A graduate of the 2015 Upstart accelerator program, Front Door is changing the game in real estate. Founder and CEO Jessica Buffington, a former real estate agent, saw a problem in the industry and decided to correct it. Front Door’s mission statement states: “We believe that selling your home should be a simple process and one that does not drain your wallet. We match homeowners with real estate professionals who are the best in their class. Our network of agents have already agreed to fully represent our homeowners and sell their home for one flat price of $2,500, instead of a 3% commission fee. Because everyone deserves to sell their home with peace of mind and save money in the process.” We sat down with Jessica and asked her a few questions about the business and their experience in the Upstart accelerator program.
Q: Why did you start Front Door? What problems did you see that needed to be addressed? How does Front Door address them?
A: Front Door is founded by real estate professionals who have worked the grounds in the industry. Over the years we saw a huge pain that could not go ignored; real estate was not affordable nor innovative. So, we set out on a mission to empower homeowners to keep more of their home equity and revolutionize real estate once and for all. Front Door was born and within three months of launching, has already saved home sellers $151,000 in commission fees and counting.
Q: How did you discover Start Co. and how did the Upstart accelerator program help Front Door grow as a business?
A: I actually read a blog about Start Co. 48 hours before the applications were due. I knew we had an idea that could be taken on a national level, so I applied and here we are. Upstart was huge in our company’s success. Mara Lewis was a great mentor, turned advisor. We owe a lot of our success to her and her network. Upstart gave us many tools to empower us as female entrepreneurs.
Q: How has Front Door progressed since going through the Start Co. Upstart program in 2015?
A: Since beginning the Upstart program, we’ve grown a lot – both as individuals and a company. We’ve hired a CTO and
are expanding our team gradually with people who share the same passion for real estate as we do. We’ve maneuvered the startup world and are constantly learning to improve ourselves and the company. We’ve gained traction and now have 95 listings under our platform and 50 realtors nationwide.
Q: What’s the best advice you could give to new startup founder’s on how to move their business forward?
A: I think the best advice to give to a new startup founder is to be open to different pieces of advice. Even if you think you know what is the best for your company and business, you should leverage your network of mentors and advisors. Sometimes a different view looking in could provide insight on how to grow and help it succeed.
Q: What’s the plan for Front Door’s future?
A: The future of Front Door is to change the way real estate is sold. We want to be the company that dominates this space and with our one-of-a-kind technology, we know we can do that.
Q: Is there anything else you want readers to know about Front Door?
A: So far, we are the only women-led company in the real estate space. We’re also the only company with real estate backgrounds.
Front Door is a 2015 Upstart alumnus. To chat with or contact them, visit their website at www.listyourfrontdoor.com.