In fact, we didn't set out to be a company at all.
Had been for more than 20 years. He juggled 100+ staff, and worked 7 days a week to keep the listings and buyers coming through the door.
You know how it goes...
Task management, paperwork, website updates, window cards, price changes, buyer notifications, sales letter writing, ad booking... The list of tedious manual jobs goes on and on.
In the end, James went dangerously close to suffering a heart attack, and he decided it was time to change.
Surely all this time-consuming manual labour could be streamlined - maybe even eliminated - by some intelligent software? Surely there's an easy-to-use real estate program out there to do it! Something that doesn't require you to be a computer genius to use! (You've asked this question yourself, haven't you. No doubt hundreds of times!)
When he looked around, and called the few existing providers, James quickly discovered that the handful of 'solutions' out there already were way too hard to use. They needed to be installed on his computer - which was never as simple as the box promised - and when he tried them, he just couldn't figure out how to use them properly.
James was - and still is - virtually computer illiterate. He knew the only people who'd end up using these programs were the admin staff. And what happens when they're off sick, or they resign?
Not by himself, of course. James is about as technical as a cardboard box! What he actually did was employ two brilliant programmers and chained them to their desks, surrounded by the team, in the actual real estate office.
Together, James and his programmers designed, developed and refined a real estate software program around the actual needs of the office.
In other words, they developed a software program specifically to solve James' own day-to-day work problems. And they kept at it until the entire team found it easy to use and helpful. Until it made their day easier and more productive.
That made James a happy man! After 20 years, he finally experienced the luxury of a 5 day week. Of kicking the footy with his boys on the weekend. Of being home in time for dinner.
Of course, then his friends and colleagues in other real estate agencies - even competitors - noticed something was up. Word got out he had a 'secret weapon', and they all wanted in.
When he figured out how keen people were to get their hands on the program - especially once they'd seen it in action - THAT was when James decided to start a software company.
He had the ideal program already fully developed. So he wasn't putting the cart before the horse, as most software companies do. He wasn't trying to develop a program that sold well, but didn't work that great. He wasn't madly tacking on features at the last minute. He wasn't under-testing everything. He wasn't rushing the launch to meet the sales team's over-ambitious promises. (That's how most software companies work.)
The program was there. Already proven. Already marketable.
So he went to market.
And the rest is history.
Call 1300 134 858 to discuss our real estate software. You'll get to speak with someone who actually understands your business needs, not a programmer or someone who merely understands software.