PropTech Pulse: Vanessa Martin on Modernizing Real Estate Agent Safety

Learn how to modernize your approach to professional protection by integrating life-saving technology into your daily business workflow. In this episode, Vanessa Martin, co-founder of Tether RE and NAR Reach graduate, shares how her team is revolutionizing agent safety through automated background sensors. Success comes from a platform that watches over you while you focus on building your business. 

We explore the fascinating journey from off-road navigation in Idaho to sophisticated struggle and impact detection designed specifically for real estate vulnerabilities. You’ll learn why embedding safety into productivity tools like mileage tracking is the key to overcoming app fatigue and ensuring you’re always protected. This conversation reveals a proactive framework that bridges the gap between high-level security and your everyday routine. 

As an industry leader recognized by the NAR Reach program, Vanessa provides the clarity needed to navigate today’s unpredictable market with confidence. Her expertise offers a timely solution for professionals seeking to prioritize safety as a fundamental member benefit. Subscribe to Proptech Pulse for more insights, and visit the Lone Wolf website to explore how our solutions support your professional longevity. 

https://www.lwolf.com/podcast

Transcript

Kyle Hunter Welcome to the Tech Pulse podcast. Your inside look at the world of real estate technology. I'm your host, Kyle Hunter, here to guide you through the latest trends, expert insights, and game changing tech shaping the real estate world. This is your go to source for staying ahead of the ever evolving industry. Let's dive in. All right. Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining. Proptech pulse. I'm very happy to have Vanessa Martin here today with Tether. Vanessa, thank you for joining today. Tell us a little bit about Tether and how you got started.
Vanessa Martin Awesome. Well, thank you for having me. You know that I'm a huge fan of everything you do. So it's a privilege to be here. Yes. My name is Vanessa Martin. I'm the co-founder of Tether. Tether, fun fact, is co-founded by a husband and wife team. My husband, Scott Martin, and I founded the company a few short years ago and really took it live a little bit more than a year ago with what you see today as far as the safety platform goes.
Vanessa Martin But Tether is a comprehensive safety platform for real estate professionals, and we really pride ourselves in offering features that are used in the field. So yes, we do prescreening, but we really are proud of the features that we have that allow agents to get emergency response and any type of help that they need when they are in the field, on the go, on personal time.
Vanessa Martin So yeah, we use things like SOS buttons. We have impact and struggle detection. We have proximity safety timers and then we have prescreening tools. So we blended that all up with some productivity like mileage and expense tracking and some showing tools to make sure that agents are using it every day so that that safety is running in the background.
Kyle Hunter So yeah.
Kyle Hunter So I mean, that's it's really cool. I had the opportunity to see it a few times and, you know, you're constantly adding new things. But really, when I was talking to you and Scott and kind of first getting to know you guys, it was really compelling kind of the story. On what got you guys started. So maybe you can touch on that a little bit and tell us how that worked.
Vanessa Martin Yeah. Like many of the companies that I've been a part of, we accidentally stumbled upon, you know, a problem and couldn't pass up on finding the solution. But Tether. So it's Tether re and that's the real estate. But a lot of people don't know Tether was the original company. And Scott and I are big into off roading. Were based here in Idaho.
Vanessa Martin So they're you know it's an adventure state. So we ski and we ride dirt bikes and TVs. And we kept having this problem going out with friends where we would lose our friends. And so Scott, being the eternal inventor was like, okay, there are there is navigation that allows you to put in a destination. But like, I just need to know where my people are and I need to be able to be tethered to them so that if somebody goes off course or has an accident, I know that they've left the group.
Vanessa Martin So Tether was actually started as a group navigation app, and we launched it and it was supposed to just be for fun, you know, we but then a couple motorcycle groups picked it up and some off roading groups picked it up. And then, you know, Covid, Covid happened. I love we're going to have like companies that are like pre Covid and post Covid right.
