The verdict in three sentences
An off-the-shelf real estate app at 40-120 EUR/user/month is enough for an agency that wants to publish to portals and manage its mandates. Once you pass 8 agents and automatic buyer matching plus e-signature become strategic, custom software at 50,000-140,000 EUR takes over. The difference plays out on conversion rate, not on licence price.
Transactional solution or custom build?
Packaged transactional software is excellent to start: multi-portal publishing, prospecting, rental management. But its per-agent subscription climbs fast and its matching stays generic. Custom aligns matching with your real criteria and removes the per-seat cost.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf app | Kolonell custom |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 0-3,000 EUR setup | 50,000-140,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost | 40-120 EUR/user/month | Maintenance 8-15 %/yr |
| Cost, 10 users over 3 yrs | 14,400-43,200 EUR | 9,000-21,000 EUR after build |
| Time to go live | 2-4 weeks | 4-7 months |
| Multi-portal publishing | Standard | Bespoke, direct APIs |
| Buyer matching | Generic | To your criteria |
| E-signature | Often an add-on | Built in |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
The features that raise conversion
In 2026, real estate software cost pays back on deals closed, not on the monthly fee.
| Module | Quantified impact | Dev time |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic multi-portal publishing | -2 to -4 h/week/agent | 3-5 weeks |
| Automatic buyer matching | +5 to +12 % introductions | 5-8 weeks |
| E-signature | Mandate delay -3 to -7 days | 3-4 weeks |
| Seller/buyer portal | +8 to +15 % satisfaction | 4-6 weeks |
| Portfolio reporting | -1 day/month consolidation | 3-4 weeks |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Sarah runs a 10-agent agency in Toronto: 260 mandates in portfolio, 130 sales/yr, average commission 6,200 EUR. She moves to custom at 95,000 EUR, maintenance 12,000 EUR/yr. Automatic matching lifts introductions by 8 %, roughly 10 extra sales a year (62,000 EUR of commissions). Add 2,000 EUR/yr saved in per-agent licences. Payback in about 15 months.
FAQ
What budget for custom agency software? Budget 50,000 EUR for a core (mandates, publishing, matching) delivered in 4-5 months, up to 140,000 EUR with rental management and client portals.
Can it publish to portals automatically? Yes, via portal APIs: a listing entered once goes to every channel. Allow 3 to 5 weeks of development.
Is buyer matching truly automatic? Yes: each new property is compared against saved buyer criteria and triggers an alert. Observed gain: +5 to +12 % introductions.
Is e-signature compliant? Yes, with an integrated qualified provider. It cuts mandate delay by 3 to 7 days on average.
How much is maintenance? Between 8 and 15 % of build cost, i.e. 4,000 to 21,000 EUR/yr depending on scope and hosting.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of agents, your portals and your current software. 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.
