Short version: The average agent pays for six to nine separate tools and has never added them up. Below is what the major platforms actually cost as of publication, what's included at each price, and the line items that don't appear on any pricing page. Do the addition before you evaluate anything new — most agents discover their real number is well past $1,000 a month.
The platforms
| Platform | Starting price | Billing | Website | Client app | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follow Up Boss | ~$69/user/mo | Per user | No | No | CRM only; deepest integrations |
| Wise Agent | ~$49/mo | Flat | Basic | No | Budget CRM |
| LionDesk | ~$25–$99/mo | Tiered | No | No | Entry-level |
| Top Producer | ~$60+/user/mo | Per user | Add-on | No | Long-established |
| Sierra Interactive | Quote | Team-based | Yes (strong) | No | Best-in-class IDX sites |
| BoldTrail (kvCORE) | ~$499/mo | Platform | Yes | No | Brokerage-oriented suite |
| Lofty (Chime) | ~$449/mo | Platform | Yes | No | Heaviest AI automation |
| CINC | Quote, typically high | Platform | Yes | No | Lead-gen led |
| Real Geeks | ~$299/mo | Platform | Yes | No | IDX + CRM, mid-market |
| Newmarket Edge | $199/mo | Flat | Yes | Yes | California only; AI assistant + CRM + app |
Approximate as of publication. Real estate software pricing changes frequently and most enterprise tiers are quote-based — confirm with each vendor before deciding.
Read the billing unit, not the number
Per-user pricing changes everything. Follow Up Boss at $69/user looks far cheaper than BoldTrail at $499/month — until you have eight agents, at which point they're roughly level and the comparison inverts.
Map any quote to your headcount over the next twelve months, not today's.
What isn't on the pricing page
This is where the real number hides.
Setup and onboarding fees. Common at the platform tier, frequently $500–$2,000, sometimes waived if you ask.
Contract length. Several platforms are annual with no monthly option. Ask what happens if you leave in month four.
Per-lead or per-seat overages. Some lead-gen platforms bill on volume. Read that clause specifically.
The IDX/MLS feed. Sometimes included, sometimes a separate MLS fee, sometimes both. Ask who pays your MLS for the feed.
The things you'll still buy anyway:
Dialer $50 – $150/mo
Email marketing $30 – $100/mo
Transaction management $30 – $80/mo
E-signature $20 – $40/mo
Video/content tools $30 – $100/mo
Scheduling $10 – $30/mo
Storage / docs $10 – $20/mo
A CRM at $69 plus these lands between $250 and $600 a month before anyone has generated a lead.
Do this before you shop
Open your bank statement and list every real estate software charge from last month. Not what you think you pay — what actually left the account.
Most agents doing this exercise for the first time find:
- Two tools that overlap substantially
- At least one subscription they forgot they had
- A total 30–50% above their estimate
That number, not the sticker price of the thing you're considering, is what you should be comparing against.
Questions to ask any vendor
"What's the total first-year cost, including setup?" Not the monthly.
"Is that per user or per account?"
"Am I connected to my MLS, by name?" Not "do you support MLS integration."
"What's the contract, and what's the exit?"
"What transfers if I leave?" Contacts usually. Notes, tags, email history and automations frequently don't.
"What am I still going to have to buy separately?" A good salesperson will tell you honestly. That answer is worth more than the demo.
Our interest, declared
We build one of these — Newmarket Edge, $199/month, California only, bundling the AI assistant, CRM, branded client app and agent tools. We think the unbundled stack is the problem and we've priced accordingly.
But the exercise above works regardless of what you buy, including buying nothing. If your current stack costs $300 and does the job, a platform is not an upgrade. The agents who benefit from consolidating are the ones paying $900 across seven tools that don't talk to each other — and the only way to know which you are is to add it up.