Success Story: Exploring How Agents Choose Real Estate Technology

Selecting a new real estate technology product can be intimidating. In addition to a dizzying array of apps and platforms to choose from, agents and brokers have to evaluate if a product has the features they need, if it fits their budget, if it can adapt easily to their workflow, among other criteria.

Helping real estate pros find the right technology for their business is our mission here at RE Technology. It's why we created our Product and Company Directories, and why we publish helpful, educational content every weekday.

Today, we're introducing a new weekly feature to further help our readers decide if a technology product is right for them. "Success Story" highlights the real-life stories of agents and brokers who found the technology that fits their business. Each week, we'll explore how and why they made their decision, and how the tech they chose transformed their business.

Our series kicks off with a deep, multi-week look into BoomTown, a CRM and marketing automation platform, through the eyes of its real-life customers.

Want to see how BoomTown works for yourself? Check out the product tour here.

Introducing Brandon Prewitt

Our first Success Story starts with an age-old problem in real estate tech: software that's feature-dense, but difficult to use.

In 2011, Columbus, Ohio-based Realtor Brandon Prewitt was searching for a real estate technology platform that would help him scale his business and manage his rapidly growing database of leads. He eventually settled on Commissions, INC. (CINC) because it fit his budget and had a lot of "bells and whistles" that he was excited to try.

But Brandon only ended up using about 10% of the system's features because the user interface was clunky and a struggle to use. CINC's lackluster support only compounded the problem—there was nowhere for Brandon to learn how to use the system even though he wanted to.

"With Commissions INC., support was really lacking. When I signed on with them, there was no onboarding. There was no, 'Here's what you do to be successful using our system.' It was, 'Here's your username. Here's your password. Good luck,'" says Brandon.

Making the Switch to a New Platform

Frustrated by the user experience and lack of support, Brandon sought out another technology platform. He eventually decided on BoomTown. Why?

"It comes down to simplicity," says Brandon. "BoomTown is easier to navigate, and it's just all around more user-friendly. At the end of the day, all of those buttons that CINC had were just noise."

Here's a look at the specific features of BoomTown that changed the game for Brandon:

Advanced Lead Filters

Brandon needed a way to categorize his leads, not just get them all into one spot. For a busy agent, ease of use is important. Brandon wanted to sort through leads by simply clicking a button and seeing which leads are 3-6 months out from buying a home or 6+ months out.

"I don't need to have all of these complicated algorithms or labeling mechanisms to be able to filter down all this information," says Brandon. "I just want to click a button and see all those people. That's it."

BoomTown made this possible. Brandon finally had a system that could turn his 4,000+ leads into workable lists. In addition, BoomTown's expert support staff and user-friendly platform meant that Brandon had a technology partner that would help him drive the success of his business.

Mobile App

As an agent who's always on the go, Brandon finds that BoomTown's Now Mobile App is an invaluable tool.

"I like to be able to just see who's on there. Who's on the site? Who do I need to call? What are my to-dos for the day? I appreciate the simplicity. It's not just a ton of information in your face. It's just: call, email, or leave a note on their profile."

Success Achieved: The Results of Switching Platforms

Ease-of-use is one thing, but how did switching platforms actually improve Brandon's business? Well, since signing up with BoomTown, Brandon has:

• Increased his follow-up with leads
• Increased his lead conversions
• Stayed on top of conversations with leads that may have previously fallen through the cracks

Regular phone calls with a BoomTown success manager have kept Brandon focused on his business goals. During his onboarding, the "bulk import" of his 4,000+ lead database was naturally a stressful day. "But I knew I had someone, a live person, my own specialist that I could call and talk to. We were in it together."

Want to see which BoomTown product is right for you? Compare packages.