OJO Labs Review: The Latest Leads with White Glove Service
Many online reviewers have called OJO “the best lead generation service.” OJO offers agents an innovative approach to lead referrals backed by a robust customer support team and concierge service.
What is OJO Labs?
The OJO referral network is part of OJO Labs, which offers home buyers, sellers, and owners several helpful tools. Agents can take advantage of the cloud-based service, which provides real estate professionals with leads to help them increase sales.
One thing that sets it apart is a powerful AI system that sends leads that meet specific criteria. This gives agents more control over the leads they receive and allows them to focus on leads most likely to close in their area.
In addition to agents, home buyers and sellers can use the platform for several functions, including finding agents and properties for sale. There has been a stronger push to market OJO as a consumer service to increase lead flow in recent years. They have added HomeOwner functionality, such as a dashboard, to build more loyalty and increase exposure.
The OJO lead referral platform is occasionally called the “Movoto Referral Program” because the brands are partners. OJO Labs acquired Movoto in 2020 and has expanded its capabilities and services. It has grown into one of the largest and most respected lead-generation options for agents throughout the country.
Key Features of OJO Labs
OJO Real Estate Leads
The main service for agents is obtaining buyer and seller leads. On the platform, you can receive a set number of leads each month that you will follow up with (if you choose to).
Leads are vetted to ensure they are viable for follow up. OJO conducts lead scrubbing by using this criteria:
- Readiness to buy or sell – Why will they view homes in the next few months?
- Willingness to purchase or sell – Is the lead looking for an agent currently or open to working with one?
- Ability to buy or sell – Are there any credit issues or other red flags that will ultimately prevent a transaction?
From there, agents will be matched to leads based on their coverage area and budget settings. The more agents use the platform, the higher they’ll be prioritized. Agents can move up in priority through solid performance on the platform. In other words, the more you close, the better the leads you’ll get.
Agent Dashboard
Every agent joining the OJO Lead Referral Program will automatically have access to their dashboard to manage their activities. In the dashboard, agents can update their leads, and the system sends lead update reminders each Monday.
Agents can also release leads on their dashboard. This means that if a lead is unresponsive or has poor credit, for example, the agent can drop the lead.
Instant Lead Notifications
A much-loved feature is that the OJO referral network provides leads via text message. The lead offers are sent to one agent at a time with 5-second intervals between each text until two agents click on the referral link. You can view a landing page to see where you fall in the queue. You’ll get additional lead information and a live transfer script if you are among the first two to explore the link.
Live Transfer
Once you win a lead, an OJO Program representative will call you to connect with the seller or buyer. After that connection, you can use the built-in live transfer scripts to speak and communicate with the referral.
Regular OJO Masterclass
Many of the agents who work with OJO value the regular masterclasses and coaching sessions conducted by real estate experts. These sessions cover everything from how to speak to leads to best management practices.
Mobile App
At this time, OJO does not have a dedicated mobile app. That being said, agents, home sellers, buyers, and owners can use the Movoto mobile app to access OJO’s services because the brands are partners. Find the Movoto App on Android or iOS platforms (where it has been downloaded more than a million times).
Product Pricing
OJO only charges service providers for services. The platform is free to use for homeowners, buyers, and sellers. They work with agents through the agent referral program. This platform matches top-performing agents with vetted home buyers or sellers based on several criteria, including the agent’s skill set and the potential customer’s needs.
Agents, buyers, and sellers can sign up and create OJO accounts for free – there are no upfront costs. That being said, OJO Select Network agents will incur some costs when using the platform. For any deal you close, you’ll be required to pay a “success fee” to the company that comes out of your commission. Also, there are fees for joining the OJO Referal Network to get OJO realtor leads and share referrals.
OJO Labs does not publicly disclose these costs on its website. You need to contact the company to get a quote. There are three packages you can join to become an OJO Network Agent:
- OJO Select Network
- OJO Pro
- OJO Pro+
OJO Select Network
The standard plan which is offered to all agents who join for the first time, this network is for individual agents or small real estate teams and provides the following:
- Live introductions
- Concierge services
- Regular education and coaching
- Individual reporting
These agents must pay a one-time success fee to get leads and share referrals on the network. However, it would help if you asked a representative to determine the cost in your specific instance.
