The verdict in three sentences
Custom real estate transaction software costs FCFA 6,000,000 to 16,000,000 in 2026 (roughly USD 10,000 to 27,000), versus FCFA 25,000 to 60,000/user/month for real estate SaaS. The decisive lever is automatic buyer/listing matching, which halves the time spent pairing a request with an offer. Expect a public portal plus a back office, and a 5 to 8 month timeline.
The modules of a transaction tool
A good tool is more than a listings catalogue. Here are the expected 2026 blocks and their budget weight.
| Module | Role | Budget weight |
|---|---|---|
| Mandate management | Legal base and exclusivity | 20 % |
| Listings & media | Seller catalogue | 15 % |
| Buyer matching | Request/offer pairing | 20 % |
| Multi-portal syndication | Automatic visibility | 15 % |
| Public portal + search | Lead generation | 15 % |
| Commission & agent tracking | Clear payout | 15 % |
Automatic matching is the differentiator: instead of digging through spreadsheets, each new request instantly surfaces compatible listings, and each new listing alerts waiting buyers.
Custom or real estate SaaS
For a 10-agent agency, here is the 2026 order of magnitude over five years.
| Item (10 agents) | Real estate SaaS | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | FCFA 300,000 | FCFA 10,000,000 |
| Annual subscription | FCFA 4,800,000 (40,000 x 10) | FCFA 0 |
| Maintenance /yr | included | FCFA 1,500,000 (15 %) |
| Hosting /yr | included | FCFA 480,000 |
| Cost over 5 years | FCFA 24,300,000 | FCFA 19,900,000 |
| Branded public portal | limited | tailored |
| Lead data ownership | shared | full |
Over five years, from 10 agents, custom becomes cheaper than cumulative SaaS subscriptions, while offering a portal in the agency's brand and full ownership of leads.
Mini case study
Andrew runs an 8-agent agency in Miami. Each agent spends on average 1.5 hours a day manually matching requests and listings in Excel files. A matching engine cuts that time by 50 %, saving 45 minutes per agent per day. Across 8 agents and 24 days, that frees 144 hours/month reinvested in viewings and negotiation. If that extra time closes 2 more transactions a year at FCFA 1,200,000 average commission, that is FCFA 2,400,000 of extra revenue: the FCFA 10,000,000 tool pays back in about 4 years on this effect alone, before counting portal leads.
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FAQ
Is the public portal included in custom?
Yes, a major asset: a site in the agency's brand with multi-criteria search that generates leads injected directly into the back office, with no third-party portal commission.
Can we auto-syndicate to major portals?
Yes, multi-portal syndication publishes a listing once and pushes it to partner platforms, avoiding re-entry and stale ads.
How are agent commissions tracked?
A dedicated module automatically computes commissions per transaction and per agent by your scales, with a clear history for payroll.
What is the go-live timeline?
5 to 8 months in 2026; a mandates + listings + matching core can ship in 3 to 4 months to equip agents quickly.
From how many agents is custom justified?
From 8 to 10 agents, cumulative SaaS subscriptions exceed the build cost over five years, especially once you value ownership of portal leads.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your agent count, your active listing volume and whether the public portal is a priority, and we will price a mandates + matching core with an indicative FCFA budget. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
