mytheo.com screenshot
Software innovation plateaus at end users and their feedback, which, oddly enough, are also catalysts needed to raise the bar. Theo Inc. is part of the software wave sweeping up firms, pushing new features across mobile platforms into the hands of real estate agents.
So where does this ascending mountain of innovation find its apex?
“Theo’s vision is that what will emerge in the residential real estate industry will be a handful or less dominant platforms that enable an agent to wake up in the morning, log on to their platform, like the MyTheo platform, and basically stay on it from morning to night,” said Gil Fleitas, CEO and co-founder at Theo.
“On that platform, they’ll find all of their data, all of their documents, all of their relationships and all of the functionality they need to be a successful agent.”
MyTheo 2.0 to be released in September to 6 new MLSs
Theo’s ascent started in 2010, when the company was officially incorporated. Theo started with Broker Tour, a map of available homes to organize for a digital tour map.
Theo then rolled out the ability to access certain MLSs. And as agents have learned to grow with technology, their demands on software have grown congruently.
“To our surprise, during [MyTheo 1.0], what we started hearing from agents was ‘Hey, can you make a version of this to give to my clients?'” Fleitas said.
Seeing the app their agents were using, clients wanted access to the platform. Fleitas said agents needed an an app that is more valuable than Zillow or Trulia.
The new version comes with a new in-app chat feature. This allows agents direct communication with other agents, as well as clients. It also updates listings in real time from the MLS.
Fleitas said a new note-taking ability has been added. Before co-founding Theo, Fleitas worked in commercial real estate — he shared how he’d always write notes down on property fliers, “never to be seen again after that day.”
The San Francisco Association of Realtors was the first client to sign on to Theo. MLS Listings Inc. licensed a portion of Theo 1.0 as well.
The most recent client is Pacific Union brokerage in San Francisco.
“Pacific Union’s observation of the industry is that technology driven companies are emerging as competitors from the cloud. Real estate is done at the street level, so the race is on to connect the cloud to the street,” Pacific Union CEO Mark McLaughlin said.
