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Listing Bits

Greg Robertson, co-founder of W+R Studios and publisher of Vendor Alley, talks real estate technology with the people who are shaping it.
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Now displaying: March, 2018
Mar 28, 2018

Real estate professionals spend $9B annually to drive traffic to their websites, but less than 1% of that traffic leads to conversion. What’s to blame for this abysmal data? The vast majority of customers are looking to get an answer to a quick question, yet they are met with an aggressive chatbot who demands their contact information before agreeing to provide any information. And even if they do acquiesce to giving a name and email address or phone number, they have to wait several hours for a response. Jatinder Singh and Katie Djurich have built a better chatbot, one that uses scripted AI to engage with customers immediately and understand their needs first.   

 

Jatinder and Katie are the visionaries behind Botplan, a chatbot for real estate that is compatible with Facebook Messenger, webchat and SMS. Available 24/7, the machine-learning tool initiates a dialogue with incoming leads, sets appointments and communicates the customer’s needs to the agent. Jatinder’s extensive background in the retail innovation space and Katie’s experience with the real estate industry led to an interest in designing a chatbot that helps agents effectively automate this portion of their business—and enjoy an occasional family dinner!

 

Today Jatinder and Katie explain the problems with the current chatbot solutions on the market and how Botplan addresses those issues. Jatinder explains why Botplan is transparent about being a virtual assistant and the distinction between the questions it can and cannot answer. He discusses Botplan’s ability to understand customer needs and communicate those needs with agents and how the team has made adjustments to the platform based on customer interaction. Katie and Jatinder address the reasons why chatbots that demand contact information before providing value tend to be off-putting and ineffective and how Botoplan uses scripted AI to employ the soft sell. Listen in to understand how Botplan is reaching agents and how the platform integrates with Facebook and SMS as well as webchat.

 

What’s Discussed: 

 

Why Jatinder and Katie built Botplan

The problems with current chat solutions

  • Cost prohibitive
  • Poor quality
  • Limited availability

How Botplan works with Facebook, SMS and webchat

Why Botplan is transparent about being a virtual assistant

How chatbots are compatible with a busy lifestyle

The questions Botplan can and cannot answer

How Botplan works to understand the customer’s needs

How Botplan communicates with agents

How Botplan has made adjustments based on customer interaction

Why chatbots that require contact information are off-putting

Botplan’s use of scripted AI to engage with customers

Jatinder’s background in the retail innovation space

Katie’s experience in real estate and virtual tours

How Botplan is reaching agents

  • Brokerages
  • Tech platform providers

 

Resources:

 

Botplan Webinar Registration

 

Connect with Jatinder Singh & Katie Djurich:

 

Botplan

Botplan on Facebook

Botplan on Twitter

Botplan on Instagram

 

 

Mar 9, 2018

‘You can change anything you want to change. People can sit around and complain all they want, or they can do something about it. We’re consultants. We want to go do something about it. We’re tired of talking about it. Let’s just go do it.’

 

Victor Lund is involved in some of the most ambitious initiatives in the real estate industry. From Upstream to Broker Public Portal, Victor is passionate about solving big problems, and whether or not you agree with his approach, you have to respect his willingness to advocate for change. As the founding partner of WAVGroup, he serves as a consultant to large brokerage firms and MLSs with a particular focus on operational effectiveness, communications and strategic planning. Victor is also the founder and CEO of RE Technology, the leading real estate technology and media portal in the US.

 

Today Victor shares how he made the transition from venture capital to real estate consulting. He discusses the role of RE Technology and its unusual practice of inviting companies to read their articles in advance of publication. Victor defends his advocacy for the Upstream initiative, explaining the scope of the project and the many benefits it will provide for industry players. He also speaks to the intent behind Broker Public Portal, clearing up misconceptions around how Homesnap functions as a partner rather than a vendor. Listen in for Victor’s insight on tackling difficult challenges in real estate and cooperation as the way forward.

 

What’s Discussed: 

 

Victor’s transition from VC to real estate consulting

The role of RE Technology as the CNET for real estate

Why RE Technology shares its articles before publication

How WAVGroup’s research department sets it apart

The significant disconnect between brokers and MLSs

Victor’s participation in controversial initiatives

  • Upstream
  • Broker Public Portal

Victor’s insight on the benefits of Upstream

  • Ease burden of agent onboarding checklist
  • Instant automation of systems migration
  • Efficiency for vendors to deploy products
  • Data sharing between MLSs and brokerages
  • Facilitates data integration (acquisitions)
  • Automate systems (photographer, records creation)

The incredible scope of the Upstream project

The timeline for getting Upstream up and running

Why Upstream uses Web API rather than RETS

Victor’s Upstream pitch for small brokerages

  • Premiere information management system

Why fear is the greatest challenge for the Upstream initiative

The impact of Add/Edit on an MLS and its related market

The intent behind Broker Public Portal

  • Reimagine way consumers get info
  • Consumer-facing website, benefit MLS

The joint venture between Broker Public Portal and Homesnap

How change of control provisions are built into the BPP/Homesnap contract

How Homesnap reinvented themselves as an industry partner

The concept of a parcel-centric database

 

Resources:

 

WAVes of Change

UpstreamRE

Broker Public Portal

Homesnap

Homesnap BPP

 

Connect with Victor Lund:

 

WAVGroup

RE Technology

RE Technology on Twitter

Victor on Facebook

Victor on LinkedIn

Victor on Twitter

 

 

 

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