Teams are the future of real estate. And one proptech vendor is capitalizing on this trend by helping team leaders run an effective business.
What’s more, most of the teams on his platform double their business every year—even in the current market.
Brian Charlesworth is Founder and CEO of Sisu, an end-to-end real estate platform for teams that streamlines the transaction process, bringing all REALTORS, vendors and clients together.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Brian shares his background in technology and explains how helping his wife build her real estate team inspired the creation of Sisu.
Brian discusses the coaching Sisu offers to help team leaders scale their business and describes how the platform changes the culture of a real estate team.
Listen in to understand how the Sisu client portal works like a ‘pizza tracker’ and get Brian’s advice for other proptech vendors on building for real estate teams.
What’s Discussed:
Sisu’s function as an end-to-end real estate platform for teams
How Brian’s commitment to help his wife build her real estate team inspired the creation of Sisu
The coaching Sisu offers to help team leaders run an effective business
Why Brian believes teams are the future of real estate
What proptech vendors should consider in building for teams
Using the Sisu dashboard to track a team’s progress (e.g.: sales, potential revenue, etc.)
How Sisu integrates with CRMs and other platforms to streamline and automate real estate transactions
How Sisu changes the culture of a real estate team
Why most teams on Sisu double their business every year—even in the current market
How the Sisu client portal works like a ‘pizza tracker’
What Sisu is doing to make sure clients work with the same real estate professionals for years to come
Brian’s advice to proptech vendors on understanding how agents think
What real estate companies can do to solve for agent retention
Connect with Brian Charlesworth:
Resources:
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Two years ago, NAR policy was updated to give brokers and agents attribution rights, meaning they get to decide how they appear in listings.
But Homes.com employs a ‘your listing, your lead’ model, displaying the listing agent’s contact information.
So, does this comply with NAR’s attribution policy? And what else do we need to think about as companies like Zillow and Homes.com switch to IDX?
On this episode of Listing Bits, Michael Wurzer, CEO of real estate software company FBS, Greg Fischer, Owner of indie brokerage West + Main, and Andy Woolley, VP of Industry Development at Homes.com, join us to consider how ‘your listing, your lead’ jives with NAR’s IDX attribution policy.
Andy explains how ‘your listing, your lead’ differs from the referral model used on other sites, and Greg asks what is changing at Homes.com now that it’s a participant in the MLS.
Listen in for Michael’s insight on the repercussions on policy that come with mixing different use cases for data feeds and find out why it’s important for MLSs to develop a standard way for national portals like Homes.com to license data.
What’s Discussed:
How NAR IDX policy changed to give brokers and agents attribution rights
Whether Homes.com’s ‘your listing, your lead’ model complies with NAR’s attribution policy
Why most brokers aren’t using the ‘attribution source’ field in RESO’s data dictionary
Homes.com’s decision to display the listing agent’s contact information
Why Homes.com made the switch from its original MLS feeds to IDX
What is changing at Homes.com now that it’s a participant in the MLS vs. a media publisher
The potential repercussions on policy that come with mixing use cases for data feeds
What differentiates Homes.com’s ‘your listing, your lead’ from the referral model used on other sites
How Homes.com allows buyer’s agents to protect their relationships on the site
How showing a listing agent on a lead placard compares to seeing their name on a yard sign
The challenge Homes.com faces when it comes to agent responsiveness
Why it’s crucial for MLSs to create a standard way for national portals to license data
Connect with Michael Wurzer:
Connect with Greg Fischer:
Connect with Andy Woolley:
Resources:
Greg’s Twitter Thread on Your Listing, Your Lead
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Lauren Martin began her career in the fashion industry to be among powerful women.
But when she transitioned to proptech, she realized that real estate is the true pinnacle of girl power. And yet, women are not always represented in leadership.
So, when she landed her current role as Senior Account Director of Partnerships at RentSpree, Lauren approached her CEO about creating RENEW, the Real Estate Network for Empowered Women, an initiative that seeks to connect and champion female professionals across all sectors of the industry nationwide.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Lauren shares her journey from the fashion industry to proptech, describing how what she learned in fashion translates to real estate.
Lauren discusses her role at RentSpree, explaining how the platform partners with MLSs and other proptech companies to streamline the rental process—in a way that serves real estate agents and renters.
Listen in for insight on what inspired Lauren to build RENEW and learn how you can get involved in her initiative to elevate women in real estate!
What’s Discussed:
How Lauren was poached from a catering company to work in sales at Remine
What Lauren learned in the fashion industry that translates to real estate and proptech
Lauren’s insight on approaching uncomfortable conversations with humor
Lauren’s experiences working with MLS professionals who champion each other
How RentSpree partners with MLSs and proptech companies to streamline the rental process
The revenue sharing model at RentSpree and how MLSs benefit from it
How REALTORS benefit from building relationships with renters early in their housing journey
Lauren’s role handling both MLS and proptech partnerships at RentSpree
Lauren’s best travel hacks for real estate professionals
What inspired Lauren to start the RENEW initiative to elevate women in real estate
Connect with Lauren:
Email laurenm@rentspree.com
The RENEW Podcast by RentSpree
Resources:
Teresa King Kinney & Liz Sturrock on The RENEW Podcast EP001
Betsy Hanson of Markt on Listing Bits EP078
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From a vendor’s perspective, small MLSs are the most challenging to work with. And that’s no surprise, seeing as how they have fewer resources than the big players in the space.