OJO Pro
This invite-only package is better suited to agents or teams in heavy growth mode. In the Pro package, you’ll get first-priority access to Movoto real estate leads before agents on the Select Network package. To join, you’ll first need to apply and be accepted. Then, you will sustain your Pro membership with monthly subscription fees (which are not publicly published). With this package, you get:
- The same features as the OJO Select Network
- More reporting and accounting tools
- Consistent lead offers
- Priority on leads
OJO Pro+
Pro+ is the full-featured, invite-only package for top-performing agents or larger teams. When you join this package, you (and your team) get access to exclusive tailored leads. You’ll also be able to take advantage of:
- All of the features from the other two packages
- A dedicated success manager
- Performance dashboard
- Team management services
For this plan, there is the monthly success fee, as well as a monthly subscription charge to maintain membership (not disclosed publicly).
OJO Labs Alternatives
At its core, the OJO platform is a lead generation service. There are many lead generation companies which are also worth looking into. You can see our favorites here, but some that you might be familiar with include MyAgentFinder, Referral Exchange, KeyLeads, etc.
Best for Only Seller Leads
- Get leads instantly
- Integrates with dozens of technology platforms
Best for Solo Agents
- All leads within 50 mile radius
- Platform uses 400 million data points
Best Pre-Foreclosure Leads
- Seamless integration with existing tools
- Full contact information included
Weighing the Pros and Cons
The Pros of Using OJO Labs
Reviews online were overwhelmingly positive. Here are some of the things real users pointed out:
- There is a wealth of user reviews online. The general consensus from user reports is that OJO leads are high quality and contain accurate information.
- The OJO Referral Progam is known for excellent customer support. Pro+ members even get a dedicated success manager. The concierge team is also very responsive and easy to work with, according to reviewers.
- Teams get special team management functions that make working with others easier.
- Though there is not a dedicated OJO app, the Movoto mobile app makes it easy and convenient to run your business from anywhere. Several users mention the app’s strong performance and impressive search capabilities.
- The OJO Referral Program is continuously updated to improve. AI technology means it is always being optimized and functionalities and services will continue to be refined and added, and services will be enhanced.
- Several reviewers mentioned the agent coaching program. Even experienced agents can learn tips and tricks about using the platform which can help them to grow and scale.
- The agent concierge service gives a nudge to unresponsive customers. This means there is less leg-work for agents to do to get a status update from their leads.
- Many reviews also mentioned the simplicity of the text format for leads, and the ability to quickly decide whether or not they want to take on that lead. It’s also easy to drop a lead if it’s not for you.
The Cons of Using OJO Labs
Very few cons from hundreds of online reviews, but some of the potential downsides mentioned were:
- There is a lack of transparency as far as cost is concerned, which may be off-putting to some people.
- Some reviews mentioned that referral fees were higher than other lead generation sources.
- Right now agents can only send an email if they have an Outlook account but that may change in the future.
- Occasional unrealistic leads; for example buyers hoping for 200k or less homes in a higher cost area, which are hard to work and close.
- Agents would also like to see a few more status options for updating clients.
- There is no dedicated app, and many agents work almost entirely from their phones. In the future, developing an app would be beneficial.
Who Benefits from OJO Labs
Almost any agent who wishes to grow their business (and has a cell phone) can benefit from this service.
In order to join and begin getting leads, you need to apply. Once accepted, you can officially join and pay the success fee. OJO will review your application and your track record before accepting. According to some sources, applicants need to have conducted 25 transactions within the last 12 months, and have at least 3 years of experience. You can also expect onboarding and training before you start using the platform, which will make you more successful.
It won’t make much sense to apply for the selective programs until you have an established real estate career with several transactions. That being said, you can always apply – the worst that can happen is being turned down.
Who Might Not be a Good Fit
As mentioned, there are qualifications that must be met if you hope to obtain leads from the platform. OJO prides itself on vetted agents, so if you are new to the business or have too few transactions, you may not be accepted right away.
Furthermore, how many leads you will get depends on your location. There might not be many leads in smaller or more limited areas. Some agents also said that they offered guidance and advice only to find out that the lead had committed to another local agent. For this reason, it’s important to track your own lead quality on the platform and determine if you are getting a good ROI.
Additionally, leads are delivered via text, so if you do not look at your phone often or want to receive leads on there, this may not be a fit.
In general, OJO is a great resource for agents who have had some success and want to expand on it. That being said, it can be a powerful lead generator for any agent or small team who wants to grow their business faster. It may not be the most cost-effecitve lead generation company out there, but the intuitive tech features and concierge service are worth it. There’s a reason it gets a 4.7 out of 5 star average on the Agent Advice review page.