RealNote
A web platform presenting tokenized real estate notes as digital investment opportunities, with access requests and an investor portal.
Service · Build
Software for the work your spreadsheets can no longer hold.
We design and build custom web applications, portals, and internal tools for operations that have outgrown off-the-shelf software and shared spreadsheets.
Overview
Build the part that makes you different. Buy the rest.
Custom software is the right answer less often than people expect, and when it is right, it tends to be very right. If an existing product covers most of what you need, we will say so and help you configure it. The cases worth building are the ones where your process is the advantage: a quoting model no one else has, scheduling across several locations, a client portal that pulls from three systems, or an internal workflow held together by email and a spreadsheet only one person understands.
We run these projects as product work, not a ticket queue. A short discovery phase maps the workflow, the users, the data, and the systems involved, then defines the smallest release that delivers real value. We build that first, put it in front of users, and expand based on what we learn. Architecture, security, and data ownership are settled up front and written down.
Custom software projects with us start around $60,000 for a focused first release and commonly reach $120,000 to $300,000 or more for multi-role platforms built in phases. We work with operators across Chicago and the Midwest in logistics, healthcare, real estate, and professional services, and with teams nationwide.
Business problems we solve
Where custom software development usually goes wrong.
- 01
The business runs on spreadsheets and inboxes
Critical data lives in files emailed between people, with no single source of truth. Errors are caught late, and growth means hiring more people to move data around.
- 02
Off-the-shelf tools almost fit
You pay for several SaaS products and still run the important parts of the process by hand in the gaps between them. Each workaround adds cost and risk.
- 03
Customers expect self-service you cannot offer
Clients call or email for quotes, status updates, and documents that could be available on demand. Your team spends its day answering questions a portal could handle.
- 04
A previous build stalled
You have a half-finished application, no documentation, and a vendor who has moved on. You need someone who can assess what is salvageable and finish the job responsibly.
Capabilities
What the work includes.
Product discovery and scoping
Workflow mapping, user interviews, and a scoped first release with clear success criteria and a costed roadmap.
Customer and partner portals
Secure portals for quotes, orders, documents, billing, and status tracking, connected to your back-office systems.
Internal tools and dashboards
Operational tools that replace spreadsheets, with role-based access, audit trails, and reporting.
Scheduling and workflow engines
Booking, dispatch, approvals, and multi-step workflows that encode the rules specific to your business.
Integrations and data pipelines
Connections to ERPs, CRMs, EHRs, accounting, carrier, and payment APIs, with monitoring and error handling.
Security and compliance foundations
Authentication, encryption, logging, and access controls designed to support HIPAA requirements, SOC 2 programs, and client security reviews.
Ongoing product development
A retained team that ships improvements on a steady cadence after the first release.
Approach & process
How we run a custom software development engagement.
- 01
Discovery sprint
Two to four weeks of interviews, workflow mapping, and technical review, ending in a scoped plan and an estimate for release one.
- 02
UX and prototyping
Clickable prototypes tested with the people who will use the software, before development starts.
- 03
Iterative build
Two-week sprints with working software demonstrated at every review and a backlog you can see.
- 04
Pilot release
A controlled rollout to a small group of users with close support, quick fixes, and structured feedback.
- 05
Scale and support
Wider rollout, documentation, monitoring, and a roadmap for the next phase.
Related work
Recent custom software development projects.
Technology
Tools we use for custom software development.
- Laravel
- Node.js
- React
- Next.js
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- Docker
- AWS
- Stripe
- Auth0
Rated 5 out of 5 Google review
I worked with this team on building a website and integrating it with my CRM (HubSpot). They were responsive, easy to work with, and delivered what was discussed. Communication was straightforward, and the process moved along without issues. Overall, a solid experience.
FAQ
Custom Software Development questions.
We start by looking hard at existing products. If a SaaS tool covers your core needs with reasonable configuration, buying is almost always cheaper over five years. Building makes sense when the process is distinctive, the integrations are unusual, or per-seat SaaS costs outgrow a one-time investment.
For the discovery sprint, yes. For the first release, we give a fixed price or a tight range once discovery has defined the scope. Later phases usually run on a monthly team retainer, because priorities shift as people start using the product.
You own the code, the data, and the infrastructure accounts. We deploy into your cloud account and repository and document everything so another team could take over if you ever needed them to.
Yes. We design for HIPAA and similar requirements from the start: encryption, access controls, audit logs, and business associate agreements where required. Compliance also depends on your own policies and vendors, so we work alongside your compliance lead rather than claiming to certify anything.
It depends on how actively you want the product to evolve. Maintenance plans covering hosting oversight, security patches, and bug fixes typically start around $2,500 per month. Active development with a dedicated team is scoped separately.
Start a project
Has a core process outgrown your tools?
Walk us through how the work gets done today. We will tell you whether to build, buy, or connect what you already have.
- 01 A senior strategist replies within one business day.
- 02 A 45-minute call on goals, constraints and budget.
- 03 A fixed scope, timeline and price, usually within a week.