There’s no two ways about it, it’s a tough market out there. The real estate market is not uniform however, and as a national company, we have witnessed waves of distress hit different areas at different times.
Vendors offering solutions to agents have been affected by the downturn as well, and you can see waves of distress affect them too. While Real Pro Systems is not growing as quickly as we did in 2007, we finished 2008 with a profit, and did not lay anyone off. We consider that a significant victory in these times, and a testament to our commitment to provide great products and great service. And for what it’s worth, we continue to be profitable in 2009, and just expanded our sales team. We’re moving forward, and we invite you to move forward with us!
Lately, agents considering our solutions have reported that a couple of competitors selling what used to be more expensive systems are now offering to waive the setup fees entirely. Naturally, these agents have then asked us to also waive our setup fee. While you can’t blame them for trying, our answer is “no.” Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but thanks to the loyal support of our agents we are doing quite well, and we have a sustainable business model.
Another gambit came across my desk the other day – this one was shocking in its brazenness. A competitor announced to its clients that for an extra fee they could opt to have their website hosted on a server that would solve the performance problems the company has been experiencing. That’s right – if you want your website to be fast enough to be usable, you have to pay extra. Go figure.
We have built our reputation by operating from sound business principles. We offer powerful systems at competitive prices, and have not raised our price in six years, even when we probably could have. Yet we charge enough that we are able to provide exemplary service and excellent value, and we have ample evidence to suggest we are meeting these goals.
Consider that when you call Real Pro Systems, a human being answers the phone during business hours – you are not shunted to voice mail. And then realize that you can call and ask questions at all; there are more and more vendors who will only answer your questions via email! Our turnaround time is second to none, whether a new system build, a change request (which we often don’t charge extra for), or correction of a defect (bug). Hardly a day goes by that we don’t receive an email thanking someone in the company for their great service. We have a terrific team who are very dedicated to your satisfaction, and they are well cared for.
We emphasize this kind of service because we know that’s what it takes for Real Pro Systems to be in business for the long haul. We not only want you to do business with us, we want you to be so satisfied that you recommend us to all of your colleagues.
If you are considering doing business with us, we ask you to think about how important it is for your vendor to be available, reliable, and sustainable. And if you are tempted by dramatically reduced fees from another provider, ask yourself where that money is coming from. It is very likely coming out of the development department, the production department, or the service department. And that could cost you a lot more down the road.
Real Pro Systems isn’t the cheapest nor the most expensive solution out there; we just offer the best value by far. It seems to be working.
Caine O’Brien, General Manager Real Pro Systems