Vanessa Martin But Covid happened and Scott and I were sitting at the dinner table and I just happened to say, you know, I wonder if real estate agents would use this because the the landscape has changed and no one's putting anyone in their cars anymore like this could be useful for them. While Scott's brain took off from there. And before you know it, we're in, you know, focus groups asking agents if this would be valuable and what are your stick points?
Vanessa Martin And then we really stumbled upon the safety side, you know, and then once we started looking into the vulnerabilities and, you know, because we said, yeah, you'd want to stay safe and not have this person who could have Covid in your car. And they're like, well, that's not the only safety concern. So we just started digging a little bit more.
Vanessa Martin And the stats are absolutely alarming. Neither Scott or I are directly connected to the real estate world. We have loved ones in real estate and Scott has a background in mortgage, but it was one of those things where, you know, the more you look into it, the less you can look away knowing that there was an ability to yeah, there is a safety side to making sure people aren't speeding through red lights and navigating, you know, to to where they need to go safely.
Vanessa Martin But we just kind of hunkered down and thought, there's got to be a better way. Like, we are still in the age of real estate agents calling their broker and saying, I need the red folder. Like, technology is so vast, but we're still doing business the same way. So we just kind of went to work and we went out and hit the pavement and asked what people wanted, and of the safety features or platforms or technology that is available.
Vanessa Martin What do you love? What don't you love? You know, why aren't you using it kind of a thing. So it all evolved really naturally. And we were lucky to get on the right stages and things just kind of exploded from there. It's been a really cool journey.
Kyle Hunter Yeah. You know, unfortunately, just back to your point, every few months or so, there's always something in the news. There's always something where an agent that's vulnerable, whether it be an open house, going on a showing, meeting someone for the first time or just having general challenges when they're out doing their day to day job, the need for having instant and quick access to make sure that someone is watching out.
Kyle Hunter And I think that really, you know, sets you apart and provides value to the end users and the agents that are using it. And I think it's a natural fit, and it's kind of nice that you guys were able to make that transition. What's kind of been the biggest challenge? You know, you mentioned going from the adventure side and, you know, a useful tool that has a lot of things into this wild world of real estate.
Kyle Hunter You know, what have you found since you've made that switch that has been challenging to you and, you know, kind of your biggest eye openers?
Vanessa Martin Yeah, that's a that's a vast question. I think we can we can put it into pockets though. I think the first big leap, not only were we kind of entering into the real estate vertical, which is its own ecosystem, but the technology world as well, and what we found is real estate agents are bombarded with technology. And this is your next solution, and this is the next best thing.
Vanessa Martin You know, you hear leaders in this space say, yeah, everyone thinks they're the Uber of real estate. Like we are going to we're going to change the world. We're going to revolutionize. So I think the hardest part was getting people to listen like, you know, when we talk about, hey, we have a safety platform, they're like, oh, I already have something I do, oh, I already this or oh, I'm safe.
Vanessa Martin There's no challenge for me. So I think the big thing there's like this app fatigue inside of the real estate space. And so we really had to kind of go back to the drawing board. It's why a lot of the productivity developed. So people might look and go, you're a safety. What do you have a mileage tracker. That's simple.
Vanessa Martin Like everyone uses a mileage tracker. So if I embed this into your safety, you're going to use it. You're going to open it every day. Even the people that know that there's not going to be an emergency every day still are going to track their miles. So we had to really think outside the box and we're continuing to do that.
Vanessa Martin That's actually where a lot of our evolution is going in the future, is how do we get the things that agents are doing and using every day and integrate them into Tether so that we're not asking them to add something to their day, but instead like taking something away. So yeah. And and beyond that, it's been getting to that, that end user.
Vanessa Martin We're lucky enough to have single agents to sign on to use Tether every single day. But we really have been targeting the association level to offer this as a member benefit. And you know that that process is long. If anyone's ever gone through that process. It's a very long sales cycle, and there are a lot there's a lot of red tape.
