The Age of the Digital Steward: How Agentic Ai is Redefining Luxury

Khaled Al-Kulaib
Dec 4, 2025
10 min read

The luxury world is going through a huge change right now. For a long time the industry relied on just waiting. Waiting for the client to come to the shop, waiting for the asset to go up in value, waiting for the desire to happen. Today we are seeing the start of Agentic Ai. This is a new tech shift that moves digital interaction from just searching for things to having something actually take care of things for you.

We are moving past the time of the "chatbot" which is just a script that answers questions. We are entering the era of the Ai Agent. An agent doesnt just talk. It acts. It looks at the world and does things for the user.¹ For luxury this means we are moving from selling products to managing lifestyles.

This post connects the amazing sensory work done by Estée Lauder and Google Cloud with the future of REEM, our own Ai agent at BUYVEST.

We are evolving REEM from just being the "Blue Book" Pricing Authority for pre-loved luxury watches into a full Luxury Asset Steward. By looking at the "TED" (Tell, Explain, Describe) method used to digitize scent I will show how REEM uses similar human ways to protect assets and find investments. We will look at proactive features like checking the weather to protect handbags and using market data to secure wealth.

My main point here is simple: In the future of luxury the ultimate status symbol is not just the asset itself but the intelligence that protects and grows it.

The Big Shift – From E-Commerce to Agentic Commerce

1.1 The Problem with "Search and Filter"

For the last twenty years online luxury shopping has been stuck in the "search and filter" model. You log on, type "Rolex Submariner", filter by price and scroll. This works for buying toilet paper but it fails for luxury. It assumes you know exactly what you want and understand all the complex stuff like condition and provenance that drives value.

In the pre-loved market this is hard. The buyer has to do all the research and risk assessment. Traditional websites are just catalogues not advisors. They give you data but no insight. They let you buy but they dont offer stewardship.

1.2 What is Agentic Ai?

To understand where REEM is going we need to define Agentic Ai.

Most people know Generative Ai like ChatGPT which writes text. Agentic Ai is different. It takes action. An agent is a software that can:

Perceive: Read emails, check the weather, watch stock prices and scan databases.
Reason: Think through a problem. "It is going to rain and the user has a delicate suede bag so I should warn them."
Act: Send a notification, place a bid or update a price.¹

While a chatbot waits for you to say "Hello" an Ai agent is working in the background to protect your interests. In the luxury sector where time is money for our clients this proactive help is the real value.²

1.3 Why We Need Proactive Luxury

The market is getting competitive. Brands can no longer just rely on their name. They have to offer service at scale.

Research shows that using Ai agents can unlock trillions of dollars in value by making decisions easier.¹ For BUYVEST moving to Agentic Ai is not just a tech upgrade it is a necessity. By becoming the "operating system" for a client’s luxury life managing everything from pricing to protection REEM becomes indispensable.

Case Study – Estée Lauder and Google

2.1 The Challenge of Selling Smells

To see how REEM will master luxury investment we should look at how The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) mastered the experience of smell.

Fragrance is super hard to sell online. You cant see it and you cant smell it through a screen. A photo of a bottle tells you nothing. A list of ingredients is boring. Historically people didnt buy perfume online because they couldnt try it first.³

ELC had a challenge with their Jo Malone London brand. They needed an Ai that didn't just spit out data but one that could "feel" and describe the scent.³

2.2 The "TED" Method: A Human Way for Ai

The breakthrough came from human psychology not just code. ELC and Google Cloud studied their best in-store staff. They found these experts used a technique called TED: Tell, Explain, Describe.³

TED is designed to get emotional stories from people instead of one-word answers.

Tell: The Ai asks you to open up.
Example: "Tell me about a memory that brings you peace."
Explain: The Ai digs for the emotional "why."
Example: "Explain what makes that moment special to you."
Describe: The Ai asks for sensory details.
Example: "Describe the smells and sounds of that place."

By training their Ai model (Gemini) on this style ELC created an agent that felt like a poet.³ Instead of asking "Do you like flowers?" it asks "Where would we like to journey today?".³

2.3 The Tech Behind It

This was built on Google Cloud’s Vertex Ai platform using the Gemini model.⁵

How it works:

Data: They fed the model huge amounts of data mapping ingredients to emotions like romantic or nostalgic.³
Tone: They taught the Ai to speak in a "fluttery" tone that matches the brand.³
Mapping: When a user talks about a "rainy forest" the Ai maps that to smells like oakmoss and recommends the right perfume.

2.4 The Results

It worked. Online shoppers who used the "Ai Scent Advisor" bought things at almost double the rate of those who did not.³ This proved that in luxury emotional intelligence drives value.

It succeeded becuase it bridged the gap between curiosity and confidence.⁶

2.5 What This Means for REEM

This case study is our guide for REEM. Just as ELC used Ai to translate "scent" into sales REEM must translate "market data" into "investment confidence."

The watch market is scary for new people. Buyers are paralyzed by jargon. REEM’s evolution relies on using this "TED" logic: asking the user to Tell their goals, Explain their risk level, and Describe what they like, then mapping that to the hard data of our Blue Book.

REEM – The "Blue Book" Authority

3.1 Where We Are Now

Right now REEM is the "Blue Book" Pricing Authority for pre-loved luxury watches.⁷ In the car industry the Blue Book is the standard. REEM is that standard for watches in our region.

What REEM does today ⁷:

Huge Data: We have prices for over 25,000 watches.
Visual Trends: We show graphs of value over time so you can see the "heartbeat" of an asset.
Details: We give you the specs that drive value like bezel materials and crystal type.
Real Prices: We use data from reliable sources so you dont get tricked by fake asking prices.
Auctions: We power a bidding system for verified assets.

