Brivity
CRM
Inman Rating

Brivity emphasizes follow-up and automation, starting with its websites

Ben Kinney assembled a number of technology acquistions into what is now called Brivity, a business lifecycle platform for teams that's heavy on follow-up and lead nurture. But is it the category's clear winner?
Brivity
The only system that guarantees success in real estate

Ben Kinney Companies’ Brivity is team-focused real estate software that uses web-based lead capture to nurture leads into clients and manage their status with an included CRM.

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Brivity is a platform for lead generation, nurturing and transaction management.

Platforms: Browser-app with companion iOS, Android apps
Ideal for: Primarily teams; mid-size to large brokerages

Top selling points

  • Sharp user interface
  • Developed by large KW team leader
  • Automated nurture features
  • Consistent, assertive follow-ups
  • Website designs/customization capability

Top concerns

Brivity is a Ben Kinney Companies product, meaning some agents, teams and brokers not affiliated with Keller Williams might not want to use it, similar to the Contactually-Compass dynamic.

What you should know

Brivity is a sound, proven platform for handling clients from lead origination to the close of escrow.

The software is heavy in lead gen and nurture, and this is largely because of the highly adept website capabilities that Brivity gained when Ben Kinney Companies acquired BlueRoof360, a web development company I favorably reviewed well before the sale. It’s also because good sales is all about good follow-up.

Users can launch websites based on a few included templates, and use a drag-and0drop CMS to add “content blocks” or widgets as needed. Websites can be further customized when deeper branding or unique features are needed. Here’s an example.

Jarad Hull, who led BlueRoof360, remains in charge of Brivity’s web services, a valuable benefit for clients.

Brivity helps users pull leads from a wide range of web platforms — from LinkedIn to Yahoo. Leads are further vetted by web tactics such as home valuations, saved searches, chat tools and other common forms of lead squeezes.

Brivity’s open house registration tool is another form of efficient lead capture, tying directly into its customer relationship manager (CRM).

Automated follow-up plans — which smartly lean toward “aggressive” — are then unleashed on leads, stopping only upon a verified manual response.

Each action plan is unique to the lead source and comes ready to go as a template upon account launch. It can be customized as needed. This type of individualized automated feature isn’t unique to Brivity, but it’s characteristic of well-thought-out software.

Brivity’s backend is approachable for the every day user.

It won’t visually overwhelm you or leave one wondering what feature does what. The dash is tad crowded, though, with large fonts and not enough iconography. Slide-outs, collapsible content cards and smaller typefaces could be used to tighten up the UX (user experience).

Deal progress milestones can be communicated automatically to clients and transaction stakeholders. Sellers and buyers have their own access to see what’s happening with their properties.

An especially nice touch is an automated seller update that delivers open house feedback, showing frequency and other valuable metrics listing agents need when arguing for marketing adjustments.

Brivity users can send a live market report to their leads that maps price and status of properties around them. The map stays until updated, allowing recipients to stay abreast of deals around them. Opens, clicks and access records can be tracked in the system. Sharp.

Kwikly is a text-based outreach tool delivered via sign riders. It sends info on the listing to the prospect’s phone, as well suggestions for nearby properties. That lead is absorbed into Brivity’s CRM. Any listings by the same agent on the sign will be prioritized.

The software includes financial oversight tools, team leader controls and companion apps for both major mobile operating systems.

Training and support isn’t left to chance, as Brivity deploys daily webinars, evergreen video tutorials and long-form written tutorials. Ben Kinney Companies has partnered with popular training provider WalkMe to lessen the learning curve.

You don’t have to be a Keller Williams agent to purchase Brivity, but you’re more likely to if you are.

However, when comparing such systems, Kingston Lane’s “The Machine,” Chime and BoomTown are common business lifecycle solutions competitors.

Teams considering Brivity should take stock of its origins because being developed out of the needs and lessons of an actual agent matters, as does the ongoing feedback of the teams using it. I also believe its website team is one of the best in the business.

That doesn’t qualify Brivity as superior, however. The others I’ve mentioned here are doing some pretty impressive stuff, including Keller Williams’ at the corporate level.

Bottom line? Brivity is very good software that will support a growing real estate team. Does it stand out among the rest of its category?

Not yet.

Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe

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