So, how do we support MLSs with fewer than 400 members in keeping up with NAR rules, for example? Is there a way MLSs might share marketing, support and compliance services in a way that makes the market work better for all involved?
Betsy Hanson is General Manager and General Counsel at Markt, a multi-MLS service organization focused on pooling resources and expertise to serve MLSs, brokers and agents.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Betsy shares her journey from executive assistant at a small association to her current role at Markt, describing how she avoids the attorney’s reputation as the Department of No.
Betsy offers her take on what organized real estate is missing about the life and times of an ordinary REALTOR, why the average agent doesn’t understand the lawsuits facing the industry, and how those lawsuits might change the way we do things moving forward.
Listen in to understand how Markt works as an MLS back-office provider and learn how Betsy and her team are uniquely positioned to help MLSs of all sizes with local market delivery.
What’s Discussed:
Betsy’s journey from executive assistant at a small association to General Counsel at Markt
What differentiates the role of executive assistant from that of chief of staff
How Betsy avoids the attorney’s reputation as the Department of No
Betsy’s experience teaching English in China between undergrad and law school
What organized real estate is missing about the life and times of an ordinary REALTOR
Why the average REALTOR-on-the-street doesn’t know about the lawsuits facing the industry
How public perception of REALTORS remains positive despite lawsuits around compensation
Betsy’s predictions re: how the lawsuits facing organized real estate might play out
How Markt began as a way for MLSs to pool support resources and create efficiencies
Markt’s potential to solve the challenge small MLSs face in keeping up with NAR rules
Connect with Betsy:
Email betsy@themarkt.com
Resources:
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Most showing management software aggregates data. But how useful is it to get a report at the end of the month?
What if the data was presented in a way that helped agents answer seller questions in real time and make informed choices based on the numbers?
Wes Hartman is CEO of Showingly, a showing management solution that uses data and analytics to guide better decision-making.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Wes walks us through the key metrics Showingly looks at to drive pricing decisions and marketing strategy for a property.
Wes explains how Showingly is aggregating showing, offer and closed data to determine the best day and time to list a home and explores what simple things a seller can adjust to secure more showings.
Listen in to understand how the desire for choice might impact the future of showing management software and find out if Showingly’s approach is right for your brokerage or MLS.
What’s Discussed:
Wes’ background as an aspiring fighter pilot, professional cyclist, real estate agent and tech vendor
How Showingly’s use of data to guide decision-making differentiates it from other showing management solutions
The key metrics Showingly looks at to drive pricing decisions and marketing strategy for a property
What Wes’ team is doing to get honest feedback on a property (and why that’s such a challenge)
How Showingly uses showing, offer and closed data to determine the best day and time to list a home
How sellers might adjust pricing and Open House hours to get more showings
Wes’ take on the future of showing management software
Showing Hub’s solution to the demand for choice in showing management software
Why Wes is focused on building relationships with brokerages, MLSs and other showing management providers
How Wes thinks about MLSs building their own showing solutions and why competition drives innovation
Connect with Wes:
Email wes@showingly.com
Resources:
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A solid fan base is what makes a rock band successful, and it’s no different for real estate professionals.
But most of us focus on the individual transaction and miss an opportunity to build long-term relationships with our existing clients and turn them into raving fans.
And that means missed opportunities for referrals and repeat business.
Rivers Pearce is CMO of Milestones, a homeowner management platform that helps agents and lenders turn single transactions into forever clients.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Rivers shares his background as a touring musician and transition to proptech, discussing how he built the lead generation department at BoomTown.
Rivers explains why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home and explores how real estate professionals benefit from referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses.
Listen in for Rivers’ insight on nurturing relationships with your existing database and learn how Milestones can help you provide the kind of value that turns one-off clients into lifelong fans!
What’s Discussed:
Rivers’ background as a touring musician and how he transitioned to proptech
How the skills Rivers developed as a performer translate to real estate and proptech
Rivers’ experience in building the lead gen department at BoomTown
How the way proptech supports real estate agents with lead gen has evolved over time
How Rivers thinks about using sphere of influence vs. portal aggregation to generate business
The opportunity to build relationships with homeowners that most REALTORS miss
Why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home
The benefit of referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses
How Milestones functions as a homeowner management platform for agents
How Milestones creates a custom maintenance plan for homeowners
How Milestones helps REALTORS nurture relationships with their existing database
Connect with Rivers:
Email rivers@milestones.ai or ashley@milestones.ai for a 3-month free trial
Resources:
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