The RealReal has overhauled how it tracks and protects consigned luxury goods by rolling out Motorola Solutions AI-enabled video security suite across its operations, turning a once manual, multi-day search process into an automated, seconds-long workflow. The technology shift has helped the resale platform cut asset-protection operating expenses by about 60%, while safeguarding millions of dollars in one-of-a-kind luxury inventory moving between sellers, warehouses, stores, and buyers.
Automating A Unique-Item Resale Model
Unlike traditional retailers that might hold 5,000 units of the same blue shirt, The RealReal manages more than 5,000 unique items at any given time, each with its own SKU, provenance, and price point. That complexity makes chain-of-custody tracking crucial, because a single lost luxury watch or handbag can mean significant revenue loss and damage to customer trust.
By integrating Motorola Solutions AI-enabled video security across facilities, The RealReal has transformed inventory intake from a multi-day manual review into a streamlined digital workflow that matches visual evidence with product data. Visual intelligence now supports intake for thousands of items per day, reducing touchpoints and error risk as goods move from consignor drop-off and shipping through authentication and final sale.
From Days Of Review To Seconds Of Search
Explaining the impact, Robert Cormie, Vice President Asset Protection and Facilities at The RealReal, said, “Historically, it could take days of manual review to find one misplaced item”. With the new system, staff can filter video footage in seconds using intelligent search, based on a simple physical description of a product such as size, color, or type.
Those gains have translated into a roughly 60% reduction in asset-protection-related operating expenses, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work rather than scrubbing hours of footage. At the same time, the more precise digital trail strengthens the chain of custody as items travel between San Francisco, Chicago, and other touchpoints in The RealReal network.
AI Shifts Security From Passive To Proactive
Beyond item-level search, The RealReal uses Motorola Solutions AI tools to detect unusual motion or sound across locations, moving from passively monitoring live feeds to proactively identifying potential theft or handling issues. This matters in luxury resale, where even a single stolen or misplaced piece can cause meaningful financial and customer-service fallout.
Scott Schoepel, Vice President Video Security Vertical Sales at Motorola Solutions, said, “The RealReal is a perfect example of how AI transforms the back-of-house. Retailers need a leaner, more resilient model in today’s era of rising labor and theft costs. Automating the security lifecycle of every item allows The RealReal to turn video security into a driver of efficiency and profitability, helping protect millions of dollars in merchandise while running a smarter, faster business.”
The RealReal’s Tech-Led Circular Luxury Vision
With more than 40 million members, The RealReal positions itself as the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated luxury resale, employing hundreds of in-house gemologists, horologists, and brand authenticators. The company already uses AI and machine learning to optimize pricing, and the new video system extends that data-driven approach into physical operations, from intake to shipment.
As a circular-economy player, The RealReal says technology helps scale sustainable resale by making it easier and safer for consumers to consign high-value items across categories, including fashion, fine jewelry, watches, art, and home. For Motorola Solutions, the partnership is a high-profile showcase of its AI-enabled video security suite, which it will present at NRF: The Big Show at the Javits Center in New York from January 11 to 13, 2026.