Vanessa Martin Then once you get there, it's getting that messaging out to the agents and making it easy for them to adopt something new. Because, I mean, let's be real, the the busy ones are busy. So. So yeah, I would say I would say for sure it's it's getting through that, you know, that bogged down of that app fatigue, that technology fatigue that I feel sometimes agents experience.
Kyle Hunter Enjoying the Proptech Pulse podcast. Don't miss a beat. Hit the subscribe button and stay in the loop with all of our latest episodes. And hey, if you're loving the content, leave us a review! It really helps us grow and reach more real estate pros like you. Also, don't forget to follow us on our social channels. We're sharing tips, trends, and behind the scenes content you won't want to miss.
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Kyle Hunter you know, many agents out there are using different tools or to your point, app fatigue. And you know, sometimes if they haven't personally experienced, you know, a situation that involves security that they would need something for, maybe they're less likely to turn it on or use it. How have you found the best ways to get agents to adopt, and to kind of get it out there and make sure that they're using it as you would design it for them to be used.
Kyle Hunter
Vanessa Martin That is a great question. And that is by far our where the most energy is currently being spent inside Tether usually. And any agent or, you know, leaders, association's board members all say this is valuable. This is something we want to have to protect. So a lot of our focus is on just like, how do we get you to actually use it?
Vanessa Martin The mileage and expense tracker is one of the biggest ways that we're doing that is, hey, listen, we hope you never have to hit that SOS button. We hope you never set off your struggle detection or your impact alert. But if you just open Tether and have it set up and use it for your mileage tracking and that's it, if there's an emergency, you can use it.
Vanessa Martin But to your point, generally the the associations and organizations that have the highest adoption have had something happen close to home. And so we're hoping to break that mold where it's not reactionary, it's more preventative by education. So my, my, my one of my main missions is on every stage, I can make sure people know that this product exists, make sure they know how it works.
Vanessa Martin A lot of times when people hear safety, they just think prescreening. So it's been a big challenge of mine to make sure that we explain our 24 hour safety monitoring and that no matter what the emergency, you can be in a car accident and Tether will activate. So I think when we broaden it past, you know, just if you're in an open house or showing, we can help you.
Vanessa Martin And yes, that's true. But when they realize this is really personal protection, it goes a lot farther. But yeah, the crimes are not decreasing unfortunately. And and we we try not to and we try not to use those stories as, as marketing information. So it's a really fine balance for us. But more and more people are starting to become aware of it.
Vanessa Martin You know, just recently a cold case was opened and they're reinvestigate what happened to this agent who was murdered. And it's very easy to look at the features available in our platform and see how at multiple stages of what happened, this person could gotten help. And so I think is huge. But in the real estate world, the real estate world, just as as, you know, they get their best business from referrals.
Vanessa Martin It's the same for us when agents use it and love it, whether it's a productivity feature or they look someone up and they find something, or they press that SOS button, or we responded to a car accident or, heaven forbid, a struggle. That's that's essentially what gets the ball rolling.
Kyle Hunter So..
Kyle Hunter Yeah, no, I mean, the SOS feature, the movement tracker, that was super cool. I remember, you know, if it stops, there's there's all this stuff that is well beyond just checking someone's name and background and some simple tools that really take this kind of to that next level. And so I want to pivot a bit. You know, I think you were reached, what, 2023 2024.
Vanessa Martin 20
Vanessa Martin 2520.
Kyle Hunter Oh 2025 I was aging you a little bit.
Vanessa Martin We're the most it's because we seem like we've been a big deal for such a long time.
Kyle Hunter Yeah, no.
Vanessa Martin It's because we won the we won the pitch battle the year before. So a lot people thought we were a reach company then. But yes, it was the next year.
Kyle Hunter Gotcha. Yeah. Winning that pitch battle. I mean, I know that reached us just tons of investigators. There's hundreds and hundreds of companies that apply to get in and to be part of reach, I think is just a testament testimony to your, you know, value and what they found that, you know, people in our industry should be focusing on and should be using.
Kyle Hunter So so that was cool. Yeah. I did remember you won that pitch battle. That was great.
