What are the Best Follow Up Boss Open House App Integrations?

Most FUB (aka Follow Up Boss) users have discovered that they don’t have a built-in Open House feature. It’s not a knock against them btw. FUB’s focus on building an amazing CRM and follow up platform means they needed to avoid the distractions of building the infinite bells and whistles that can be bolted onto a real estate CRM.

They’ve resisted the temptation of being the jack of all trades and master of none.

But it still leaves many FUB users asking “what’s the best Open House solution to use with Follow Up Boss?”…and that’s what we’ll cover below.

To simplify your search through the techno jungle, we have broken down the options and expert perspectives into these topics.

• Best Open House Apps for FUB Users
• Platform integrations with Open House tools
• DIY Open House Solutions
• Integration Options with FUB

Best Open House Solutions for FUB

We’re breaking this down into a few sections…starting with the dedicated, native Open House apps and then getting into the other web based options that are available.

The reason that native apps are generally preferable to web based options, is that they don’t require “the web”. That means they work offline. We’ll get into the details of offline functionality further below but suffice it to say that wifi isn’t guaranteed at a listing (and maintaining a constant hotspot connection is a pain too!).

Native Open House Apps with a FUB integration

If all you’re looking for is an Open House solution to bolt onto your Follow Up Boss integration you’ll find a handful of native mobile apps that can do the job at a variety of price points.

1. Curb Hero (ahem yes we’re biased)

• Bias aside, rather than let us tell you about Curb Hero, check the reviews on the iOS and Android app stores (as well as G2 and Capterra). You’ll see consistent five star rating and reviews detailing benefits like: full customization, QR Code capabilities, ease of use & helpful+fast support. Unlike all the other options below Curb Hero’s native application is available on both tablets and phones across all platforms. Despite its extensive features, it remains the most economical option for individual agents (it’s free). Sign up for our daily webinar to learn more!
• Price: 100% Free for Individual agents (revenue model is based on teams and lenders pairing agents)

2. Spacio

• Spacio’s a popular option especially among larger franchises and brokers because of their enterprise features, however the three star rating on both iOS and Android app stores suggest that Spacio isn’t meeting expectations from agents. Originally positioned as a slicker, more enterprise friendly, version of Open Home Pro (see below), Spacio differentes itself with a generally more polished interface and additional features like a QR code sign-in. Like all the Open House options, Spacio includes branding/logo/photo addition, custom questions, CRM integrations, and lead verification & background info. However, new features are few and far between which can be seen by how infrequently the iOS and Android apps get updated.
• Price: $25 / month

3. Open Home Pro

• Open Home Pro is the original tablet based Open House sign-in application. It has a respectable four-star iOS rating and a lower two-star Android rating. This app supports basic branding and customization and also hosts single property sites within an intuitive (albeit not very modern) interface. However, it lacks features like touchless sign-in & QR code, multiple sign-in layouts, lead verification, in-app support and doesn’t have an app for phones (only tablets). Open Home Pro has stopped adding new features and improvements years ago which can be seen by the iOS and Android app update notes consisting of a steady stream of “bug fixes”.
• Price: $25 / month

4. Happy Open House

• Happy Open House, while not covered in the comparison table below, is a product that’s successfully managed to stay in the conversation because it’s kept up with the competition from a feature standpoint AND kept its price point much lower. It may not have a slick interface or robust team/broker features but its garnered praise for enhancing business efficiency while maintaining a reasonably user-friendly platform where minimal training is required.
• Price: $10 / month

Notes:

• Since there are a lot of features across these apps, we compared all the features in more detail on this page
• There are some native Open House App options we didn’t cover like Open House Wizard because they don’t have a direct FUB integrations…even though they have a Zapier integration. Below we cover the benefits of a direct integration
• As QR Codes have become more and more popular, a new category of 100% web based Open House tools is emerging. The two options in this space are Kagent and Open House Concierge but given the minimal functionality especially the lack of a direct FUB integration we’re skipping over these solutions for now.

Platform integrations with Open House tools

If you’re already using a larger platform (or a larger product bundle) that has a direct FUB integration, there may be built in solutions that can be used as an Open House sign-in. However if you don’t already have one of these solutions OR don’t have a need for the majority of their product suite you should skip over these. Also note that all of these options are web based so internet connectivity is required at the Open House.

