Realty SoftwareYou have narrowed your real estate software search to two heavyweights: BoomTown and Follow Up Boss. Both sit at the top of agents' shortlists, both are genuinely excellent at what they do — and that is exactly why the decision is hard. They solve fundamentally different problems. BoomTown is a fully managed lead-generation engine with a CRM built in; Follow Up Boss is a best-in-class CRM that plugs into whichever lead sources you already use. The right choice depends almost entirely on whether you want one vendor to run your pipeline end-to-end, or whether you prefer to own your lead generation strategy and let a dedicated CRM handle follow-up. This comparison covers verified 2026 pricing, contract terms, key capabilities, and the honest downsides of each platform.
Quick verdict
For mid-to-large teams and brokerages that want a single vendor to generate, qualify, and track leads, BoomTown is the more complete package — but you will pay a significant premium and commit to an annual contract. Follow Up Boss wins on flexibility, integration depth, and price transparency; it is the stronger pick for any team that already has lead sources dialed in and wants the best pure CRM available. See our BoomTown vs Follow Up Boss side-by-side comparison page for a full spec overview.
BoomTown overview
BoomTown has been a fixture among top-producing brokerages for over a decade. Its platform bundles an IDX-powered website, PPC lead generation, a full CRM, predictive analytics, and an optional concierge lead-qualification service called Success Assurance — where BoomTown staff contact and qualify inbound leads before handing them off to your agents. That last feature is genuinely compelling for large teams drowning in unworked internet leads.
The predictive analytics layer is BoomTown's other standout capability. The system continuously scores every contact in your database and surfaces those most likely to transact in the next 90 days, helping agents prioritize outreach without manually sifting through thousands of records. For a brokerage running serious ad spend, that automation earns its keep.
Pricing is not published publicly and must be negotiated. Based on 2026 market reports, the core platform starts at roughly $1,000 per month, with the Advance plan (aimed at larger teams) coming in at approximately $1,500 per month plus a $1,500 one-time setup fee. You will also need a minimum ad budget of around $1,000 per month to fund PPC lead generation. All-in, most brokerages report spending $2,500 to $5,000 per month. Request a current quote directly from BoomTown — those figures can vary significantly by market and team size.
Follow Up Boss overview
Follow Up Boss has built its reputation as the CRM real estate teams actually stick with long-term. Its focus is intentionally narrow: pull leads from any source into the system within seconds, route them to the right agent, and help teams follow up faster and more consistently than the competition. With integrations covering more than 250 lead sources — Zillow, Realtor.com, Ylopo, BoldLeads, Market Leader, and many more — new leads typically appear in the CRM within moments of capture.
In December 2023, Zillow Group acquired Follow Up Boss for $399 million in cash plus contingent consideration. The product continues to operate as an independent brand and remains open to all agents regardless of their relationship with Zillow's other platforms. Monthly active users have grown more than 70 percent since the acquisition, suggesting Zillow ownership has not driven non-Zillow agents away — though it is a data-privacy and competitive-dynamics factor worth evaluating when choosing a long-term CRM vendor.