Speaker 3 Yeah. Yeah, I.
Vanessa Martin Won that one and then turned around one, two three, six and then I retired. I want to retire.
Kyle Hunter On top.
Vanessa Martin No more.
Kyle Hunter Hey. Two wins. You can't beat that.
Vanessa Martin I'm two for two, you know.
Kyle Hunter So where do you see this going? Where are you going to be moving in the future? I know you're constantly adding features and functionality and associations and MLS are picking up the member benefit. What? Where do you think that Tether will be in the next 3 to 5 years?
Vanessa Martin That is my favorite question. So our go to market continues to be associations in MLS. And like you mentioned, being a part of the reach program really gave us that kind of seal of approval. So we had an incredible year last year. And we're we are definitely enjoying that trajectory into this year as well. We're going to continue on the association path.
Vanessa Martin We think that agents having this as a member benefit is one of the best ways to make sure that every agent has this available. So we are continuing to field those calls and make those calls. But we really want to focus on on the brokerage this year, both within organizations that already provide us for free. So we're we are having a great time reaching out to those brokerages that are underneath our new partnerships and saying, hey, you get this for free.
Vanessa Martin So if anyone's ever curious, they can go on our website. They can see all the associations that are already providing it. You may have it, but we we really want to reach out to those brokerage level individuals. One of the things we do a little bit different is we do not only cater to large organizations. So we are a small town, homegrown company and we want to pay that forward.
Vanessa Martin So it doesn't matter what size your operation is or your office, we are going to offer enterprise pricing to any group that says, hey, my agents are worth protecting. So that's part of our of our game plan. The other really exciting thing that we are doing that has come out of just an overwhelming amount of requests, is a consumer product.
Vanessa Martin Every time we go out and we talk to agents, they all say, oh my gosh, I want this for my college kid. I want this for my friend, family member, my my parents who live far away, who are aging. So we're really excited to be very close to launching our consumer side. That's going to just pull away the real estate side and leave that safety for the best price.
Vanessa Martin So that will be launching shortly. And then we moved into some wearables also. That was a big ask. So we're actually I have one here. So this is one of our devices.
Vanessa Martin we had a same with like people would say, I want this for my college kid.
Vanessa Martin We had a lot of people that wanted it for their aging parents, or they wanted to make sure that they had an option that didn't connect to a cell phone or an app. So we're we're really excited to offer this. We're going to offer it. If anyone wants a wearable that's a part of Tether RE, it has a discounted rate to have that extra piece of security.
Vanessa Martin And the beautiful thing about that is it doesn't need cell phone connectivity. So we've had people say, you know, I work in rural areas or I don't always have my phone open or they're older and they don't use that technology. So we're we're really excited to be moving into more of, you know, more personal protection and just kind of answering what customers are asking for.
Vanessa Martin So that that is an exciting piece. And we're also working to extend our coverage from the US into Canada. So this is something that has we've been working on for a while now. We got a lot of attention during that pitch battle and our time and reach to expand into Canada. And so we're really excited to be able to expand that territory super soon.
Vanessa Martin So lots going on. Also, we just have really great partnerships, which you know, and we're really excited to to lean in and try to really hear the agents at answer questions. They need continue to develop the app to make it more user friendly. This year we made massive changes based on requests and people are just loving that. A lot of these features are automatic.
Vanessa Martin They don't have to think about them. So we just want to lean into our customer base and really provide a service that works for everybody, and let them just do their job.
Kyle Hunter Yeah. Well, Vanessa, thank you for the conversation. It was great hearing all the things that are going on with Tether. Tell Scott I said hello and we will. We'll talk to you next time.
Vanessa Martin All right. Thanks so much, Kyle.
Kyle Hunter Thanks. Thanks for tuning in to the Prop Tech Pulse podcast. Looking to take your real estate game to the next level? Check out our cutting edge tools. Visit Al wolf.com to learn more and see how we can help you succeed. I'm your host, Kyle Hunter, and I'll catch you next time as we continue exploring the future of real estate together.
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