As leaders at real estate brokerages approach annual renewals, the question of platform success is top of mind. “Adoption” has become the go-to metric for evaluating whether a search or client collaboration tool is worth continued investment, but what exactly does “adoption” mean, and are we measuring it accurately? Adoption goes beyond account creation and email open rates; it’s about meaningful engagement that genuinely empowers agents and clients in their real estate journeys.

This guide breaks down how to effectively measure platform adoption for real estate agents and their clients, dispelling common misconceptions and offering metrics that actually reflect usage.

Measuring Platform Adoption Among Agents

Adoption Isn’t Just Account Creation

Too often, “adoption” metrics for real estate platforms stop being measured at account creation. But creating an account doesn’t automatically mean active use. True adoption should be based on actions that show agents are actively integrating the tool into their workflows, benefiting both their productivity and client satisfaction.

Key Metrics for Real Agent Adoption

Consider the following metrics for a clearer view of agent adoption:

1. Daily Active Users (DAU) and Monthly Active Users (MAU): These two metrics are foundational in SaaS for a reason: they indicate active, regular usage. If agents are logging in daily or on some regular cadence, they’re incorporating the tool into their routine, which signals actual adoption. 
2. Search Activity and Client Engagement: Look at how often agents use the search function or take meaningful actions such as schedule tours for their clients or engage in chat messages. 
3. Actionable Outcomes: Measurement of the success of a chosen platform should be connected to specific productive outcomes, such as number of tour requests from clients or the number of times an agent scheduled a showing through it. Determine the tangible actions that indicate the platform is accomplishing what is intended to do, and measure that. 

Adoption as a Workflow Enhancer

The platform a brokerage provides to agents should enhance their value proposition to clients. For executives and leaders, understanding that a platform isn’t just “used” but is actually improving workflows and driving desired outcomes can be crucial for evaluating ROI.

Measuring Platform Adoption Among Clients

Why Email Open Rates Aren’t the Gold Standard

For many real estate tools, client adoption is often measured by email open rates on alerts and communications. While this may have been a reliable metric in the past, today’s digital landscape makes email open rates a poor indicator of genuine engagement. Here’s why:

1. Email Previews and Spam Filters: Many email systems, including major providers like Gmail and Outlook, use automated pre-loading and preview functions to improve user experience. However, this means that emails are often marked as “opened” before the client ever interacts with them. Additionally, spam filters and anti-tracking protections can cause emails to register as opened even if the recipient hasn’t viewed them. Don’t believe me? Test it yourself! Send yourself an email from the platform in question, do not open it, and check whether the platform registers an open.
2. Privacy-Focused Changes by Email Providers:  With changes like Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), user privacy settings are making it even more challenging to accurately track opens. MPP, for instance, pre-loads images in emails to hide whether and when a user has actually opened the email, inflating open rates and rendering the metric unreliable.

3. Engagement Beyond Email: In today’s world, adoption is about active, intentional engagement. Instead of open rates, look at actions clients take on the platform, such as:
   • Viewing Listings: If clients are clicking into listings, interacting with the mortgage calculator, and using tools like Street View, they’re truly engaging with the platform.
   • Saved Searches and Customized Alerts: When clients actively create saved searches or customize their alert settings, it signals that they’re invested in using the platform as a real tool in their home search, not just passively receiving emails.
   • Activity in Collaborative Features:  Many platforms such as Zenlist now support features that allow clients and agents to communicate and search together. Metrics on how often clients collaborate or respond to their agents’ suggestions provide a clearer view of true engagement.

Moving Beyond Outdated Metrics

To gain a true sense of client adoption, evaluate:

1. Direct Platform Interactions:  Clients actively searching, saving properties, or requesting tours on listings shows genuine adoption. These actions demonstrate that clients see the platform as a valuable resource in their home search.
2. Repeat Visits and Active Search Engagement: Returning to the platform repeatedly to view search results or look up listings indicates that clients find the tool essential to their home search experience, making this a meaningful measure of adoption.

Focusing on True Engagement

For real estate brokerages, the path to understanding platform adoption lies in examining engagement and active usage. Metrics like account creation or email open rates offer a surface-level view at best. To truly understand how your chosen platform is impacting your agents and clients, look for the actions that indicate the tool is genuinely part of their everyday workflows and decision-making processes.

Adoption, ultimately, is about integration and outcomes. It’s about making sure agents find value in the platform to improve their client interactions and that clients see it as an indispensable part of their agent's service. By adopting these engagement-focused metrics, brokerage leaders can make better-informed decisions when evaluating platform renewals, ensuring they invest in tools that truly enhance the home buying and selling experience. 

Optimizing platform adoption metrics for accuracy means understanding how today’s tools integrate with the needs of agents and clients. In a changing real estate landscape, measuring what truly matters will ensure brokerages are investing in resources that deliver long-term value.