Breaking Barriers in Real Estate: How to Make Your Listings Accessible to All w/ Kathleen Lappe
Release Date: 11/19/2024
Social Selling Made Simple
If you think success is about hoarding your secrets, side-eyeing your peers, and treating everyone like the enemy, you're already losing. I see it all the time in real estate: agents wrapped up in rivalries, clinging to titles, licenses, and tasks that no longer serve them, all because they’re afraid to let go or let someone else shine. That “crabs in a barrel” mindset will keep you small, stuck, and exhausted. Here’s the truth: in today’s market, collaboration is the competitive edge. Instead of competing with other agents, we need to be around people who lift us...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
A real estate license isn’t just for selling homes. It’s a whole launchpad…if you know how to use it right. If you’re a great agent, you’re doing way more than unlocking doors and writing offers. You’ve got skills that can help you stand out and stack your income. In today’s market, the old playbook won’t cut it. Inventory is tight, interest rates are still high, and the NAR settlement changed the game. Agents who stick to business-as-usual are getting left behind. It’s not just about closing deals anymore. It’s about thinking bigger, leveraging your...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
In today’s real estate landscape, agents aren’t just competing for clients. We’re being forced to justify why we deserve to be paid. With buyer broker agreements now front and center, it’s no longer enough to open doors and write offers. We have to demonstrate value. And what’s more valuable than walking into a buyer consultation armed with solutions that literally fund the deal? I’m talking about gift funds, employer-assisted housing, and stacked grant programs. Money that helps your clients buy and ensures you get paid. That’s how top agents are winning right...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
Every agent is out here fighting for more listings, but what if the key to dominating your market isn’t just about pricing, marketing, or staging, but about money that’s already sitting on the table? What most agents overlook is that some listings come with built-in financial power: I’m talking about reverse down payment assistance. This is money that can be layered to cover buyer agent compensation without your seller having to give up a dime. In today’s market, where buyers are hesitant and sellers want to net top dollar, this strategy is an absolute game-changer. In this...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
On November 30th, 2022, everything changed. ChatGPT hit the streets and instantly began reshaping how we live, work, and run our real estate businesses. From digital marketing to image creation and even coding, AI has been a total game-changer. And the crazy part? We’re only getting started. AI is evolving daily. Tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and Descript are moving at lightning speed—what seemed impossible 30 or 60 days ago is now totally within reach. So what can AI actually do for us right now? How can we use it to multiply our time, streamline our workflows, and make our businesses...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
Real estate pros, if you’re not using LinkedIn to post content, flex your industry expertise, and generate high-quality B2B leads, you’re leaving money on the table. It’s one of the best platforms to grow your brand, so why are so many agents still sleeping on it? Maybe it feels intimidating. Maybe you’re not sure what to say. But here’s the thing: thanks to AI, creating content and making the right connections has never been easier. And yet, so many real estate professionals are still dragging their feet when it comes to using AI, missing out on massive opportunities. Combining...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
It’s no secret that real estate commissions have been in the danger zone for a while now. And with moves like Rocket Mortgage snatching up Redfin, it’s clear that real estate professionals need to fight fire with fire. Well thanks to a new dual-licensing program, we might just have the ultimate weapon to turn up the volume on our production! Most real estate agents have to pass their clients off to a mortgage officer and watch them take a piece of the pie. What if you could handle the whole process yourself, and keep more of the money…all with one simple link? Here’s the...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
Posting every day…multiple times a day…carousels…sharing your deepest personal stories. If you're trying to boost engagement, impressions, and reel in those real estate leads via social media, you've probably tried it all. And when it doesn’t work, you’re probably left thinking the algorithm is out to get you. But hold up – it’s not. No strategy will ever work if it’s not backed by cold, hard data. If you’re not tracking what’s already working and turning up the volume on that, you’re just throwing spaghetti at the wall. Social media without analytics is just a bunch of...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
In today’s market, every real estate agent is searching for a unique value proposition that will get them more listings and get them paid by buyers. What most agents don’t know is that they might already have the ultimate value proposition sitting under their noses…or rather sitting in their active listings! Many homes on the market qualify for down payment assistance, and by simply choosing to hire you as their agent, people could get $20k or more. In other words: some listings have an anointing on them, and you can leverage them to earn six figures. In this episode, I share...
info_outlineSocial Selling Made Simple
No matter what anyone says, owning real estate is still the most powerful way for families to build wealth and transfer it to the next generation. A lot of people would love to own a home, but can’t afford some of the costs that come with the purchase. Well, there is a solution…down payment assistance gifts from family, work or even your church. A lot of people are sitting on equity or cash reserves that could be the perfect down payment assistance gift for first time home buyers. This is a great way to put the wealth vehicle that is real estate in motion, and help more people...
info_outlineA lot of people are locked out of homeownership because the actual listings aren’t accessible to everyone. For disabled, impaired, neurodivergent and non-English speaking buyers, not having an audio option creates a massive barrier right from the home search stage.
What if the listing could be presented in a language and format they can easily consume?
The most valuable real estate agents understand the importance of being of service to EVERYONE.
In order to do this and expand our opportunities across any barrier or language, we have to make sure the information on the listing is packaged for a diverse array of people.
That’s where DirectOffer comes in. This tool leverages AI to bring accessibility to real estate information. Started by a mother with a neurodivergent child, this tool is something all agents should be using right now.
How does Direct Offer work? How does it knock down a huge barrier to homeownership? In this episode, entrepreneur in real estate technology and founder of DirectOffer, Kathleen Lappe shares her story, and how this tool makes real estate more accessible.
We often feel like AI technology will take away from the agent. As long as the agent learns to communicate in the way the consumer wants to be communicated with, it won’t. -Kathleen Lappe
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
- Do the right thing, outearn other agents
Serving impaired clients and underserved people isn’t just the right thing to do, how does it make a real estate professional more valuable?
- How to leverage Direct Offer
Breaking down the barriers to homeownership should start at the home search stage. How is Direct Offer making it easier for disabled and neurodivergent buyers?
- A path to home ownership for all
If we’re only packaging our listings and real estate marketing materials for abled people, we’re cutting ourselves off from millions of potential clients. How do we make sure the information we’re putting out is accessible to everyone?
Guest Bio
Kathleen Lappe is an innovative entrepreneur in real estate technology known for her visionary leadership and commitment to accessibility. She founded DirectOffer, Inc., a pioneering software company that has secured multiple patents for real estate technology, specializing in multilingual solutions and ADA-compliant listings. Kathleen's entrepreneurial journey boasts four successful startups, three still thriving today. Her expertise led to the creation of DOAT (DO AudioTours), a global patent revolutionizing property listing by offering automated, ADA-compliant, multilingual audio-visual experiences. DOAT also streamlines communication through lead routing and direct agent contact integration. Kathleen Lappe's drive for innovation, inclusivity, and transformative technology has left an indelible mark on the real estate industry. To work with Direct Offer, visit https://directoffer.com/.
About Your Host
Licensed Managing Broker, REALTORS®, avid volunteer, and Major Donor, Marki Lemons Ryhal is dedicated to all things real estate. With over 25 years of marketing experience, Marki has taught over 250,000 REALTORS® how to earn up to a 2682% return on their marketing dollars.
Six-time REALTOR® Conference and Expo featured attendee, one of 100 speakers selected to speak the REALTOR® Conference & Expo five times, and an Inman closing Keynote Speaker. Marki’s expertise has been featured in Forbes, Washington Post, http://Homes.com , and REALTOR® Magazine.
Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!