Real estate advisor and author Troy Palmquist is launching HomeCode Reviews, a peer-driven directory and review platform aimed at helping agents, teams and brokerages navigate the fast-growing world of real estate technology.
Described by Palmquist as a “Yelp for real estate technology,” the platform combines a searchable directory with editorial analysis, user reviews and in-depth interviews with real estate professionals discussing how technology shapes their workflows.
Palmquist told HousingWire that the goal is to offer a practical, experience-based lens for evaluating products — rather than simply spotlighting the most popular options.
Yelp-style reviews often favor larger businesses with broad customer bases, a challenge the creator hopes to avoid.
“I don’t ever want to think of this as a popularity contest,” Palmquist said. “I want it to be a way that agents can experience and be introduced to new technology, whether that’s in additional types of writing or other ways that we showcase something. I think that by having interviews as a function of the website, showcasing their tech stack, that gives real estate agents in the industry a roadmap to say, ‘I’m going to follow this, or I’m going to emulate this.’”
By combining peer reviews with hands-on demonstrations, HomeCode Reviews offers a level of insight that Palmquist says goes far beyond what marketing materials alone can provide.
HomeCode Reviews is set to go live next week, Palmquist said.
Learning through experience
A signature feature of the site is the “Decoded” badge — awarded only to products personally tested by the HomeCode team.
For the site’s first Decoded demonstration, Palmquist tried a pepper spray alternative called Repulse Spray to underscore the rigor of the platform’s testing process.
“Getting sprayed in the face with a pepper spray alternative was not fun, but at least I can attest that, yes, it works and it hurt like hell,” he said. “It was important to really prove the point that anything that we put a Decoded badge on is a product of us actually trying it out and going to the furthest extreme possible.”
This hands-on approach extends to all product categories on the platform, ensuring users can distinguish between marketing claims and actual performance, Palmquist added.
Marketing vs. adoption
Palmquist noted how agents discover technology often differs from how companies market it.
“I think a lot of it is people get introduced by somebody telling them about it,” he said. “That could be their manager or someone else in the industry. Sometimes it’s through social media, ads they find or they’re at an event and they see something. But there’s not something out there that really showcases these products or helps people find new solutions.”
HomeCode Reviews aims to bridge that gap, Palmquist said, providing a resource for agents and teams to evaluate tools without relying solely on sales pitches.
Tailoring tech for teams, agents
The platform acknowledges that different types of real estate professionals find technology in different ways.
Large teams and brokerages may rely on enterprise licenses and established workflows, while solo agents or smaller teams often experiment with new tools on their own.
The platform provides agents a way to research products, read peer reviews and view demos before committing to a purchase — helping prevent costly tech mistakes.
Palmquist detailed some of the common pitfalls HomeCode Reviews is aiming to help real estate professionals avoid, whether they’re on their own or part of a team or brokerage.
“At the brokerage level, the hardest part is getting that adoption of a product that you’re paying for the entire company to use,” he said. “But even with real estate agents — on a single-agent or team level — you sign up for something and sometimes forget [you] signed up for something. Or, you sign up for the free trial then it starts hitting the credit card. We lose our username, and we lose our passwords.
“Hopefully, we can at least help you make an educated decision before you sign up for something by seeing what else is out there in the competitive landscape for that product category.”
Tech stack trends, pitch battle
HomeCode Reviews is launching with an analysis of more than 150 products — with categories including customer relationship management (CRMs), marketing, data and analytics, transaction management, artificial intelligence and operational support.
One emerging trend Palmquist has observed is the adoption of workflow platforms like Monday.com.
“A lot of teams and even brokerages use Monday.com for just about everything in keeping track of their whole operation, on a surface level,” he said. “It’s like sticky notes up on a whiteboard with how it works.”
The launch of HomeCode Reviews follows the company’s New York HomeCode Pitch Battle, where 15 technology companies delivered 72-second pitches over three competitive rounds and attendees voted for their favorite. RealScout came in as the top winner.
“Winning the HomeCode Pitch Battle was exciting, but what mattered most was the reaction in the room when we revealed AI search,” said Andrew Flachner, CEO of RealScout, which helps convert leads through automated engagement tools. “Seeing real estate professionals immediately grasp what’s possible with a pro-grade home search reinforced the gap between consumer tools and what agents actually need. We’re grateful to the HomeCode team and honored to take home the grand prize.”
Palmquist expects HomeCode Reviews to become increasingly intuitive for agents navigating a crowded tech landscape.
“I hope to have a lot of reviews per product from practitioners that are utilizing it to help them make the right decision,” he said. “Before you sign up for something, you can see what’s out there, look at reviews, watch a demo and then really do your research.”