How to partner with a tech vendor, broker insights with Vanessa Bergmark

FAQ about this episode.

• What does Vanessa mean by "vendor relationships matter more than product features"?

  Vanessa discovered through experience that impressive product features become irrelevant if vendors don't respond when you need support. You can love a product, find the pricing competitive, and appreciate all the features, but if the vendor won't return calls when problems arise, the partnership fails. Real estate operates on relationships in every dimension, and vendor partnerships should reflect that same principle. During selection, evaluate not just what the product does but how the vendor treats you during sales conversations, how quickly they respond to questions, and whether they demonstrate genuine interest in your specific challenges. The best product from an unresponsive vendor delivers less value than an adequate product from a partner who treats your success as their responsibility.

• How can brokerage owners make good technology decisions without technical expertise?

  According to Vanessa, you don't need to become a technical expert to make smart vendor decisions. Instead, build relationships with vendors who can translate technical details into business implications you understand. Rather than trying to grasp complex specifications, ask vendors to explain what features mean for your agents' daily work, how systems will integrate with existing tools, and what support looks like when things go wrong. Additionally, leverage your professional network to get insights from peers who have experience with vendors you're considering. This combination of honest conversations with vendors and trusted referrals from your network enables confident decisions without requiring technical expertise yourself.

• What is the foundation-first approach to technology investment?

  Vanessa advocates prioritizing backend systems before investing in marketing tools and client-facing applications. Financial platforms, transaction management systems, and operational infrastructure create the foundation that makes your brokerage function reliably. Marketing tools matter, but they depend on solid backend systems working properly. Many brokerages invest heavily in flashy marketing technology while neglecting operational foundations, creating impressive facades supported by unstable infrastructure. Start with systems that make transactions efficient and finances accurate. Once your foundation is solid, add tools that help agents generate and nurture business. This sequence ensures your brokerage can actually deliver on promises your marketing creates.

• How should brokers leverage their networks during vendor evaluation?

  Before committing to vendors, tap your professional network extensively. Ask peers in organizations like Leading RE, customer advisory boards, or local broker groups about their experiences with vendors you're considering. These conversations reveal information sales presentations never cover: how vendors respond when implementations encounter problems, whether promised features actually work as described, how support quality compares to sales promises, and whether other brokerages would choose the same vendor again. Your industry connections represent invaluable due diligence resources. Specific questions to ask peers include: Would you choose this vendor again? How does actual support compare to what was promised? What problems did you encounter during implementation? What wish you had known before signing?

• Why should brokerage owners involve their teams in vendor selection?

  Technology decisions affect your entire organization, so including team members in evaluation improves both decision quality and implementation success. Different perspectives reveal considerations you might miss evaluating vendors alone. Operations staff can assess workflow impacts. Technical team members can evaluate integration capabilities. Agents can provide input about interface usability and feature relevance. Beyond improving decisions, this inclusive approach builds buy-in before implementation begins. When team members participate in selection, they feel ownership over the outcome and commit more fully to successful adoption. This investment in shared decision-making pays dividends through smoother implementations and higher adoption rates.

• When should brokers stay with existing vendors versus switching to new solutions?

  Vanessa emphasizes carefully weighing the disruption costs of switching against the potential benefits of new solutions. Vendor transitions affect hundreds of agents, require significant training investments, disrupt workflows during migration, and risk data complications. Before switching, honestly assess whether problems with current vendors are fundamental issues requiring change or temporary challenges that might be resolved through better communication or additional training. If your current vendor relationship is strong even though the product has limitations, that relationship value might outweigh features available from new vendors. Taking time during this evaluation proves far less disruptive than making wrong decisions and needing to switch again later.

• What are the hidden costs of changing technology vendors?

  Beyond obvious implementation fees, vendor changes create costs that many brokers underestimate. These include extensive staff time managing the transition, agent productivity loss during learning curves, potential data migration complications, disrupted workflows affecting client service, training costs for entire teams, the risk that migration doesn't go smoothly and creates extended problems, and damaged confidence if agents feel constantly forced to learn new systems. According to Vanessa, these disruption costs often exceed the financial investment in new systems. This reality makes taking additional time during initial vendor selection incredibly valuable compared to rushing into decisions that require expensive corrections later.

• Who is Vanessa Bergmark and what makes her perspective valuable?

  Vanessa Bergmark owns Red Oak Realty, a boutique independent brokerage in California's East Bay serving 160-180 agents and approaching its 50th anniversary. With 22 years in real estate including 15 years as brokerage owner, she brings perspective on both the agent experience and the operational complexity of running independent brokerages. Her perspective is particularly valuable because she openly discusses making technology decisions without technical expertise, offering a model for other brokerage owners facing the same challenge. She serves on Lone Wolf's customer advisory board and participates in Leading RE networks, giving her connections to peers navigating similar decisions. Her emphasis on relationships, patience, and strategic thinking over technical knowledge resonates with brokers responsible for technology without IT backgrounds.

• What are the key takeaways from this episode?

  This episode delivers several crucial insights:

  • Vendor relationships determine success more than product feature comparisons
  • You don't need technical expertise to make good technology decisions
  • Build backend foundation before investing in marketing tools
  • Leverage your professional network for vendor due diligence
  • Include your team in vendor evaluation processes
  • Moving slowly through selection beats making wrong decisions that require expensive corrections