Agent/Broker Software
I'm a software developer with a huge interest in Real Estate. I am doing research into how software can improve an agents close rate on listed homes.

As agents or brokers, what is a pain-point you experience on a regular basis? Is scheduling appraisers, inspections, repairs, etc a hassle? Do you find it difficult to schedule showings with clients and other agents? Anything you feel might slow you down or causes headaches/loss in commissions I'd love to know about! Thanks!
[{"id": "clgz91k", "text": "If you want to focus on residential agents, you'll be better served posting in /r/realestate. \n\nThe real estate technology world is still very much behind other industries, but that is primarily due to the fact that information (lease/sale comparables, etc) is so difficult to find and most times inaccurate.\n\nThis isn't like to change because, as a broker, the most valuable asset you have is information and sharing it, with nothing in return, is out of the question.\n\nCompStak has developed an interesting platform that allows you to share information (\"comps\") in exchange for points that can buy you additional information. They seem to be the most successful RE Tech start up.", "replies": [{"id": "clh3b9m", "text": "Interesting I will look into CompStak. /r/RealEstate did not offer much advice. Thanks", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "clh0jfi", "text": "Please consider cross-posting to /r/RealEstateTechnology ", "replies": [{"id": "clh3ben", "text": "Awesome sub. Thanks", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "clh2jq8", "text": "When you get this up and running, please contact me.  I'd like to see it.", "replies": [{"id": "clhk6np", "text": "Which parts are you most interested in? I'm really just doing market research at this stage. ", "replies": [{"id": "clhu9po", "text": "As a whole.  I always keep my eyes open and, as they used to tell us in the service, my head on a swivel. So, just keeping my head up when I see new things.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "clkwl33", "text": "My buddy was trying to create a software program for real estate brokers and he has zero experience in real estate. He asked me for advice and he was mad because what I told him was not what he wanted to hear.\n\nReal estate brokers sell one thing: Knowledge. If you go and create a software application that compiles market information into one easy to use site that anyone who buys a subscription can see, then that knowledge is useless. An analogy of what I am trying to explain would be like the stock analysts who go onto MSNBC and tell you to buy this stock because it's going to take off. Well by the time that person goes on the air to tell everyone to buy this stock anyone who buys that stock afterwards is an idiot because it's going to be overbought/overvalued. \n\nKnowledge is a brokers livelihood, you might be able to sell a few subscriptions to the newbie brokers who don't have any resources and are desperate for leads, but the experienced brokers won't want to give you any money because you are taking away what they do for a living. A living breathing broker with years of experience in their market is always going to be a better source of information than any software product you can create. People have been trying to oust brokers for years because they think we just unlock doors so people can look at buildings. There is a lot more to the business.\n\nThe only real estate software product that you can create that will have any value would be either something like a CRM database system like ACT or REA 9. or a software system that crawls search queries for terms like  \"buying home\" \"Selling building\" \"Bankrupt\" \"inheritance\" etc. There are already companies that do this and they are called \"lifestyle companies\" the best at this is Epsilon. REALTOR (the organization) is already looking into creating a software system that does this. And there are already companies doing it pretty well: SmartZip Analytics. \n\nEven though I told my friend all this he still went ahead and spent hours and hours creating his site and to be honest it sucks and he hasn't made a dime.\n\nGood luck man, sorry to burst your bubble. If you figure something out that might work let me know and I'd be happy to give you some feedback, maybe even invest if it's a viable business proposition.", "replies": [{"id": "clmzstk", "text": "Awesome information. Thanks a ton for posting such a detailed response. No bubble to burst here, being told truthfully about market conditions is what preliminary research is all about! Thanks again for your input.", "replies": [{"id": "cln055l", "text": "If you want to go the CRM route search linkedin for Tim Creigh (The creator of REA 9 and an ex-commercial broker). He seems like a pretty cool and down to earth guy. He has a sales staff member named Matt who is pretty cool too. These guys would be able to give you the best advice as to whether it is worth it or not, but just remember you would be competing with them so I don't know how open they would be to your query.\n\nedt:CRM has been around for a minute and is kinda old school. The search queries or \"lifestyle companies\" are supposed to be the future, but that's if your glass is half full.... mine isn't lol.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "cln09y7", "text": "a Good documentary to watch is \"Morgan Spurlock's Inside Man: Big Data\"\n\nIt's all about these lifestyle companies and how they record everything you search. Cost would be very prohibitive to be able to find the search queries you want from these companies regarding real estate. If you could create one of these lifestyle companies though you can make bank. And then when you are rolling in the dough pm me so I can set you up in a nice office haha.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "clmuyi5", "text": "This is a crowded space. SalesForce, ACT, and a lots of others are huge players in the database business. Your best bet would be to market your product to a niche (CRE is actually all about niches - you don't hire an office broker to find you a warehouse). As an example, I am an industrial broker, and most of the databases don't property cater to the information that we need. I have lots of ideas about creating a database system designed for industrial brokers, and if you're interested in discussing further let me know.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]