''Wunderbricks is Salesforce for real estate''

''Wunderbricks is Salesforce for real estate''

Efficient, open and scalable: find out why Elfi, the Netherlands' most forward-looking developer and landlord, chose our platform to support its growth.

The client-focused rental company

Elfi develops sustainable rental housing where tenants can live at a fair price. They see tenants as customers and housing as a service. This customer-centric approach sets them apart from the competition. The result? Huge growth. With over 1,000 properties in its portfolio, Elfi sought software to set up its processes efficiently and scalably by the end of 2023. Guess which party they ended up with? Yep, that's right. To find out why Elfi chose Wunderbricks, we spoke to Youri Treur, Marketing & Technology Manager at Elfi. 

Youri how did you guys end up with Wunderbricks? 

'We consider housing a service. That means we offer more than just a home. We also wish to provide excellent service to our customers. One way we do this is through our 'WoonBundels'. These include subscription services in cooperation with partners, such as furniture packages, insurance and internet. We were looking for modern software to streamline this complete package of products and services. We needed a tool that met our specific needs and requirements. After we mapped the landscape, a shortlist of just 3 parties remained.'

Mapped the landscape? 

'I'm confident that I am a professional in selecting software for streamlining all kinds of processes. However, the real estate market is relatively new to me. I soon discovered that in the Dutch real estate software market, you often end up with old companies and parties that have usually been around for 30 or 40 years and supposedly can do everything but are closed. There, it turned out that many products are geared towards the rental process, but with our ambition, in which we want the customer to take centre stage, we were looking for something that could do more.'

So, what were you looking for exactly? 

'Many parties we spoke to work with closed systems. However, we believe that you can only be good at some things. And that is precisely where the shoe pinches: the problem with all-in products and closed systems is that you are stuck with them. An excellent product for one process does not necessarily mean that the product is also suitable for other processes. And that corresponds precisely with what we saw in the landscape: many outdated products.

Moreover, the larger parties gave us a huge suite, but we are a scale-up ourselves. This created a mismatch right from the start. I was looking for a manageable, open tool to configure ourselves and enable us to choose the best solutions for each process. We found that tool in Wunderbricks'

''Wunderbricks is transparent about where their expertise ends and where customers may need to look elsewhere for more specialised solutions.'' 

Are there any specific features of Wunderbricks that were decisive for you?

'Definitely. Wunderbricks is Salesforce for real estate. It is built on Salesforce, the most powerful CRM system in the world. Then you know: in terms of customer contact, you will find a good product there. Moreover, we wanted the most efficient solution. That means automating and linking as many processes, tasks and workflows as possible. For example, with DocuSign for contract management or financial plugins for administration.' 

That’s possible with Wunderbricks

'Yes. The best thing about Wunderbricks is that there are so many integration options. That was our main decision to choose your software. You guys work with plugins instead of trying to develop something yourself. Add to this the strong reports, the dashboards and the scalable nature, and then you simply have a killer system.' 

Don't forget the automatically generated leases... 

Youri laughs, 'Indeed! Moreover, Working with Wunderbricks is pleasant. We’re invited to help think about solutions, and you are to solve issues together while considering ways to enrich the product even further.' 

And beyond the communication and software benefits? 

 'What I also appreciated were the clear boundaries you set. Wunderbricks is transparent about where their expertise ends and where customers may have to look elsewhere for more specialised solutions. That you guys say: '

'We don't do this. Here is the limit of our core functionality: this is an accounting process, and it belongs within a financial toolkit. So, we won't pick this up ourselves, but we can figure out how to talk to it optimally and help you with your process.''

This kind of open approach is critical to me. It helps me to have realistic expectations and find the best possible solution. It's a matter of clear communication and understanding what's best for a company's needs.' 

Hear hear! Do you have any parting words for our readers? 

'Whatever you do, always choose an open platform. That way, for every feature or plugin you need, you can always choose the best in the industry.' 

Best in the industry 

Do you, like Elfi, want a scalable, open and efficient solution? We can make that happen! Click this link for a free, no-obligation 30-minute demo and experience firsthand why the most progressive real estate companies choose Wunderbricks. 

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