Becoming the mayor of your geo-farming neighborhood has, for a long time, been conducted in very much the same way — with door-knocking, direct mail and luck. Technology has started making inroads to opening conversations, but there was still a gap filled mostly with just-listed and just-sold postcards.
Truly being able to reach the consumer wherever they are is the goal, and being able to proactively go out and help a buyer find a home that’s not yet for sale is a game-changing differentiator.
This is why Scout is a great product. It allows me to use data to go in and identify the neighborhood and home type that my buyer client is looking for and gives me the opportunity to reach these homeowners with something more than a letter or a knock on the door.
One of the hardest things to do as a real estate agent is to market yourself effectively. With direct mail, it’s about getting past the trashcan. With door knocking, it’s about safety, getting an answer and not ending up with our flyers and business cards blowing away on the next gust of wind.
By layering systems and processes with technology like Scout’s, you can build a robust system for prospecting. What Scout does amazingly well and, I think, better than others in its space, is share contact information so that you can reach out to specific homeowners.
Say you want to invite someone to a Cars and Coffee event. Scout can provide data on the types of cars in a given neighborhood. If you want to host a pet-focused event, Scout allows you to invite all the neighbors with dogs.
Scout has the data you need to create opportunities and connect with homeowners in ways that are fun, original and unexpected. This is anything but the same-old, same-old. It feels brand-new, in contrast to most of the marketing technology tools out there.
Learn more about Scout:
Company name: Scout
Year founded: 2019. Launched summer 2022
Founder & CEO: Drew Fabrikant
Company mission: Empowering real estate teams and proptech companies to build connections and drive growth with innovative, all-in-one lead generation and outreach tools.
Core values: At Scout, our core values shape everything we do:
- Innovation: We are committed to creating forward-thinking solutions that empower our clients to succeed in real estate.
- Efficiency: We prioritize time-saving tools and streamlined processes, helping users focus on meaningful client relationships.
- Connection: Building strong, lasting relationships with clients is at the heart of everything we do.
- Transparency: We believe in honest communication and clear, accessible data for all our users.
- Empowerment: We equip real estate teams with the resources to achieve their goals and grow confidently in their market.
What it is: “Scout is a platform designed to support real estate teams and proptech companies by streamlining and automating their outreach efforts. It combines essential tools like list-building, data enrichment, personalized messaging and marketing automation into one solution.
“By simplifying these tasks, Scout enables teams to save time and focus on building stronger relationships with clients, ultimately making their lead-generation process more efficient and impactful.”
Who it’s for: Solo agents, teams, brokerages, lenders, enterprise-level organizations
Purpose: Lead generation, lead conversion, workflow automation, client communication, marketing and branding
Problem(s) it solves: “Scout was created to solve the problem of real estate agents being overwhelmed by operational tasks like managing client databases, sending marketing emails, and tracking leads. These repetitive duties leave little time for what agents do best — building client relationships and growing their businesses.
The company founders saw the need for an intuitive, low-maintenance platform that would handle these processes autonomously. Scout integrates seamlessly with existing tools, requires minimal setup, and offers automated lead generation and marketing. This allows agents to focus on their clients, rather than on tech complexities, ultimately freeing up time and maximizing their productivity.”
What it costs: Scout offers a variety of pricing options including subscription-based and pay-per-use. A free trial is available
Training and onboarding? Yes
Key differentiators: “What sets Scout apart is its ability to ensure emails hit the primary inbox, maximizing open rates and engagement — a critical advantage for real estate teams. Built specifically for the real estate and mortgage industries, Scout combines list building, lead generation, and email automation into one streamlined platform.
This all-in-one solution allows real estate teams to easily generate targeted leads, build organized client lists, and automate follow-up, keeping their outreach consistent and effective. With Scout, teams can focus more on closing deals and less on managing scattered tools and low email deliverability.”
Awards: Winner of 2023 T3 Sixty Pitch Battle Competition at Tech Summit
Trend watch: “One emerging trend in real estate tech is AI-driven lead generation and customer engagement, which helps agents focus on serious leads and automate outreach. This shift can transform productivity by saving time on manual tasks and enhancing client targeting.
“Technology in real estate is evolving to simplify workflows and provide insights. For example, CRM platforms that initially organized contacts now integrate AI to predict client needs and automate personalized follow-ups, offering greater value beyond their original function.”
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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s / RealTrends Verified editorial department and its owners.
To contact the editor responsible for this piece: nate@hwmedia.com.