3.2 Why We Must Change

Being a Blue Book is great but it is reactive. You only look at it when you already want to buy or sell. You have to open the app and search.

The future is proactive. REEM must move from a tool on the shelf to an agent that taps you on the shoulder. This is where "Agentic Ai" changes our business from a marketplace to a management platform.

REEM as the Proactive Steward

4.1 Stewardship

True luxury is about keeping things for the next generation. An Ai agent must be a Steward. Its job is to protect the value of your assets.

REEM needs to know:

What you own (Digital Closet).
Where you are (Location).
The weather (Environment).
The market (Financials).

4.2 Feature: The Weather-Aware Closet

One of the coolest features we are working on is connecting REEM to the weather forecast to protect your goods.

The Problem:

Luxury handbags are delicate.

Lambskin: Rain causes spots that never go away.⁸
Vachetta Leather: Turns dark black if water touches it.⁹
Exotic Skins: Humidity can ruin them.¹⁰
Suede: Ruined instantly by rain.¹¹

Owners check the weather for themselves but forget their bags.

REEM’s Proactive Solution:

REEM connects to real-time weather data.12

How it works:

If you own a Lambskin Chanel and there is a >30% chance of rain REEM says: "Rain is expected at 2 PM. Your Chanel bag is sensitive. Please cover it or take a different bag."
If you have a Crocodile bag and humidity is low REEM says: "The air is very dry. Consider using a humidifier to stop the scales lifting."

This builds trust. If REEM saves your $20,000 bag from rain you will trust it with your investments.

4.3 Feature: The Investment Scout

Just as we protect the physical condition we protect the financial value.

REEM watches the market volatility for you.

The "Sell High" Alert:

Imagine you own a Rolex Daytona.
Rumors start that Rolex is stopping that model. Prices spike 15%.
REEM sends a notification: "Market Alert: Your Daytona went up 15% this week. This might be a good time to sell. Want to see offers?".¹³

The "Buy Low" Alert:

You want a Patek Nautilus.
The market dips.
REEM says: "Opportunity: The Nautilus is trading at a 6-month low. This is in your 'Buy Zone'."

This makes REEM an automated portfolio manager.¹⁴

Applying "TED" to BUYVEST

To really work REEM needs to use the TED (Tell, Explain, Describe) method from Estée Lauder. This helps REEM understand the human context.

5.1 TED for Investing

When a new user joins REEM can ask:

Tell: "Tell me about your collection. do you wear them or keep them in a safe?"
This tells us if you are a Collector or Investor.
Explain: "Explain your goal. Are you marking a milestone or diversifying money?"
This tells us the emotional weight.
Describe: "Describe how you feel about risk. If this watch drops 10% will you panic?"
This assesses risk tolerance.

5.2 TED for Gifting

Buying gifts is stressful. REEM acts as a Gifting Concierge.¹⁵

User: "I need a gift for my husband."
REEM: "Tell me his style. Explain what he wears on weekends. Describe the last gift he loved."

If the user says "Traditional and he loved a vintage pen" REEM knows to look for Dress Watches and gold not ceramic sports watches. This mimics a human personal shopper.¹⁶

How We Build It

6.1 The Brain

We layer an Agentic Orchestrator on top of our data.

The Model: We use a Large Language Model (like Gemini) to understand natural language.
The Blue Book: This is our structured database of prices and specs.
RAG: This connects the two so the Ai doesnt make up prices.¹⁷

6.2 Privacy

Proactive features need data like location. We must be careful.

Consent: Users must opt-in to "Asset Protection Alerts."
Privacy: We process what we can on the device.

6.3 IoT Connections

In the future REEM could connect to smart home devices.

Smart Winders: REEM could tell your watch winder exactly how many turns per day your specific watch needs.¹⁸
Smart Humidors: Alerting you if your closet is too dry for your leather goods.¹¹

The Future

7.1 From Agent to Broker

As trust grows REEM can move to Level 4 Autonomy.

Level 1: Inform.
Level 2: Advise.
Level 3: Alert.
Level 4: Execute.

At Level 4 you could say: "REEM if a Rolex Hulk comes up under $18,000 buy it." The agent watches the market 24/7 and does the trade.

7.2 Sustainability

Proactive care makes things last longer. By warning users about rain and heat REEM keeps luxury goods in circulation longer. This is good for the "Circular Economy." A well-kept bag can be resold forever.¹⁹

Conclusion

The work between Estée Lauder and Google showed that even emotional things like smell can be digitized if you use the right human method (TED). BUYVEST is doing the same for hard luxury.

By evolving REEM from a passive Pricing Authority to a proactive Asset Steward we look after the whole ownership lifecycle.

Protecting the past with accurate Blue Book values.
Securing the present with weather alerts.
Optimizing the future by finding investment wins.

This is not just an app update. It is a new relationship between a collector and their collection. With REEM we are selling peace of mind and the ultimate luxury: Agentic Intelligence.

Citations

³ WSJ: How Estée Lauder and Google Taught AI to Sell Fragrances
⁷ BUYVEST Blog: REEM The Blue Book Pricing Authority
⁵ Estée Lauder Press Release: AI Scent Advisor
²⁰ Nomtek: AI Agents for Retail
¹⁰ Misuri: Leather Care in Humidity
¹ McKinsey: The Agentic Commerce Opportunity
⁹ Watch and Wares: Handbag Care
⁴ CA Post: TED Interviewing Methodology
⁸ PurseBlog: Water Resistant Bags
¹² Xweather: Asset Protection Alerts
¹⁵ ReelMind: AI Luxury Gifting
¹³ Konvi: Luxury Watches as Recession-Proof Assets

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