For almost a decade, we’ve been working with Ben Caballero, the No. 1-ranked real estate agent in the US since 2013 by RealTrends/HousingWire. If you haven’t met Ben, he is one of the hardest-working people in real estate. He also possesses one of the sharpest, most innovative minds.
It will come as no surprise to people who follow Ben that he did it again last week. No, Ben didn’t announce a new record-breaking sales record. He’s done that multiple times as the first agent to eclipse $1 billion, then $2 billion (several times), and finally $3 billion in sales in a single year by an individual agent.
Oh, and he is a three-time Guinness World Records title holder for home sales (link here).
The big news of the day is that Ben invented a new technology for home builders called “SpecDeck.”
Remember, the technology Ben invented more than a decade ago catapulted him to the top of the agent leaderboard and helped keep him there for the last decade. Ben’s numbers would not be possible without the tech he created for his HomesUSA.com brokerage to list new homes for builders.
Next-gen builder tech
How does Ben’s SpecDeck earn the distinction of being a genuine game-changer for big builders?
Today, it’s estimated that some 60% of production builders, those who build more than 100 homes a year, have manual in-house MLS listing systems.
SpecDeck helps builders replace their antiquated in-house MLS listing process, which results in massive home pricing errors and outdated listing information. Ben has been documenting the errors of builders not using his system for years, totaling millions of dollars in home price reporting mistakes. WAV Group even worked with HomesUSA.com to create a White Paper (PDF) to document these builder mistakes.
SpecDeck is unique because it uses strategic automation, which means it only automates the parts of the process that MLSs allow and those that benefit from automation. This includes 52 automated validations that big builders can’t possibly manage with their manual systems.
Human final verification remains an essential part of the listing process. Still, the result is a far more streamlined and simpler way for builders to fully manage their in-house listings by leveraging automation – a first in the MLS listing process for new homes.
A new income source for builders
SpecDeck is fully integrated into each local MLS that the builder uses and is being rolled out in three of the four biggest new home markets in Texas: Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, which are also among the largest new homes in the country. The Dallas-Ft. Worth market will be next, targeted by the end of Q1 of 2024.
Considering SpecDeck delivers builders between $700 to $1100 more profit PER LISTING, it is not surprising how quickly some of Ben’s clients, which include several of the top new home builder brands, have already moved over to using SpecDeck.
Ben’s goal is for top builders to give SpecDeck a try, and he’s convinced they will want to roll it out in every single market they are in once they see that SpecDeck more than pays for itself: it is in fact a new source of builder revenue.
Here is the full news release – and below – with information builders need to know about:
HomesUSA.com Debuts “Breakthrough” Tech Platform for Builders
Automated SpecDeck elevates MLS listings in Houston, San Antonio and Austin
Dallas, TX – December 14, 2023 – HomesUSA.com, the No. 1-ranked US brokerage for new home sales, announced the debut of its new, groundbreaking Multiple Listing Service distribution platform for home builders in Houston, Austin and San Antonio, and will also launch in Dallas-Ft. Worth, set for early 2024.
Called SpecDeck, its cutting-edge technology empowers builders to replace their in-house MLS listing process. SpecDeck uses strategic automation to create a more streamlined and simpler way for builders to have their listings fully managed, and it’s the first time automation has been fully leveraged in the MLS listing process.
Most importantly, according to HomesUSA.com, SpecDeck more than pays for itself, generating hundreds of additional dollars in profits on average for every listing when production builders enter all their listings into the platform.
Builders who sell more than 100 new homes a year – also known as production builders – continue to struggle in maintaining their MLS home listing data, which is often the core distribution source for other home sales channels, like Zillow, Homes.com, BDX, realtor.com, and other real estate portals.
“HomesUSA.com built SpecDeck as a breakthrough MLS listing and data distribution process for builders,” said Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com and creator of SpecDeck. “Through automation and human verification, SpecDeck manages 52 different automated validations for every new home listing as it advances from the lot stage to construction and completion phases. It’s the most accurate, advanced MLS system for builders available today.”
Now in Beta rollout in three of the largest home building markets in Texas – and the US – SpecDeck is already being embraced by HomesUSA.com’s top builder clients.
The No.1-ranked real estate agent by transaction sides and dollar volume each year since 2013, Caballero calls SpecDeck “the most important technology advancement for builders” since he debuted his HomesUSA.com service in 2007. Research shows that, depending on the builder and market conditions, HomesUSA.com delivers builders $700 to $1,100 more in profits per listing versus non-clients.
“The day of builders trying to manually manage their listings in the MLS needs to end because it is too costly,” added Caballero.
“Why would a builder waste money on a manual MLS system when they can make money with SpecDeck?” he asked rhetorically.
SpecDeck features a modern dashboard, intuitive navigation, an aesthetically pleasing graphical interface, improved speed, and, perhaps most importantly to top builders, strong security. After the builder’s data is transferred, SpecDeck manages the entire MLS listing process, keeping all information updated and current to promote new home listings accurately through the MLS and all other sales channels.
The three-time Guinness World Records title holder for “Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell-side real estate agent,” Caballero and his HomesUSA.com brokerage exclusively works with more than 60 builders in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.
Learn more about HomesUSA.com and SpecDeck online at homesusa.com.
About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com®
Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, is a three-time Guinness World Records title holder for “Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell-side real estate agent.” Ranked by REAL Trends® as America’s top real estate agent for home sales since 2013, Ben is the most productive real estate agent in US history. He is the only individual real estate agent to exceed $3 billion in residential sales transactions in a single year (2022), the first agent to exceed $2 billion (2018, 2019, 2020), and the first agent to exceed $1 billion (2015, 2016, 2017). Ben, an award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, works with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His podcast series is available on iTunes and Google Podcasts. Learn more at HomesUSA.com | X: @bcaballero and @HomesUSA | Facebook: /HomesUSAdotcom.
