Buying real estate software can be tricky because, unlike the nationally known brands we easily recognize for most computer software, real estate software seldom has national recognition.

As a result, once we decide that we want real estate software and start to look for it, unless a colleague has recommended the software to us, we must make our determination about the quality of the software based on what its developer tells us.

Text alone, however, should only be one part of our discovery–we should examine the real estate software’s website itself and look for five things that can also help us judge whether the real estate software has the quality and suitability for our purpose.

1. Website design. Is it the website well organized, creative, and easy to navigate? Or is it lack-luster and confusing? Remember, the same company claiming that their program is easy to use designed (or at least approved of) the website. When you are concerned about real estate software being very user-friendly, there is no better place to begin than with the user-friendliness of the website design itself.
2. Sample reports. Are there sample reports you can preview? Do they contain all the information you need, and more importantly, would you feel professional when presenting them to colleagues and customers? If not, or worse yet there are no sample reports, perhaps you should move on.
3. Testimonials. What do the current users say? Are they actively engaged in real estate? If so, what kinds of credentials have they earned. Customer testimonials about real estate software is helpful, especially from those whose designation reveals more than a casual connection with real estate.
4. Support. Once you buy the software, can you call and talk to a live person, or is future contact limited to email, something less personal like a forum, or even worse, is there no means of contact at all? Personally, I want to be able to talk to the real estate software developer, and when I cannot, I generally move on.
5. The developer. Is the developer actively engaged in real estate? It just makes good sense that a real estate software solution you would find helpful to your real estate business would be the work of another real estate professional.

The price for the real estate software is not the issue we are discussing; nonetheless, it may give you a clue about the quality of the software so we should at least mention it.

Perhaps I am just old school, but I have always believed that we get what we pay for. Naturally there are exceptions to every rule, but having purchased real estate software myself, I did discover that the most suitable real estate software I purchased with the least regret sold for what might be called a “Goldilocks price”–neither too high nor too low.

Years ago, for example, I purchased real estate investment software for $350 that proved to be cumbersome to use; and more real estate investment software for under $100 that proved to be less than desirable to use.

This is the primary reason that I developed real estate investment software that can be sold in a mid-price range–absolutely effective but easy to use.

Okay, there you have it. Arguably, not a solution to life’s more important issues, but hopefully some help to those of you who are looking to purchase real estate software with little other information than a website to make your decision on.

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