OJO acquires The LEAD Syndicate, launches new platform
Along with the acquisition, the companies unveiled a new solo agent suite called Lever by Movoto and said OJO products will now use the Movoto brand.
OJO, the Austin-based proptech and parent company of home search portal Movoto, announced the acquisition of The LEAD Syndicate agent platform this week.
What does it mean for agents? The two companies are joining together to launch a new platform aimed at solo agents called Lever by Movoto. The newly merged proptechs describe the platform as "an all-in suite of solutions" encompassing agent marketing, lead generation, database management, transaction management and training.
The product aims to provide agents with "all the support, economies of scale, infrastructure, accountability, and training of a team without having to give up your personal brand," Nikki Miller, CEO and Founder of the LEAD Syndicate, and now Head of Lever by Movoto, said in a video on the platform's website.
What did OJO say? "Lever will change the game for individual real estate agents who want to spend less time on back office work and more time on building relationships and helping clients realize their home buying and selling goals," Chris Heller, OJO president and former Keller Williams CEO said in the announcement.
"Now more than ever, real estate agents and brokerages need a trusted ally so they can get back to basics and do what they do best," Heller added.
Heller moved into the president role last summer after previously serving as OJO's chief real estate officer for four years.
A rebrand for OJO: In the announcement, the companies indicated that OJO is in the process of "transitioning its real estate industry-facing products under the Movoto umbrella." The new website for Lever by Movoto also states at the top that "OJO is now Movoto."
"A greater alignment between our consumer and industry-facing brands will ensure a more seamless experience for consumers and real estate professionals," OJO CEO and founder John Berkowitz said in the announcement.
The company describes Movoto as the "largest privately held residential real estate search website" and said that it receives "tens of millions of visitors each month."
According to traffic data from SimilarWeb, Movoto is the 11th-most-visited property search portal with roughly 17 million total visits in February.