Pricing is transparent and publicly listed. The Grow plan starts at $69 per user per month (or $58 per user per month billed annually), designed for independent agents and small teams. The Pro plan is $499 per month for up to 10 users, including unlimited calling and texting. The Platform plan is $1,000 per month for up to 30 users with a dedicated success manager. No setup fees. No long-term contracts required. A 14-day free trial is available on all plans.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | BoomTown | Follow Up Boss |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$1,000/mo (custom quote required) | $69/user/mo (Grow); $499/mo for 10 users (Pro) |
| Contract terms | Annual contract required; no refunds on cancellation | No contract; cancel anytime; 14-day free trial |
| IDX website included | Yes — built-in IDX site | No — integrate your own website |
| Lead generation | Built-in PPC (requires ~$1,000+/mo ad spend) | Not included — connects to 250+ external lead sources |
| Concierge lead qualification | Yes — optional Success Assurance service | Not available natively |
| Predictive analytics | Yes — surfaces high-intent contacts automatically | Basic lead scoring; less sophisticated |
| Automation and action plans | Good — drip campaigns, round-robin routing | Excellent — highly configurable action plans with AI automations |
| Third-party integrations | Limited — relatively closed ecosystem | 250+ integrations; open API |
| Calling and texting | Included in platform | Included in Pro and Platform; add-on ($39/user/mo) on Grow |
| Ownership | Independent (private equity backed) | Zillow-owned since December 2023 |
| Free trial | No — demo only | Yes — 14 days, no credit card required |
Pros and cons
BoomTown: pros and cons
- Pro: Truly all-in-one — website, lead generation, CRM, and analytics under one roof reduces vendor sprawl for large teams
- Pro: Success Assurance concierge service qualifies leads before they ever reach agents, saving substantial time for high-volume operations
- Pro: Predictive analytics proactively surface high-intent contacts from your existing database without agents having to manually dig
- Pro: Battle-tested at enterprise scale — used by many of the country's top-1,000 brokerages with proven track record
- Con: Annual contracts with a strict no-refund policy create real financial exposure if lead quality underperforms or your team changes size mid-contract — a complaint that appears consistently in user reviews
- Con: Lead quality from BoomTown's PPC campaigns is inconsistent across markets; agents frequently report receiving fake or low-intent leads while remaining locked into their agreement
- Con: Total monthly cost of $2,500 to $5,000-plus (platform fee plus required ad spend) puts BoomTown completely out of reach for solo agents and small teams — this is not a product for everyone
- Con: Relatively closed ecosystem makes it difficult to swap out individual components (website, dialer, transaction management) without replacing the entire platform
Follow Up Boss: pros and cons
- Pro: Best-in-class email and SMS deliverability ensures automated follow-up actually lands in inboxes and drives responses
- Pro: Highly configurable action plans and AI automations make consistent, multi-touch outreach achievable even for small teams without a dedicated inside sales agent
- Pro: Transparent, publicly listed pricing with no long-term contracts and a free trial — one of the most low-risk evaluation processes in the CRM category
- Pro: 250-plus integrations allow the platform to plug cleanly into virtually any lead source, website builder, or dialer already in your tech stack
- Con: No built-in IDX website or lead generation capability — you must build and fund your own lead pipeline separately, adding vendor complexity and real budget overhead that is easy to underestimate
- Con: Zillow ownership since 2023 is a legitimate concern for agents who compete directly with Zillow Premier Agent or who are uncomfortable with a portal controlling their CRM data and client relationships
- Con: Predictive analytics and database intelligence are less developed than BoomTown's; identifying which dormant leads are closest to transacting requires more manual effort from agents
- Con: The Grow plan's calling feature is an add-on at $39 per user per month, pushing actual per-user costs meaningfully above the $69 headline figure for agents who rely on phone prospecting
Which should you choose?
Solo agents and small teams (1 to 3 agents): Follow Up Boss is the clear fit. BoomTown does not serve this segment at its current price point, full stop. The Grow plan at $69 per user per month delivers a professional CRM, solid automation, and access to every major lead source. Pair it with a low-cost IDX plugin and your preferred lead source and you will have a complete stack for well under $300 per month total.
Growing teams (4 to 15 agents): This is where the decision becomes genuinely competitive. Follow Up Boss's Pro plan at $499 per month for up to 10 users is strong value with excellent team-accountability and coaching dashboards. But if your team is already spending $2,000 or more per month on PPC anyway, BoomTown's bundled lead generation, IDX site, and Success Assurance can simplify vendor management and potentially improve conversion — provided you are confident enough in BoomTown's lead quality in your specific market to commit to an annual contract. Ask BoomTown for references from active users in your metro before signing anything.
Mid-size and large brokerages (15-plus agents): BoomTown was built for this segment and it shows. Predictive analytics, Success Assurance, and enterprise-grade IDX make a compelling case for brokerages running serious transaction volume who want a managed, accountable solution. That said, brokerages with strong existing tech stacks — Ylopo for lead generation, Sierra Interactive for IDX — often find Follow Up Boss's Platform plan at $1,000 per month a more flexible and less expensive CRM layer that integrates cleanly with tools they have already invested in.
The core question is straightforward: do you want to outsource your entire lead generation strategy to a single managed platform, or do you want to own your lead sources and invest in the best CRM available to convert them? Both are legitimate business models. The right answer depends on your budget certainty, your tolerance for contract risk, and how much of your tech stack you already have in place.
Ready to go deeper? Read the complete BoomTown listing and Follow Up Boss listing on Realty Software for full feature breakdowns and verified agent ratings, or head to our BoomTown vs Follow Up Boss comparison page to see both tools side by side.