Notes to go with the mockup · November 13, 2026
What it could look like, and whether it can be done
You wanted two things: an idea of what this could look like, and whether it is feasible. The mockup answers the first. This page answers the second.
The idea, as I understood it: what Rabbu does nationally, done really well for six Smoky Mountain areas. Agents put their investment properties on the site, buyers come to see what they could run as a short-term rental, and every inquiry becomes a lead for you.
What it could look like
The mockup is clickable, so you can try it instead of reading about it. Every property, agent and number in it is made up, and nothing you type is saved. Reload the page and it starts over. It works on a phone.
- Be a buyer. Open Properties, pick a cabin, and read its investment figures. Each number says where it came from. Tap Run the numbers to change the financing.
- Send an inquiry. Tap Contact agent on that property and send the form with any made-up name and email.
- Be the site owner. Switch to Site owner in the strip at the top. Your inquiry is at the top of the lead inbox.
- Be an agent. Switch to Agent. You see that agent's listings and leads. Add a listing, publish it, then find it under Properties.
Is it feasible?
Yes.
The site in the mockup is ordinary web software, and a first version of it can be built. What decides how far it goes is not the software. It is three things that depend on other people: where the listings come from, where the income numbers come from, and how the site is allowed to earn.
Rabbu shows every property on the market with an estimated revenue beside it. Matching that in your six areas needs the two items marked "depends on others" under Listings and Income numbers. A first version can start with agent listings and grow into it.
Listings
Can be built nowAgents add their own investment properties through a portal, as in the mockup. Nothing outside the site is needed.
Depends on othersPulling in every listing from the MLS. The local MLS moved onto Realtracs on September 28, 2026 (HousingWire, Real Estate News), so a feed is a question for Realtracs, asked through a participating broker. I have not confirmed their terms or fees.
Income numbers
Can be built nowFigures an agent or owner can back up, such as owner statements or a manager's report, shown with a label saying what they are. Listings without them show price only, and the calculator does the work.
Depends on othersAn automatic revenue estimate on every property. That means licensing data from a vendor. I have not confirmed the price, or whether their terms allow showing it on a public site.
How the site earns
Can be built nowLeads. Every inquiry is captured with the buyer's budget, timeline and financing, and lands in your inbox.
Depends on othersBeing paid on referrals or closings. Tennessee has rules on who may ask for a referral fee, so this needs your broker or a real estate attorney to confirm before it is counted on. Charging agents to list can come later. Rabbu's own model is selling leads to agents, at $175 a lead on its agent page today, not taking a share of the sale.
The STR Score
Comes laterA score is only as good as the income figures behind it. Until most listings have them, it would rest on amenities and location. The one in the mockup is a stand-in so you can react to the idea.
What the mockup covers from your brief
In the mockup
- Property search with filters
- Property pages with labeled income figures
- Investment calculator
- Side-by-side comparison
- Agent profiles and an agent portal
- Inquiry forms and a lead inbox
Not in it yet
- Real listings, photos or rental data
- Market guides and education articles
- Buyer accounts, saved properties and alerts
- A name. "Smoky Mountain STR" is a placeholder until you choose one
If you want to take it further
None of these need an answer now. They are the choices that would shape a first version.
- Who adds listings: each agent through their own portal, or your office? The mockup assumes agents do. Your brief has your staff doing it at first.
- Do you want only the participating agents' listings at the start, or the whole MLS?
- Which brokerage stands behind the site, and how do you expect the site to be paid?
- What income numbers can agents back up today?
- Who gets each inquiry: the listing agent, you, or both? The mockup does both.
- Should a buyer have to sign up before opening a property? Rabbu asks for an email first. The mockup does not.
What happens next
Try the mockup and tell me what feels right and what feels wrong. If it is close to what you had in mind, the next step is to settle the choices above and scope a first version.