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Buddy Agent is software for brokers and agents to facilitate and manage in-office referrals and collaboration.
Platforms: Browser-based; iOS and Android (app)
Ideal for: All size brokerages; individual agents and teams
Top selling points
- Quick to learn
- Business intelligence for brokers
- Benefits in recruiting
- Focused user experience
Top concerns
- Agent fear of relinquishing lead data could lead adoption hesitancy
What you should know
Simon Sinek reminded us that people don’t buy what we do; they buy why we do it. For a product to succeed, it needs a good reason to be alive.
Mohammad Ali Hashmi created Woodbridge, Virginia-based Buddy Agent because work was taking him away from his family. It’s a familiar problem for many agents.
Buddy Agent, which I first looked at in July 2016, is a platform for agents to hand off appointments and leads to trusted colleagues. It can be used on a browser, and apps are available for Apple and Android.
The intent is for the software to be an in-house referral tool, but mechanisms are in place for out-of-office referrals. A Broker Dashboard has been added since the product’s soft launch last year.
Who should be interested?
This a tool probably best leveraged by top producers, as new agents and those hovering below the coveted 20 percent mark are not as quick to pass along business.
However, real estate professionals at any level can use Buddy Agent to ask a colleague to cover an open house or meet a client who’s stopping with documents, for example.
After an agent registers and creates a profile, they’ll be offered options to list their expertise, ZIP code specialities, language skills, and general industry experience. All agents who are registered can peruse profiles to decide who to ask for help.
Brokers will enjoy Buddy Agent’s robust backend that uses a series of clear charts and metrics to measure activity within the product and, in turn, within their offices.
Agent profile data is collated for presentation to brokers, who can use it to determine their office’s strengths and weaknesses.
For example, how is the overall Spanish proficiency? Are there ZIP codes with limited expertise? How many open houses have been handed off and subsequently accepted?
Brokers can also use it as a recruiting tool, showing prospective agents that the office has a proven, measurable solution in place for agents who need a day off or want to take a vacation.
Another feature tracks who accepts the most requests, who gets the most referrals, or who is most recommended, among other superlatives.
Teams especially can benefit tremendously from a tool like this. Boutique agencies with strong team-centric models would find it equally advantageous.
Final thoughts
My hope is that Buddy Agent’s creator doesn’t take this product too far. It’s a solid, well-designed tool that knows exactly what it’s supposed to do.
I wouldn’t want to see him miss a soccer game because he’s trying to launch a CRM feature (for software he invented so he wouldn’t miss a hockey match to make a listing appointment).
Buddy Agent will officially roll off the shelves during Inman Connect New York and requests for early adopter accounts will be accepted for the stand-alone agent version.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.
