DOBI

What DOBI does

DOBI Real Estate is a private, full-service residential real estate brokerage founded in 2018 and headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan. The firm operates through a network of more than 100 licensed agents supported by a 10-person in-house team covering marketing, media/video content, finance, and agent success. Its geographic footprint spans six Southeast Michigan counties — Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston, and Lapeer — with deep presence in affluent submarkets including Birmingham, Bloomfield, Beverly Hills, Franklin, Orchard Lake, Troy, Royal Oak, and West Bloomfield. The company reports cumulative residential sales volume exceeding $1B and claims an 80% retention rate of its original agents, indicating a stable, retention-driven model.

The product surface is standard for a relationship-led brokerage: home buying and selling representation, a property search portal, an online home valuation tool, an authenticated client search portal, agent matching, and the "Live Beautifully" monthly newsletter. The technology stack is described as a standard MLS-integrated brokerage platform; no proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or differentiated technology assets are disclosed. The home valuation tool appears to use market data and comparable sales analysis consistent with a conventional automated valuation model.

The business model is commission-based: DOBI earns transaction fees on completed residential buy/sell deals executed by its agents. Distribution is direct through agent relationships, supplemented by the proprietary website and MLS syndication. The firm has built a curated partner ecosystem spanning title services (Alliance Title), construction (Rhino Building Group), mortgage (Superior National Bank), and ancillary home services (inspection, restoration, basement, preferred sponsors), positioning the brokerage as a one-stop transaction platform rather than a single-service agent. Leadership is led by President Reina Kalabat and Managing Broker Simon Thomas, with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external capital.

Name

DOBI

Legal name

DOBI Real Estate

Website

https://wearedobi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DOBI Real Estate is a private, full-service residential brokerage founded in 2018 in Birmingham, MI, operating with 100+ agents across six Southeast Michigan counties and generating over $1B in cumulative sales volume through commission-based home buying and selling services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Commission: Traditional real estate commission-based revenue from residential property buying and selling services. Agents earn commissions on completed transactions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DOBI Real Estate is a residential real estate brokerage that provides buyer and seller representation through a network of 100+ agents across Southeast Michigan. The firm supports transactions with in-house marketing, media, and operations staff, and offers online tools for property search, home valuation, and a client portal for saved listings.

Product overview

DOBI is a traditional real estate brokerage offering residential buying and selling services through a team of over 100 agents. The company operates as a single integrated service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include Home Buying Services, Home Selling Services, a Property Search Portal, a Home Valuation Tool, a Client Search Portal for existing clients, and Agent Matching. Supporting these is the 'Live Beautifully' monthly newsletter. All services are delivered through DOBI's agent network supported by in-house marketing, operations, and administrative staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Buying Services Real estate agent representation for buyers seeking to purchase residential properties, including property search through the Client Search Portal, negotiations, and closing support. Targeted at individuals and families home-buying in Southeast Michigan.
• Home Selling Services Real estate agent representation for sellers listing and selling residential properties, including pricing strategy, marketing through the in-house marketing team, and full transaction management. Targeted at homeowners in Southeast Michigan.
• Home Valuation Tool Online instant home valuation tool that provides estimated property values based on market data and comparable sales analysis. Available free to homeowners considering a sale.
• Property Search Portal Online platform allowing consumers to search and browse real estate listings with filtering by location, price, property type, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Available to prospective buyers in Southeast Michigan.
• Client Search Portal Authenticated portal for active DOBI clients to view liked listings, saved searches, and collaboration features with their assigned agent. Available to clients engaged with DOBI for a transaction.
• Agent Matching Service Service connecting prospective buyers and sellers with appropriate real estate agents from the DOBI team based on their needs and location in Southeast Michigan.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1B+ in total sales volume
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance TitlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Title - Alliance Title provides title services for real estate transactions. Built on doing the right thing and setting a higher standard for title service with deep experience across Michigan and Florida.
• Rhino Building GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Partners - Trusted construction and development partner dedicated to delivering high-quality new builds, renovations, and custom projects for homeowners, investors, and real estate professionals.
• Superior National BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLenders - Community bank providing full range of mortgage products and services. Creates and maintains relationships with agents and customers focused on relationship-based lending.
• Bitonti GroupminorOthersPreferred sponsor providing services to DOBI clients (248.918.0010).
• Michigan BasementsminorOthersPreferred sponsor providing basement services to DOBI clients (248.301.6286).
• PuroCleanminorOthersPreferred sponsor providing restoration and cleaning services to DOBI clients (248.621.2300).
• Total House InspectionminorOthersPreferred sponsor providing home inspection services to DOBI clients (248.550.9492).
• Jon Aucutt - Superior National BankcoreOthersPrivate mortgage banker with 27 years of experience specializing in creative solutions based on client needs, providing custom-tailored mortgage options.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Max Broock Realtors: Long-standing Birmingham, MI residential brokerage with deep roots in the same luxury Southeast Michigan submarkets. Direct local competitor with a comparable relationship-driven, full-service brokerage model targeting the same buyer/seller base as DOBI.
• @properties: Midwest-rooted residential brokerage with strong presence in Chicago and expansion into other metros, using an agent-centric model with marketing and technology support. Closely comparable to DOBI's playbook of providing in-house marketing, media, and operations support to independent agents in a defined regional market.
• Hall & Hunter Realtors: Established Birmingham, MI-based residential brokerage serving the same affluent Southeast Michigan submarkets as DOBI. Closest direct peer given shared local market, similar luxury-segment focus, and comparable traditional full-service agent model.
• Howard Hanna Real Estate: Large family-owned residential brokerage headquartered in the Midwest (Pittsburgh/Cleveland) with strong Michigan and Great Lakes presence. Directly competes with DOBI in Southeast Michigan using a similar full-service agent model with regional brand recognition.

Emerging players

• The Agency: Luxury-focused residential brokerage with a marketing-intensive, design-led brand positioning. Comparable to DOBI's emphasis on premium marketing assets and luxury property representation, though operating in different primary metros with a more globally distributed presence.

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's International Realty: Global luxury residential brokerage brand with affiliate network serving high-net-worth buyers and sellers in premium markets. Comparable to DOBI's luxury-segment focus in Birmingham, Bloomfield, and Franklin, though at a higher price tier and with international referral reach.
• Compass: National tech-enabled residential brokerage with agent-based model and in-house marketing/technology platform. Comparable to DOBI in core service (residential buy/sell representation via agent network) but operates at vastly greater scale and with proprietary technology investments.
• Redfin: Tech-enabled residential brokerage and consumer home-search platform with agent-based service in select markets. Comparable as a residential brokerage competitor targeting similar buyer/seller segments, differentiated by technology depth and consumer-facing brand versus DOBI's local-relationship model.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices: National residential brokerage franchise network affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway, with substantial Michigan presence. Competes with DOBI for both agent recruitment and consumer mindshare in Southeast Michigan using a similar traditional brokerage model with strong brand backing.
• Coldwell Banker: Long-established national residential brokerage brand with a large affiliated agent network across Michigan. Directly comparable to DOBI in core service delivery (residential buy/sell representation via agent network) and competes for the same agent talent in the region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearedobi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DOBI