Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Listing Bits Episode 40: Building a Real Estate CRM That Plays Well with Others with David Anderson of LionDesk

Is it better to develop an all-in-one CRM? Or focus on relationship-management and work with other vendors to create a flexible package of best-in-class offerings? In the ever-evolving world of real estate tech, LionDesk is choosing integrations, leveraging partnerships with top third-party applications to create a CRM that plays well with others—and allows agents to maintain their independence.

David Anderson is the founder and President of LionDesk, a complete sales and marketing solution for real estate agents, broker and lenders. As one of the premiere CRMs, LionDesk makes it easy for sales professionals to connect, communicate and close more leads, and its open API platform integrates with hundreds of the best management tools, allowing professionals to run their entire business from a single system.

Today, David shares the challenge LionDesk faced in designing a CRM flexible enough to accommodate any workflow. He discusses the early days of the startup when he was ‘giving it away for free,’ focusing on individual agents and referral business and developing the subscription business model. David also speaks to Compass’ acquisition of Contactually and how it is impacting his business. Listen in for insight around how LionDesk integrates with other best-in-class real estate systems like Cloud CMA and ShowingTime and learn why agents prefer an independent, third-party system to an all-in-one, broker-led platform.

What’s Discussed: 

How David’s experience building tools for travel translated to real estate

The challenge LionDesk faced in designing a flexible CRM for any workflow

David’s focus on individual agents and referral business in the early days

LionDesk’s recent deal to provide CRMLS members with a full account

How LionDesk integrates with best-in-class apps like ShowingTime + Cloud CMA

Why agents appreciate the freedom and independence of a third-party system

How Compass’ acquisition of Contactually is affecting David’s business

Why David believes an all-in-one brokerage CRM system is the wrong play

The LionDesk SaaS month-to-month subscription business model

Why David discourages new vendors from pursuing the freemium model 

The challenge around determining a CRM’s number of active users

Resources:

Greg’s Blog on the LionDesk Partnership with CRMLS

ShowingTime

Cloud CMA

Contactually

‘Compass Acquires Contactually’ Press Release

‘Compass to Acquire Alain Pinel Realtors’ in Inman

MoxiWorks

Connect with David Anderson:

LionDesk

David on LinkedIn

Industry Relations Episode 32: Is Gary Keller Mismanaging Expectations for the New KW Tech Platform?

Gary Keller made a series of very bold claims when he announced the launch of the new KW tech platform at January’s Family Reunion conference, even going so far as to say that ‘the race to build the first end-to-end real estate platform is over and everyone else is competing for second place.’ 

Industry Relations Episode 32: Is Gary Keller Mismanaging Expectations for the New KW Tech Platform?

Today, Rob and Greg are discussing Keller’s comments, questioning the decision to set the bar so high and sharing Brian Boero’s take on Keller’s hubris as that of a master showman rallying the troops. Rob asks how we might measure the success of the KW tech platform and how much big-time investments in tech truly impact agent productivity.

Rob and Greg also explore the idea that introducing new tech serves to ‘stop the bleeding,’ keeping agents and agent teams from leaving for tech centric brokerages like eXp. Listen in for insight around the performance of traditional brokerages that put big money in tech and learn why Rob believes the industry should stop fighting the last war and shift its focus to capital.

What’s Discussed: 

The hype around the launch of the Keller Williams consumer app 

Boero’s take that Keller’s hubris is necessary to ‘rally the troops’

How we might measure the success of the KW tech platform

The dismal numbers reported in Realogy’s recent earnings call

How much tech investments truly impact realtor productivity

Why Rob believes the industry needs to focus on capital vs. tech

KW’s potential to systematize agent marketing through software

Connect with Rob and Greg:

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Resources:

2019 Clareity MLS Executive Workshop

‘Gary, Put Down the Bong’ in Vendor Alley

‘Gary Keller Declares Victory in Real Estate Tech Platform Race’ in Inman

‘Keller Kabuki’ in 1000watt

‘Please Stop Fighting the Last War’ in Notorious ROB

Our Sponsors:

Cloud MLX

The Red Dot

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