About 12 months ago, a group of designers and I were talking about some of the biggest stressors in life, and the conversation quickly shifted to home-buying. So we started to ask ourselves – how should home-buying work in an ideal world?

Or, to put it another way, what does a best case scenario buyer look like? Act like? Think like?

What if we could design a tool for real estate professionals that would turn every buyer into their best case scenario buyer? So we talked to hundreds of agents, and asked them to paint us a picture of how that kind of buyer would behave.

Here are the top 5 most repeated sentiments (and some of our favorite quotes):

#1. Educated

“Someone who understands some of the basics, so we spend our time together focused on optimizing decisions, not simply getting comfortable with the process (or if they should buy).”

#2. Organized

“I’ve had buyers not show up to closings because they thought it was the next day, or forget to buy homeowner’s insurance, in spite of my multiple reminders. I would love to help them get and stay organized without having that become my full-time job.”

#3. Empowered

“I love it when my buyers join their inspection and really ask questions about what the inspector is looking for and why. Or when they call out a lender for putting a junk fee on their GFE. Buyers who insist on being an active part of the process, not just going along for the ride.”

#4. Savvy

“I once had a buyer point out to me that if I asked the seller for a copy of his title insurance, she could get a discount on hers. It was embarrassing that she knew a trick I didn’t, but impressive.”

#5. Zen

“I’ve had to deal with marital fights, with crying, with bailing out at the last possible second. Everything around buying a home is stressful and I’ve born the brunt of that, even though the buyer is usually stressed at everyone other than me.”

So with that in mind, we designed Doorsteps, a shared online workspace that allows agents to guide their first-time homebuyers through the journey in a comprehensive but very human, very reassuring way.

Take a peak at our video, which gives a quick overview of the big idea:

Welcome to Doorsteps from Doorsteps on Vimeo.

And, some parts of the experience we’re particularly excited about:

#1. Intuitive Overview

Each buyer gets a clear overview of what they need to do, why, and how.

#2. Agent Dashboard

Meanwhile, the agent dashboard lets you have instant oversight of what every buyer is up to at all times.

#3. Completable Tasks

Your buyer can move through every step and see not only their task list, but a single, streamlined place to complete every one of them – from choosing a mortgage to hiring a moving company.

#4. Add Your Own Insider Tips

Agents can add their hard-earned tips and pointers specific to their market within each step.

#5. In-Context Messaging

Buyers can message you the second they have a question or get confused – and you’ll see instantly exactly where they got stuck.

#6. Rich Buyer Profile

Every step or input is fed into a rich buyer profile, so you always have their latest updates at your fingertips.

We just released a new version on Friday, June 29th, so please request an invite and take Doorsteps for a spin!

To hear more about Doorsteps, click here.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×