A Real Geeks alternative that doesn’t need ad spend to work
Real Geeks is a fair deal at what it does: an easy-to-run IDX website with PPC lead generation and a straightforward CRM, at one of the more accessible entry prices in the category. But the model runs on paid ads — the platform fee is the start, not the total. My Roost CRM works the asset you already own: your database. Follow-up, marketing, and social are produced for you at a flat published price, and no ad budget is required for it to earn its keep.
Full app, sample data, no sign-up. Plans $99–$399/agent/mo, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Ad-led leads vs database-led growth
Real Geeks
IDX website + PPC lead generation + CRM. Genuinely easy to run day-to-day — one of its best traits — with responsive support. The growth model assumes an ongoing ad budget on top of the platform fee (plus MLS feeds and any add-ons).
My Roost CRM
AI CRM + marketing on your book of business. Daily who-to-call, drafts in your voice, Social Suite and campaigns in-app (plan-dependent). Managed ads exist as an optional add-on — never a requirement for the core product to work.
| My Roost CRM | Real Geeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Growth model | Database-led: your sphere, scored and worked daily — no ad spend required. | IDX website + PPC lead generation — the model assumes an ongoing ad budget. |
| Total cost of running it | The plan price is the price: $99 / $229 / $399 per agent per month, published. | Platform fee plus MLS feeds, add-ons, and the Facebook/Google ad spend the lead-gen depends on — budget the whole stack, not the sticker. |
| Marketing & social | Social Suite, email campaigns, listing content, print, and SEO/reputation tools built in (plan-dependent). | Drip email, texting, and listing pushes; social content generally lives outside the platform. |
| AI personalization | The Brain learns your market, scripts, and voice once — every draft sounds like you. | AI texting follows up with new leads; less emphasis on producing marketing in your voice. |
| Lead quality | Your leads are people who already know you — sphere, past clients, referrals, plus your own lead sources via webhook. | PPC leads vary; quality complaints are a recurring theme in public reviews of paid portal/PPC leads generally. |
| Websites & IDX | Capture pages, booking, and home-value funnels included; a fully custom site with live MLS/IDX search is an optional add-on (from $999 build + $149/mo) — never required. | The IDX website is the core product — central to the bundle you're buying. |
| Ease of start | Guided onboarding measured in hours; live demo with no sign-up. | Genuinely easy to run day-to-day — one of its best traits — with responsive support. |
Comparison reflects our understanding of publicly available information as of July 2026 — always verify current features and pricing on the other product’s own site. Roost features marked Premier or Ultimate are plan-specific; see pricing.
When Real Geeks might fit you better
If you want an IDX website with PPC lead generation at one of the friendlier entry prices in the category — and you have the ad budget and appetite to work cold internet leads — Real Geeks is a solid, well-supported choice that users find genuinely easy to run. Roost is the better fit when your growth comes from people who already know you, you'd rather invest in marketing to your sphere than in ad spend, and you want the AI producing that marketing in your voice.
Choose Real Geeks if…
- You want an IDX website + PPC lead gen at a friendlier entry price than enterprise suites.
- You have (or will fund) an ongoing ad budget and will work cold internet leads.
- You value a platform users find genuinely easy to run, with solid support.
- Your primary growth lever is new website leads, not sphere marketing.
- You're happy assembling social and content in other tools.
Choose My Roost CRM if…
- Growth comes from people who already know you — sphere, past clients, referrals.
- You'd rather invest in marketing to your database than in ad spend.
- You want AI producing that marketing in your voice.
- You want one published price without platform-plus-ads-plus-extras math.
- You're tired of leads that were expensive to buy and cheap to ignore.
What your week feels like
Real Geeks (ad-led)
Fund ads → leads hit the site/CRM → drip/text follow-up → work new internet leads → social/design often elsewhere.
In Roost
Open Who to call today → relationship-ranked list with drafts → call/text from Roost → a month of social in the Social Suite → the Brain learns overnight.
Click through the real UI: try the live demo — sample data, no sign-up.
Moving from Real Geeks without losing your book
Keeping the Real Geeks site temporarily? Forward its form leads into Roost while you transition marketing to your sphere.
- 1
Export & import
Export contacts from Real Geeks; guided onboarding imports from 15+ CRMs and Google Contacts.
- 2
Reconnect sources
Portals and ad forms flow in via your personal lead webhook (Zapier-compatible).
- 3
Teach the Brain (~10 minutes)
Market, niche, scripts, voice — once.
- 4
Work the same day
Your who-to-call list is live on day one.
Done-for-you onboarding is an optional add-on — see pricing.
What Roost costs (no “call us for a quote”)
| Plan | Price | Best if you need |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $99/mo | AI CRM, pipeline, email, booking |
| Premier (most agents) | $229/mo | + Social Suite, video, SEO & reputation |
| Ultimate | $399/mo | + AI receptionist, Seller Radar, Vision AI |
- Setup & onboarding fees are published by plan ($79/$199/$599) and waived for the first 100 paying agents.
- Annual: pay for 10 months, get 12. Cancel anytime; 30-day money-back on the first plan payment.
Real Geeks' current pricing is on their site — check there. When you budget, count the whole stack honestly: platform, MLS/IDX costs, add-ons, and the ad spend the model depends on, plus your time working lower-intent internet leads.
Does Roost generate leads like Real Geeks?
Differently. Real Geeks manufactures new leads with ads + IDX; Roost maximizes the database you already paid to build — home-valuation funnels, capture pages, and lead webhooks for the sources you choose, with managed ads as an optional add-on. If the job is 'manufacture cold leads every month,' a lead-gen suite fits better. If the job is 'stop letting my database die,' that's Roost.
Common questions
Can I move my Real Geeks database into Roost?
Yes — export your contacts to CSV and they import as part of guided onboarding, alongside imports from 15+ CRMs and Google Contacts. Lead sources reconnect through your personal lead webhook.
Does Roost generate leads like Real Geeks?
Differently. Real Geeks generates new leads with ads; Roost maximizes the database you already have (plus a home-valuation funnel and lead webhooks for the sources you use). Managed ads exist as an optional add-on — never a requirement.
What does Roost cost compared to Real Geeks?
Roost's pricing is published flat per agent: $99 Basic, $229 Premier, $399 Ultimate per month, cancel anytime, 30-day money-back guarantee. Real Geeks' current pricing is on their site — check there; we don't quote other vendors' prices.
Which Roost plan should a Real Geeks switcher start on?
Most agents start on Premier ($229/mo) — it carries the Social Suite and SEO/reputation tools that replace the pieces usually assembled around a lead-gen site. Ultimate adds the 24/7 receptionist and Vision AI.
See it for yourself — in the actual app
The live demo is the full product with sample data. Click around everything above, no sign-up.