1. Ylopo: Ylopo is known as a comprehensive solution that includes dynamic remarketing technology, lead generation, and an AI-driven nurturing system that can significantly enhance an agent’s ability to engage with prospects. It’s had a long running partnership with FUB too which means the integration is done right. The Ylopo Open House tool isn’t promoted as one of their top features but users praise its ease of use and direct integration with FUB. Given it’s not their core focus don’t expect a lot of customization.
2. Listings to Leads: This marketing platform allows real estate professionals to maximize the exposure of their listings and generate high-quality leads via a wide range of marketing materials, including single property websites, virtual tours, and social media content. Though their Open House tool isn’t widely known by agents, their existing users have shared positive experiences importing leads into FUB and for sending immediate texts and emails with house materials to potential leads.
3. Showable: Showable is primarily known for simplifying the process of scheduling and managing property showings, making it easier for agents to coordinate with buyers and sellers. The platform’s virtual tour functionality allows agents to create immersive, 360-degree tours of their listings, providing a comprehensive online viewing experience for potential buyers. They also have Open House functionality that piggybacks on the existing showing functionality and FUB integration.
4. AgentFire: AgentFire is a real estate website platform designed to give real estate professionals a strong online presence through hyperlocal, visually appealing, and highly customizable websites. They’ve been a popular FUB partner and there are lots of mutual users. While AgentFire’s primary focus is on building powerful real estate websites, they also offer an open house solution that integrate with these websites. This solution allows agents to promote their open houses directly on their websites, capturing visitor information and, for Follow Up Boss users, sync info directly into FUB for effective follow-up and lead nurturing. Although the open house tool may not be the most promoted feature of AgentFire, it complements their main product offering with a simple bolt on.

DIY Open House Solutions that Integrate with FUB

FUB users tend to be more technical and creative so it’s no surprise they’ve found their own form based solutions that can integrate with FUB via platforms like Zapier. Here are two popular DIY paths more technical agents can take – though both of these are web based forms so internet will be required for visitors to sign-in:

• Google Form: Google Forms is yet another 100% free product within the Google Docs suite and it also has a Zapier integration so it can sync with FUB for a free and straightforward solution.
• JotForm: JotForm is a widely popular form and lead capture solution with robust features which make it an attractive Open House Sign-in tool. JotForm also has a free tier within their pricing and a Zapier integration…so it can be used as a low/no cost Open House Sign-in.

Extending the Open House Follow Up beyond FUB

Sure “Follow-up” is a big part of FUB, but would it surprise you to know that FUB supports integrations from a variety of dedicated follow up solutions? Solutions like Agent Legend as well as many popular email and text message marketing tools have direct FUB integrations so users can take their follow up to a new level.

The beauty of these solutions is that the source of the lead doesn’t matter because these follow up tools have campaigns that can work for almost any real estate marketing use-case. Here’s a webcast recording that dives deep into how Agent Legend can work via FUB for Open House visitors (and there’s a special offer for agents and teams that want to combine these solutions for their next Open House).

Integration with FUB

Integrations aren’t always easy. Even “easy integrations” can be difficult for users that don’t have the right level of tech savviness. That’s why it’s important to know the integration options BEFORE deciding which Open House solution you’re going to try. If not, you’re running the risk of hitting a showstopper after spending considerable time in evaluation and setup.

The crux of a successful FUB integration involves:

• a realtime connection so new sign-ins for the Open House are added directly into FUB
• possibility for other meta data related to the Open House to be passed into FUB including: answers to custom questions, listing/property info and more
• the ability to ensure any existing contacts that sign-in to an Open House aren’t overwritten
• lead assignment so that teams can maintain which agent should get the lead

The two main integration options are:

• Direct Integrations with Follow Up Boss: A direct integration is usually the preferable option when connecting an Open House app to FUB. Why? Direct integrations are simpler because they’re ummm DIRECT (aka there’s no 3rd Party platform needed to connect the data). Also a direct integration is usually a free option and most 3rd Party platforms will charge users. When it comes to functionality, direct integrations can vary. Believe it or not there are multiple ways to integrate two systems and the devil is usually in the details of that integration. Direct integrations will usually pick one specific integration so it’s usually a good idea to understand that at some level so you know your contact data, tags, etc are all populated as expected.
• 3rd Party Integrations: The most popular 3rd party integration platform is Zapier but there are others like Make.com, APINation and PabblyConnect that all have Follow Up Boss connectors. These platforms are all for profit businesses so expect another cost if you’re going to go this route. The expense AND the step of setting-up/learning a new platform are the main downsides of using 3rd Party integrations when connecting your Open House solution to Follow up Boss. The upside is that, once you’re comfortable with the overall system, these platforms have more flexibly functionality and easier to use interfaces.

Many agents in our research shared the importance on choosing open house apps that feed leads directly to FUB. By doing so, the process of managing open house leads becomes seamless…which enables prompt AND reliable follow-up.

In summary, Open House prospecting is maximized when as many visitors are connected to your CRM and follow up processes. Finding the right solution can propel prospecting but, just as with any technology, an application should support and ease the way you work, not complicate it.

Harnessing the right tools can truly take you from playing checkers to playing chess in your business operations.

And, one such game-changer is choosing the best open house app for seamless integration with Follow Up Boss (FUB). In the digital maze of real estate apps, honing in on a trusted and effective Follow Up Boss Open House app can rocket your productivity and effectiveness to new heights.

If you want to learn more about Curb Hero, here’s a webinar (or you can sign-up for free and get started!)