Anchor against build-own with AI and coordinator hours — not Aro’s $70 tier. Lead with retainer + soft implementation. If the pack feels too dear, fence-sitters prompt ChatGPT. $449 Commercial Leasing is the sweet spot. Owner assets stay project quotes. Month-to-month so the champion can say yes.
Starting proposal for Sasha to edit. Do not send to Teska as a quote until locked. Working brand: Applied.
Retainers · seats or offices by system
+ $2,500 impl (waiveable on wedge) · ~22% vs à la carte · under DIY floor
+ $5,000 impl · or $299/seat · min 4
| DIY cost (rough) | Maths | vs Applied draft |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinator / EA time | 3–8 hrs/wk × $45–$70 | ~$7k–$29k / yr labour |
| Agent inspect logistics | 1–2 hrs/wk × $120–$200 | ~$6k–$20k / yr |
| Stand up deal room + dual OAuth | Consultant / hire | $40k–$120k + on-call you |
| Ops / reputation risk | Missed inspect, wrong outbound | Unpriced — real |
| Commercial Leasing Pack | $449×12 + $2,500 impl | ~$7.9k year one — under labour floor |
Rule: do not push the wedge toward $699+ until love is proven. Soften or waive implementation if price is the only Teska objection.
Never bury these in a cheap SaaS line. Agency sells through; owner owns.
| Signal | What it suggests | How Applied draft sits |
|---|---|---|
| Aro Software published AU | ~$70 / $130 / $340 per mo incl. GST | Leasing retainer above mid-tier solo CRM — on purpose |
| LockedOn / Rex / Reapit | Quote-only; market often $150–400+/seat equiv. | OS competitive on breadth, premium on joint-agency |
| Custom deal-room / AI build | $40k–$120k+ + maintain / on-call | Retainer + $3.5k impl looks obvious by week two |
| Coordinator time saved | 3–8 hrs/week on inspect logistics | $99 booker pays for itself on one listing |
| Consulting WTP | Principals pay retainers for specialists | Frame = solutions firm, not AWS seats |
| Owner digital twin | Capex mindset · portable asset | Project quote $12k–$28k, not $149/mo |
Sources: vendor public pages Oct 2026 (Aro list; LockedOn/Rex/Reapit request-pricing). Not a formal competitive teardown.