For Ross Domke, Owner/Broker of Real Estate Professionals in Redding, California, bringing kvCORE into the business was all part of a master plan. Choosing the right tech was key to the business Domke envisioned when he first purchased the brokerage in 2006. 

A pharmacist by trade, Domke is fully running the brokerage for the second time around. The first time, he’d grown weary of working in healthcare and intended to own a company focused on helping people. However, when the recession hit and the housing market crashed, Domke returned to healthcare to support his family, juggling his pharmacy career with running his real estate brokerage for a couple of years. In 2010 his son, Josh, who was already a top broker, took over the brokerage when Domke was recruited to launch a successful compounding business in Georgia. Fast forward another ten years, and the elder Domke was more than ready to put a stake back in California real estate for good.

“The tech we were using at Real Estate Professionals then was anything but user-friendly, and it was so disparate – nothing worked together,” says Domke.

So, when the platform they’d been using announced it was sunsetting and their franchise contract ended last year, Domke was a man on a mission: to rebuild the brokerage to be better than ever before, and technology was a critical part of the puzzle. He finally had the opportunity to adopt a tech stack that was second to none – one that gave his agents the tools, systems, and support they needed to grow their own business. Domke researched every real estate tech platform out there, and after seeing a kvCORE demo and talking to other brokers who raved about kvCORE, he signed on. There were a lot of reasons for choosing kvCORE, but these were at the top:

1. It offered a smart CRM with sophisticated lead validation and routing, plus the ability to automate daily tasks
2. Every agent could have their own customizable IDX website to maximize lead capture 
3. The platform's marketing automation helps drive more engagement
4. kvCORE has great business analytics, including agent training and usage, are built in
5. Integration with other tools really simplifies workflows
   

Always one to lead by example, Domke was the first person to start using kvCORE. “If I can do it, my agents can do it,” says Domke. Naturally, the onboarding, training, and support Real Estate Professionals got from the Inside Real Estate team was another big part of Domke’s decision.  

Impatient to see results, Domke is thrilled that most of his agents jumped in and started using kvCORE immediately. The brokerage set a goal of 75% usage from agents in the first quarter of 2022, and it’s one he expects they’ll surpass.

“I didn’t expect some agents to jump right in, but they did, and they love it,” says Domke. “kvCORE is so user-friendly, and it’s starting to pay off. We went live in October and saw results right away. I’ve used CORE PropertyBoost as an incentive, and the reports are excellent." 

Domke encouraged every agent to upload SOI contacts and start automating some tasks to keep existing customers engaged, and usage took off. “One agent who’s newly licensed is running with it! I might have to slow her down a bit,” he laughs. “She’s used the Open House app, created a video, and is using CORE PropertyBoost along with kvCORE’s blog capabilities. Built-in tools for lead generation are also huge! ”  

Being able to pinpoint usage and training to see who needs more help is at the top of the list of ways kvCORE is winning, too.

“Tracking how and if agents are using the tool is a big winner for me,” says Domke.

He can also see who’s struggling and know if they’ve completed training in that area, which is imperative for rolling out brokerage tech. “Our culture is very agent-centric, so if I can help in any way, I will. I’ve used CORE PropertyBoost and offered 1:1 training as incentives. If people are willing to learn and use it, I’m going to help them,” Domke says. 

It turns out kvCORE is also a tremendous recruiting tool for the brokerage. After they launched the platform, four agents – all raving fans of kvCORE – left another independent brokerage to join Real Estate Professionals. As Domke tells it, “Their previous Broker was using BoomTown for company lead generation, but he was cherry-picking the best leads for himself and a few select favorite agents, which rarely included them. Being able to keep their sphere contacts private and have their own website with kvCORE was unexpected but a big motivator for them.” 

Real Estate Professionals also went paperless last year, so integration with tools like Testimonial Tree, Adwerx, and SkySlope, was another factor for choosing kvCORE. “It’s just a winning combination,” says Domke.

This is the first time in a long while that I’m JAZZED about the future," says Domke. "This is us, this is the company, this is the culture, and we’re finally on the right track."

What do you need to get agents to use your tech? We have five great value propositions to try now.