New Startup Removes a Real Estate Hassle

By Zev Gotkin

Ask any real estate agent, and they’ll tell you a big part of the job is finding, qualifying, and following up with leads. Sholom Fogelman, an entrepreneur from Worcester, Massachusetts, innovated a solution that allows them to spend less time reaching out and more time closing, while simultaneously affording others the opportunity to earn from the comfort of their own homes.

It’s called: Showdify.

Showdify is a platform for real estate brokers, agents, and property owners that guarantees qualified, ready-to-rent leads delivered to your door. If you have units to fill, Showdify will not only find and qualify leads for you; their team of Remote Schedulers will even schedule your showings!

Fogelman said he came up with the idea for his startup while working as a property manager for a real estate agency. Part of his responsibilities included finding tenants to fill units in the apartment buildings he was managing.

“It was crazy!” recalled Fogelman. “I was spending so much time showing apartments, posting the listings wherever I could, finding the leads, calling them, following up, and asking them questions to determine if they were a fit and had the right income and credit score, that I had little time for closing, not to mention my other responsibilities.

“Finally, I thought to myself: ‘Wouldn’t it be easier if I could hire other people to find and qualify the leads for me, and arrange the showings so all I have to do is seal the deal?’”

Sholom immediately set to work posting job ads on COLlive and Facebook Jobs. He soon assembled a small, rag-tag team of Remote Schedulers who worked from home in their spare time bombarding the Internet with apartment listings, qualifying the inquiries that came in, and scheduling showings.

“I saw it was working well for me so I thought: Why not try it for others?” said Sholom. After only a couple of months, Sholom left his old job and founded Showdify. Sholom credits Berri Wolosow of JobMap with connecting him to Rabbi Yehoshua Werde and Crown Heights Young Entrepreneurs (CHYE) who connected him to local real estate brokers, agents, and property owners who were willing to give Showdify a try.

“It’s been gratifying to see Sholom’s startup take off and become successful,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Werde. “Sholom personifies the spirit of the Chabad entrepreneur. He saw a gap in the market and pounced on the opportunity by creating a solution. Now he’s pounding the pavement, bringing his idea to life.

“We do everything we can to support entrepreneurs in the community, but they have to do the work, and Sholom is hustling hard. We’re happy to have played a small part in Sholom’s journey and we hope other community members will be inspired to launch their own business ventures.”

Showdify now has a fast-growing user-base of 10 real estate agents and 70 remote schedulers from around the country. The platform has been received warmly by the local real estate community who appreciates the value it provides.

“It’s fantastic!” raved Crown Heights real estate agent, Mendy Lipsker. “Showdfiy takes all the stress and headache out of having to find and screen potential renters. They do all the lead generation for me, sending me only qualified leads that their people have vetted, and booking the showings so all I have to do is show up and close.”

Showdify has also created a fantastic opportunity for anyone who needs extra cash or would like to make money easily from home on their own time. A user can create an account as a Remote Scheduler.

Remote Schedulers are provided with everything they need to earn money quickly and easily. All of the listings as well as the names and requirements of each listing agent, high quality photos of the properties, scripts for qualifying the leads, and all the specs, details, and relevant information are provided to the Remote Schedulers by Showdify.

Remote schedulers are then trained in how to plaster social media and other digital platforms with listings, qualify prospects, and book showings for the agents. A fair commission structure enables schedulers to earn a sizable amount of supplemental income from the comfort of their own homes.

“Spending just an hour a week [posting listings and qualifying inquiries] can earn you an extra couple hundred dollars a week,” said Sholom Fogelman.

This presents an exciting and unique opportunity for many in the Crown Heights community A stay-at-home mother, a yeshiva bochur, or a seminary student can earn $150 or more a week spending just an hour a day.

A person who was laid off from their job during the pandemic or even someone working full time who wants to generate supplemental income can earn commissions on units in multiple locations around the country every week!

And, during these crazy times, who couldn’t use a little extra quick cash?

“Showdify has been an amazing opportunity for my family,” said Remote Scheduler, Alex H. (Crown Heights). “I had just gotten married and needed to start making a real living. Showdify helped me do just that.”

“I really needed a job,” explains Melissa B. (Florida). “Showdify was a great option for me. I’m a student during the day and a Remote Scheduler at night.”

“Showdify is a way to sift through the dirt [unqualified leads] to get to the gold in real estate listings,” said Jessica Proctor (Texas). “It’s an easier way for listing agents to find the best candidates for their listings.”

In addition to CHYE, Sholom also credits the success of his startup to his teachers, Rabbi Chaim Fishman and Mrs. Karen Chandler, who he says taught him how to write as well as fundraise. He also said he learned a lot from his former bosses and mentors, Mechil Hager and Sam Jurkowicz, who he called the “best bosses ever,” during time working at Buggy.

With all the growth Showdify has experienced since its inception only 6 months ago, it’s not hard to imagine Showdify will continue to grow and positively impact the real estate industry.

If you’re a real estate agent interested in learning more about Showdify or you’re interested in becoming a Remote Scheduler, email [email protected] today for more information!