cutting edge, and that’s exactly where I want to be. Behind the vision and technology stands an exceptional leadership team. Each member contributes unique expertise, united by a shared passion and purpose. The opportunity was simply too compelling to pass up.
Why is it essential for you and Sutton to create tools that enhance data transparency in the real estate industry?
AW: For most Canadians, their home is their most valuable asset, yet they don’t have easy access to key data or insights about it. The reality is that this data exists—it’s available through trusted sources, such as land registries, assessment authorities, and municipalities. Realtors already have access to this information and use it to support their clients. The next step is to ensure homeowners have secure, easy access to the same data and insights. When homeowners are better informed and working with their realtors as trusted advisors, they can make better decisions throughout their homeownership journey.
How has your experience with organizations such as MPAC and Teranet equipped you for success in your new role at Sutton?
AW: MPAC and Teranet are world-class organizations in their respective domains of property assessment and land registry services. Together, they are the primary authoritative sources of property data in Ontario, serving the public and offering data that underpins key real estate transactions. That said, homeowners rarely interact directly with these systems or access the data about their properties themselves. MPAC and Teranet also provide valuable tools, data, and market insights for realtors, who use them to support their clients. Sutton’s goal is to bridge the gap by delivering tools, data and insights directly to homeowners. My deep knowledge of these tools and data, along with my established relationships with these organizations, should help accelerate the realization of Sutton Group’s vision in Ontario and across Canada.
What challenges do you expect to encounter in promoting technology adoption within Canada’s real estate industry?
AW: Technology adoption challenges typically stem from an inability to demonstrate sufficient value to the user. Our strategy needs to be laser-focused on delivering value and tangible benefits with every piece of technology we introduce—whether for realtors or homeowners. To achieve this, we will build our solutions iteratively, continuously testing to ensure that they bring meaningful value. We will also work closely with our network of realtors across Canada to validate needs, test assumptions, and ultimately help us refine and roll out solutions that drive adoption and impact.
How do you see the role of data and AI shaping the future of real estate in Canada?
AW: The old adage that “data is king” has never changed when it comes to real estate. Data is at the core of everything in this industry, but new opportunities are emerging—such as creating verified credentials and generating deeper insights through AI-powered inferences. AI is quickly becoming ubiquitous. Imagine AI refining property searches based on client preferences, behavior, sentiment, and market trends. AI-assisted pricing strategies will become standard, and AI will be used to summarize home inspection or strata reports, highlighting critical issues and estimating financial impacts. It will also eliminate contract errors, flag missing clauses, and ensure compliance. Over time, AI in real estate will become as commonplace and unnoticed as spellcheck or GPS.
What innovations can real estate professionals and homeowners expect to see under your leadership?
AW: My focus is two-fold. First, I want to elevate the role of the real estate professional from being a transaction-focused agent with infrequent client interactions to becoming a trusted advisor and fiduciary with regular and meaningful engagements. Second, I want to empower homeowners by providing them with the data, insights, and tools needed to make informed decisions about their properties at the right time. This transformation will happen through a combination of partnering with leading industry players, deploying new technology solutions, and investing in proprietary tools. We will build on that foundation, incorporating verified credentials about individuals and properties, to seamlessly integrate with the broader real estate ecosystem. This will streamline financing or insuring a home, among other key transactions. We will also explore how NFTs and smart contracts can be leveraged to bring new benefits to homeowners. This commitment to innovation means we will continuously experiment with emerging technologies to identify practical applications that truly enhance the real estate experience.
How do you plan to foster trust and reliability in the data platforms Sutton will introduce?
AW: Trust and reliability will be built into our platforms from day one. We will incorporate the principles of “security and privacy by design”, ensuring these elements are foundational rather than an afterthought. Homeowners will have control over their data, including who can access it and how it is shared. We will source the highest-quality data from trusted and verified authorities and, where appropriate, generate verified credentials to provide tamper-proof data for secure sharing across the real estate ecosystem. As AI plays a larger role in our solutions to generate insights or recommendations, we will ensure it is explainable and free from bias. By embedding security, privacy, user control and consent management, and ethical AI practices, Sutton’s platforms will set a new standard for trust, reliability, and transparency in the real estate industry.
What is your long-term vision for Sutton Group’s impact on the Canadian real estate landscape through technology?
AW: The long-term vision is to empower Canadian homeowners with the data, insights, and tools they need to make more informed decisions throughout their homeownership journey. As part of this, we will elevate the role of the realtor from being a transaction enabler to a true trusted advisor and fiduciary. By blending cutting-edge technology with deep industry expertise, Sutton Group will be at the forefront of shaping the future of real estate in Canada.
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