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A realtor stack, it's good, chasing curiosity

A realtor stack, it's good, chasing curiosity

Aerin Ridgway
April 17, 2024

Happy hump day (not the reason Wednesday was chosen, but hey, small wins).

Smart stacks aren’t all about tech. Though tech is a major way to gain leverage and a competitive edge… so are mental models, systems, and the kind of people you bring to your team.

It’s the whole kit and caboodle.

As a business grows, it has to change. What worked yesterday may not work today and may not work tomorrow. The winners (I think) are ruthlessly honest and clear about what is needed now and can make fast decisions to change when required.

They don’t worry about cost-sunk fallacies or what people will think; they take action. Sometimes, that is expensive. Sometimes, that makes people mad, it’s okay. Their feelings are not your problem.

You have a business to run. Mouths to feed and a roof to pay for.

So, with that exhilarating little tirade over, let’s get to the meat and potatoes, shall we?

stack ‘em up

-stacking is to create simple and repeatable routines using ideas, tools, and systems that build momentum and synergy.

Realtors— operating in a competitive arena with seasons of feast and famine, make for another level of entrepreneur. With it comes the pressure to keep costs low yet market the siht out of yourself and your listings. Constant offense.

Here is a quickie on the components and the pros and cons of a tech stack for realtors. Another article suggests you start with your CRM and build out from there, making sure the integrations work well. Given the nature of the business it makes sense that real estate should have some very specific tech out there. They are primo target for highly customized, internet-based marketing and client management systems.

So I being to you a few stacks for your viewing and sampling pleasure.

This one offered the old and new stack: “At the end of the day, I couldn’t justify the 2k for FUB, 99/mo for agent fire, 39/mo for their home valuations, and I think it was 99/mo for idx which is what I use for online ads.”

Old Stack

Follow Up Boss (FUB) for CRM
Brokermint for transaction management
Agent fire for website
Diverse solutions for IDX (Internet Data Exchange; think of it as the Zapier of real estate listings)
DocuSign for e-signature
Free Mailchimp for email marketing
Calendly for scheduling

New Stack:

KVcore for CRM and website
Sky slope for transaction management
Digisign

“Kvcore is robust and quite functional but not as polished. It will get the job done though.”

Ideation of a “Freemium" Realtor tech stack:

Free Mailchimp for email marketing
Zapier Free
GoHighLevel for CRM (Hubspot might be a good alternative?)

RealScout and Homesnap Pro+ (homesnap appears to be a goner) for quick search and sharing properties with clients. [$50 a month +/- each.]
Cloudcma is great for buyer tours, and sharing CMAs with clients.
Highnote - a plus for seller presentations.

“the most seamless integrations and the most beneficial IDX platforms to integrate with FUB are Sierra Interactive and Ylopo”

There are many options out there. If things have free trials, get them and just pay around before going all in. Make instantaneous decisions. If you log in and don’t like it, move on. There are so many options. Balance cost and UI. Use the best tool for you.

Branding. It’s telling you something without telling you anything. Do you have it?

sharp ideas

The phrase “mental model” is an overarching term for any concept, framework, or worldview you carry around. Mental models help you understand life.

Everything is good. Here’s a video, that once I saw it, I was obsessed. I have probably shown it to 4 people and rewatch for myself. I think it is an optimistic way of looking at world, and not being crushed by the bad things that could happen.

Everything is good.

Jocko

quote I’m musing

Buddha said, “What you think, you become…” So, while quotes won’t change your life, I think they can shift your perspective, which can be life-changing.

❝

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

Albert Einstein

· · · · ·

I was 18, had given my notice, and was ready to move across the country when the owner came to me and said I should stay, go to business school, and get a job back with them so that I could have a really good career and future.

I thanked them and said I wanted to be a jack of all trades and do many things. Both a curse and a strength, I can learn things and rapidly do them better than average. Not great, not the best— but better than average.

Something should be said about being a specialist. There is significant value in depth.

But I think there is even more value in depth with cross-pollination. If you can go deep across several disciplines, you will be unstoppable.

The naturally curious will go down rabbit holes and absorb things that others won’t even come across. I am constantly intrigued by the world today, the weirdos, the opportunities, the sneaky ideas that should be obvious.

So go forth and be curious. There are wonders in collecting, comparing, and diving into the web.

You might cross-pollinate the next big thing.