SBTM September 2015 | Page 12

COVER STORY “Similar to the real estate industry, the home servicing industry is dated and fragmented,” remarked Bobby. “Collectively, less than two percent of this $400 billion to $800 billion home servicing market goes through online and mobile platforms. The industry is plagued by consumers and homeowners being taken advantage of. We want to leverage our home servicing platform to change and improve upon the process of hiring a professional service provider.” iBuy Pros has stringent guidelines for a company to become a service provider: They need to be in business for at least two years; they need to be a member of the Better Business Bureau; they need to have a high A to B rating, they will have a background check; and they need to be bonded or insured. When a homeowner is dealing with iBuy Pros, they can be comforted knowing that our objective is to make sure that they are safe and satisfied. One of the most important things we are providing is a peace of mind.” Although iBuy Pros was just launched in September of 2015 in Houston, within 12 months they will be in all 50 states. Angie’s List charges; they advertise that people can shop on their website but to get the best pricing, they have to join by paying a fee. “iBuy Pros”, says Bobby, “is not going to play that game. With iBuy Pros, the homeowners can be assured that they will receive competitive pricing, three quotes, and the power to choose the best provider for the service they want done in their home. In today’s market, we are meeting a ton of women buying houses and they are not waiting around for Mr. Right. They’re buying their own houses. With us, they can be assured of their safety and know that the work will get done hassle free.” iBuy expects to start selling franchises beginning September of 2016. They’re set to have 22 locations in Houston. The difference in iBuy is that unlike the Redfins, Zillows, and Trulias of the world, all an entrepreneur can do is buy stock in these companies or invest money into their brands. iBuy believes in finding new ways in executing the basics. Franchising has been proven to be more successful because they are proven models. With iBuy, they have created multiple streams of revenue opportunity for their franchise owners instead of just relying on real estate commissions. iBuy will set their franchisees up for being able to systematize and automate those multiple streams effortlessly in increasing their revenue. Bobby has written two books that have gotten great reviews, a seller’s book titled “Sell Your Own Damn House for FREE on the MLS!” and a buyer’s book titled “Find Your Own Damn House and Get Paid for It!” Each book can be pur10 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ SEPTEMBER 2015 ] chased on Amazon for $14.95 or one can opt to read them on Kindle for $9.95. When Bobby is not working, he’s enjoying the beach. He loves the smell of salt in the air, the wind beating against his face, and the sun kissing his skin. He is quite content with the simple things in life but he does indulge himself every so often in going out and listening to live jazz music while sipping a scotch neat and then topping it off with a good cigar. As of May of 2015, Bobby officially became an empty nester. His son, Trey, lives and works in Florida, and his daughter, Jade, is going to college in Birmingham, Alabama. He loves his children and thinks they are great. He always looks forward in hearing from them. No surprise to anyone, Bobby’s personal love interest is with iBuy. In the past, he has jokingly said, “I’m married to iBuy and she’ll get jealous if I start seeing somebody else!” Bobby is a role model to other entrepreneurs because he has been totally dedicated and focused on his dream for a long time. In addition, he loves what he does and he does it with passion everyday.” “I believe I’m living the American Dream,” expressed Bobby. “I do know that the meaning of the American Dream is different for all of us. For me, it’s to have the freedom and flexibility to think, to be what I want, and to create it. It’s to dream about whatever life you want and go after it. I was raised to be a free thinker and to be comfortable in my own skin. I was raised to believe that I have the ability and capacity to compete with anybody. That all bottlenecks into who I am today and I think all of that shines into what I’ve become and what I’ve created.” Summing things up, Bobby stated, “More and more people want these ‘concierge’ services. As homeowners, we know that when we buy a house we’ve got to fix it. iBuy has created an opportunity that no other real estate broker is doing. They close a house and that’s it. We, however, will already have a built-in brand loyalty and trust because we have built a revolutionary platform for the next generation in pursuit of the American Dream.” Summing things up, Bobby stated, “More and more people want these ‘concierge’ services. As homeowners, we know that when we buy a house we’ve got to fix it. iBuy has created an opportunity that no other real estate broker is doing. They close a house and that’s it. We, however, will already have built-in brand loyalty and trust because we have created a revolutionary platform for the next gene