Serial Entrepreneur and Real Estate Tech Startup Founder Howard Tager

Podcast

Interview with Howard Tager by Kevin Kauffman

REAL ESTATE TECH

Kevin: Let’s go back 10 years or so, tell me about Tiger Leads .. how did you start that and what was your journey?

Howard: I’ve always been a serial entrepreneur. With my partner, we created Ivy West; we wrote a program to increase scores on the SATs which was later purchased by Sylvan Learning Systems. Back in the early days of digital marketing I learned that real estate agents needed something new, different, and transformative whereby we developed Tiger Lead Solutions. This software was in the forefront of Digital Marketing for the real estate space. We created hyper local, home search websites, utilizing google paper click marketing – and in 2007 no one knew what we were talking about.

At first, we had a few challenges. I literally had to teach agents the difference between organic searches, paper click funnels, and the benefits of direct response digital marketing vs billboards, newspapers ads, etc.  We had to develop best practices for long time nurture and conversion of leads by changing the status quo of an ‘all in one’ software’ to a ‘one to all’ model. We’ve built everything but a CRM; we integrate whatever platform our clients are using into their system. No need to change your CRM. All in one systems hold you prisoner to it, Ylopo gives our clients ultimate independence by utilizing plug & play and integrating our clients systems.

ONE TO ALL SYSTEM

Kevin: (Discusses how ‘all in one’ systems hold hostage so agents are afraid to move to another brokerage)

Kevin: What was the strategic business decision to be a ‘one to all’ system rather than an ‘all to one’?

Howard: We kind of stumbled our way to find the right strategy to differentiate ourselves in a purposeful way through social media and with dynamic remarketing. Did we want to be in the CRM business when there are so many out there. So, we had a singular focus on integrating our client’s systems for lead gen and lead nurture. Resurrecting their old dormant databases and bringing them back to life and functionality.

Kevin: What resonates with me is your company can be nimble with my systems and my business.

Howard: Agents must think like a business owner, not an agent. Each system does what it really does well but they don’t do everything. Ylopo integrates all of an agent’s systems seamlessly: CRM, lead gen, lead nurture so all of the resources are marshalled and working together.

Kevin: All businesses must have the best systems and run seamlessly.

Howard: Everyone has different needs. Agents must aspire to grow their team. All of the brokerages are in a mad dash to get the all in one system.

Kevin: Agents want solutions to fit their unique competitive advantage. One size fits all only benefits the entity that controls it.

Howard: Yes, you have to control your own data.

Changes in the Real Estate Industry

Kevin: How have things changed in the last 10 years with digital marketing and consumers?

Howard: It’s a mix of things that are the same and things that are different concerning consumer behavior. When it’s time to buy or sell consumers want the same thing – to see homes and they want a great place to search for homes. What is different is how we get in front of the consumer and stay in front of them. 10 years ago, the consumer was not checking Facebook 12.2 times a day. Now, it’s more effective to send alerts through social media rather than email.

AI is changing everything. We must leverage the heck out of AI. We can tap our agents on the shoulder with a text letting them know what their clients are doing because we are watching their database all the time. We can send a pinpoint message to the agent so they can send a message to their clients about a home or price reduction. We are getting 30 to 40 % response rates doing this.

Tech is on an exponential curve of development. You must embrace it through companies who can automate your systems and leverage that to compete with the big companies without spending 100 million dollars.

Kevin: Great answer. What have you seen that is happening with the great Real Estate teams?

Howard: 1. Never put all of your eggs in one basket. Do an inventory list of your dependencies such as Zillow or Realtor.com. Their models are changing constantly and you need to have a redundancy system. We are seeing big successful teams whose business is going to dust because they have not developed a redundancy system. Example – if this system fails, you have another to fall back on. The Team Leaders of big teams that have done this are thriving. Diversify your redundancy system. 2. You have to embrace the iBuying thing and use it to your advantage. There will be a correction to the market and corrections correct an irrational market. What will happen is the iBuying thing will flush out and leave a few of the companies standing. Become an expert in iBuying and get it out in front of your clients. Going back to nurturing the client relationship; the personal touch.

MENTORSHIP

Kevin: Where do you look for knowledge or mentorship to push yourself forward?

Howard: In general, I prefer Biographies. We can learn a lot from the most successful people, from their mistakes and zigs and zags. I also refer back to a small, easy read book called ‘Clarity’ by Bob Bohlen – real simple stuff about Lead Gen, Time Blocking, etc. I read everything in detail such as Zillow’s most recent quarterly earnings. Don’t take everything for granted. Follow the money. Turn your brain on, think more on your own.

Kevin: I personally enjoy opposite viewpoints in order to make adjustments to my own point of view.

Howard: Yes, have people around you that you can listen to and argue with. We are an industry of talkers and it’s hard to listen. We can be very opinionated in a constructive way. Put egos aside to allow so much more. We need each other to be great, to develop our skill sets. Surround yourself with people who are infinitely smarter than you for unparalleled success.

Request a demo of Ylopo: https://www.ylopo.com/

Howard’s book recommendation: Clarity by Bob Bohlen

About Howard

Howard Tager is Co-Founder and CEO of Ylopo – a new “next generation” performance marketing & big data technology company. Ylopo’s initial mission is to build the world’s most intuitive real estate search engine and to leverage that search platform to deliver digital marketing services to its lender and real estate clients. Ylopo is a next-generation Complete Digital Marketing Solution designed to help find more clients & build your brand.

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