Our Technology
Six Compass agents share how they’re using a revolutionary new tool to elevate the client experience from one coast to the other.
At Compass, we’re only as successful as our agents—which is why we’re constantly creating new technology to help them work faster and more fruitfully on behalf of their clients. But upon launching Collections, the newest addition to our agent offering, we’ve been inspired by the unexpected, beyond-innovative ways they’ve found to incorporate the tool.
Discover below how a few of the creative members in our community are using the industry’s first visual workspace to curate homes, track comparable properties, and collaborate with clients and team members alike.
Mark Rutstein of The Evan + Mark Team
Compass DC agent since August 2016
“My clients no longer send me links to Zillow or Redfin.”
“At every other brokerage I’ve worked, my buyers would always switch over to third-party real estate sites to communicate properties of interest; I couldn’t keep them on the company site for anything. Collections is the first brokerage-owned online platform that my clients prefer over these third-party aggregators. I’ve even conducted a cross-comparison of a third-party site, my own website, and Collections to see which drives the most engagement and found that people respond most favorably to Collections. My clients comment on listings and add properties without engaging any external interfaces in the process — which represents a real first.”
Toni Haber of The Haber Team
Compass New York agent since August 2016
“Collections affords my clients a level of flexibility that transcends time zones and hectic schedules.”
“Change can be scary, even when it ultimately results in an easier way to do business. I have a great client — a buyer in the market for a downtown apartment in the $5–6 million range — who was resistant to Collections at first; he said that he tried it and it didn’t work for him. I convinced him to walk through the tool with me on a quick call, and by the time we hung up, he was a convert!
Soon after this introduction, he and his family went to St. Bart’s for two weeks on vacation. Before Collections, their search process would have likely been put on hold for the duration of the trip, but we communicated nearly every day during their first week away. Access to their feedback — provided on their time, at their convenience — allowed me to continue working on their behalf back at home.”
Daisy Penney & John Gould of The Penney + Gould Team
Compass Boston agents since December 2016
“As an agent, you’re already running around physically; to do so digitally is exhausting.”
John: Collections is great for team communication; it ensures we’re constantly on the same page. We used to communicate information about our clients to each other via text, forwarded emails, calls, and conversation, but the tool eliminates all that back-and-forth.
Daisy: Now, we both know every new piece of feedback a client gives us and can immediately take action, rather than waste time updating each other.
John: This is especially true with buyers who are still in the exploratory phase of the process, when they’re still weighing price point, location, or property type. We had a first-time buyer who hadn’t ruled anything out, but wanted to know our game plan for him before committing to work with us.
Daisy: We sat down with him, showed him exactly how Collections would help us fine-tune his search, and compared its capabilities against other online platforms. He was very impressed.
John: That’s right. When we tested Collections against the MLS, we found that it generally surfaces properties faster than third-party aggregators. Plus, it creates brand consistency throughout the entire process.
Daisy: Perhaps most importantly, though, it reinforces our collective strength as a team. John has a design background, whereas I focus more on the market research. Collections allows our clients to experience the best of what we each bring to the table as part of a single, continuous narrative.
Erik Miles of The FindLA Team
Compass LA agent since December 2015
“Collections helped me source a perfect home for my buyers in record time.”
“I was recently introduced to new clients, a couple who had been been looking for a new home in the Valley for nearly a year. They were thoroughly disenchanted with the process and their broker, and morale was low by the time their mortgage issuer referred them to me. During our initial meeting, I talked them through Collections and explained how the tool allows buyers to actively participate. From day one, they took to it — adding properties and commenting on those I added.
In just one month, we found a new home for them. Using the Collections platform, they were able to review and compare roughly 60 properties in 30 days, making their search more efficient and transparent. They were positively beaming at the walk-through and now plan to refer their network of friends and families to me.”
T. Bernie
Compass Miami agent since February 2016
“Collections has made it easy for my relocating clients to search for a home remotely.”
“Having lived and worked in both New York and South Florida, my referral network extends to both of these regions. Right now, I’m working with a Compass agent in Brooklyn whose client is retiring to Fort Lauderdale; the New York agent is handling the sale and I’m working with the client remotely to find the ideal home here. She’s loving how visual and navigable Collections is, especially because she’s searching from afar.
We started working together less than a week ago and I immediately sent her a ton of homes to consider using Collections. Within two days, I was able to contact the sellers of the properties she liked for additional details and she’s already narrowed it down to her top five properties. She’s flying down in two weeks to see them in person, but in the meantime, she’s been able to track the data for each and her financing is ready to go. Thanks to Collections, all that’s left is for her to get here and make an offer!”
Gabriele Sewtz of The Gabriele Sewtz Team
Compass New York agent since February 2015
“Collections allows my prospective sellers to stay informed from listing presentation to closing.”
“I’ve always struggled with how to present comps in a way that potential sellers can understand and continue to track after the listing presentation is over. As the agent, you’re giving them a lot of information in a short amount of time, and we’ve never had a tool to help us do so — until now. Shortly after Collections launched, I decided to prepare a Collection of the comparable properties I planned to discuss with a couple in Brooklyn. Being a highly visual tool, it clearly captured why I recommended setting the price a certain way, but more importantly, I was able to share the collection with the potential clients following the meeting so that they could monitor trends over the next few weeks.
The sellers were so excited that they instantly signed into the tool and have remained active on it ever since. They plan to wait until spring to place their home on the market, yet we’ve stayed in constant contact throughout what otherwise would have been a dormant period because of Collections. Since then, I’ve kept using the tool in listing presentations — of my 28 clients with Collections, five are sellers!”
