Make helps SERHANT. cut automation costs by 10x and effortlessly scale business

Jan 23, 2025 | 4 minutes
CSS Serhant, BuildLab, and Make

Learn how Make radically lowered SERHANT.’s automation expenses and empowers its small team to keep up with rapid growth without compromising quality or efficiency. 

  • Industry: Real estate

  • Use cases: workflow automation, customer experience

  • Country: US

SERHANT., the US real estate company selling luxury properties worldwide, faced serious operational challenges. Focusing on high-end projects, like developing an app for real estate agents, facilitating an advanced sales course, or personalizing customer experience, they didn’t have much time to handle administrative tasks. 

First, SERHANT. used Zapier, but their pay-per-task model became unsustainable as the real estate company’s operations grew. In 2020, they turned to BuildLab, a technology development firm and Make’s solution partner, to implement Make as a cost-effective, scalable alternative, better suited to their growing automation. Mike Williams, a Founder of BuildLab, explains how incorporating Make to SERHANT.'s workflow lets the real-estate firm expand while maintaining an excellent level of service.

"Switching from Zapier to Make was a game-changer for SERHANT. They could reduce automation costs by up to 10x, and Make's advanced capabilities let them allocate resources to more strategic initiatives.”

The challenges

Before BuildLab implemented Make into their workflow, extensive operational challenges kept SERHANT.’s successful business from reaching its full potential: 

  1. Website form submission: As SERHANT. grew, they struggled to keep up with the growing volume of form submissions on their website, like buyer inquiries or agent applications. The company needed to deliver faster, more personalized replies while maintaining a high standard of professionalism.

  2. S.MPLE app: expanding its tech offerings, SERHANT. launched S.MPLE, a custom-built app helping real estate agents generate property lists, create social media posts, draft emails, and more. As the app continued evolving, internal teams became overwhelmed with onboarding new users and maintaining up-to-date data.

  3. SERHANT.’s sales course: SERHANT. launched a “Sell it like a SERHANT.” course as a stand-alone offering. As enrollment rates grew, the company needed to automate payment processing, access granting, and student onboarding. Doing so manually led to inefficiency and delays, hurting the overall experience. 

The solutions

By allowing BuildLab to implement Make into their workflow, SERHANT. resolved their operational bottlenecks:

Personalizing submission forms with Webhooks

To deliver a tailored experience, BuildLab redesigned SERHANT.'s website form submission process. Instead of sending generic confirmation emails via pre-configured autoresponder, the submission data was routed to Make via webhooks–automated triggers that forward information from one system to another in real-time.

Once data reaches Make, the software identifies the type of submission and personalizes the response accordingly using a Mailgun email platform. Make also matches the submission with the most appropriate staff member based on variables like location and expertise, ensuring prompt follow-ups.

“Make transformed how SERHANT. handles online inquiries - every interaction is now branded and routed seamlessly, leaving no client or real-estate agent behind.”

Using Calendly to automate S.IMPLE app onboarding

To streamline S.MPLE app operations, BuildLab integrated the application with Calendly via Make. Once a new member registers, Make autonomously schedules onboarding calls and sends tailored onboarding emails with setup instructions and training resources. Make also automatically creates and updates the new user profiles while ensuring they sync with the app’s backend data storage. This data storage is then connected to other internal systems, such as CRMs, keeping all user information up-to-date across platforms.

“S.MPLE makes agents' lives easier, and Make ensures onboarding is just as seamless. SERHANT. saves time while giving every user a great experience.”

Automating course management via Stripe and Circle

To automate payment verification for the “Sell it like a SERHANT.” course, BuildLab connected Make with Stripe, a financial management platform. Furthermore, integration between Make and the community management software, Circle grants new users immediate access to the course materials. Make also triggers automated welcome emails every time a new student applies, introducing them to the program.

“With Make, handling thousands of course enrollments became effortless. Students receive instant service and SERHANT. eliminates hours of manual work.”

The results 

Through BuildLab’s expertise and Make’s powerful automation, SERHANT. achieved remarkable outcomes:

  • Cut automation expenses by up to 10x by switching from Zapier to Make

  • Kept a rapidly growing amount of form submissions tailored to each buyer/seller

  • Onboarded hundreds of agents to the S.MPLE app with minimal resources

  • Processed thousands of course enrollments automatically, eliminating manual bottlenecks

Why are SERHANT. and Make the perfect match?

Over the years, Make’s relationship with SERHANT. has grown from automating a few basic workflows to powering its core operations. With BuildLab's guidance, SERHANT. has integrated Make into its ecosystem, from automating form submissions and course management to supporting the S.MPLE app.

For SERHANT., the real magic lies in Make’s flexibility and scalability. Its intuitive interface empowers both technical and non-technical users to innovate, while BuildLab’s expertise ensures the most complex challenges are met with elegant solutions. Together, Make and BuildLab have enabled SERHANT. to save time, cut costs, and focus on transforming their business into a technology-driven powerhouse.

“Make isn’t just a tool for SERHANT. - it’s the foundation of their growth. It bridges the gap between their vision and execution, turning big ideas into scalable workflows.”

Ready to automate your business like SERHANT.? Get started with Make for free.

naty mrazova author

Natalia Mrazova

A Content Producer passionate about combining storytelling with a deep interest in technology. She can turn even the most complex topics into captivating, digestible narratives. Her objective is simple – educate others and learn along the way.

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