Cameron Burke RE SaaS - Platform Options Analysis¶

Created: 2025-12-21 Status: ANALYSIS COMPLETE Purpose: Evaluate build vs buy vs extend options before committing

Executive Summary¶

Based on 132 requirements compiled, we have 4 strategic options:

Recommended: Option C (Hybrid) - Balances speed, cost, and Cameron's unique differentiators.

Part 1: Platform Options Deep Dive¶

Option A: White-Label Existing Platform¶

Realeflow White-Label¶

Source: https://www.realeflow.com/ Pricing: $125-299/month base + white-label fees

What You Get: - AI-powered lead scoring - Deal analysis (Flip, BRRRR, Rental) - CRM and contact management - Direct mail integration - Comp analysis - Mobile app included

What's Missing (Cameron Unique): - Personal Financials (PFOS, DTI) - Cameron's methodology training - Video content integration - Portfolio-wide P&L - Buy Box matching - Cameron's specific pricing database

Pros: - Fastest time to market (2-4 weeks) - Proven, battle-tested platform - Mobile apps included - Support and updates handled

Cons: - Limited differentiation from competitors - Cameron's methodology CANNOT be embedded - No video training integration - Locked into their roadmap - Ongoing licensing fees ($3,000-6,000/yr) - Other Realeflow users = your direct competitors

Verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED - Defeats the purpose of Cameron's unique methodology

Option B: No-Code Platform Build¶

B1: Softr (Best for Speed)¶

Pricing: $49-139/month Backend: Google Sheets or Airtable

What You Get: - Client portal templates - Property listings - CRM functionality - Forms and data collection - Payment integration (Stripe) - User authentication - Mobile PWA (not native)

What's Missing: - Complex deal analysis wizards - Advanced AI/RAG integration - Video hosting/streaming - Native mobile apps

Pros: - 2-4 week MVP possible - Low cost ($600-1,700/yr) - Beautiful templates - Easy to maintain

Cons: - Limited calculation complexity - No native mobile apps - Scaling limits with Google Sheets - Custom AI integration difficult - Can look "template-y"

B2: Bubble.io (Best for Complexity)¶

Pricing: $32-349/month (usage-based)

What You Get: - Full web app capability - Complex workflows - Custom database - API integrations - Plugin marketplace - Reasonable AI plugins

What's Missing: - Native mobile (web wrapper only) - Advanced RAG without custom plugin - Video hosting (use external)

Pros: - Can build almost anything - Large developer community - Extensive plugin library - Can handle complex calculations

Cons: - Steep learning curve - Performance can be slow - Vendor lock-in (hard to migrate) - Usage-based pricing unpredictable - Finding Bubble experts: $75-150/hr

B3: Adalo (Best for Mobile)¶

Pricing: $45-200/month

What You Get: - Native iOS/Android apps - App store publishing - User-friendly interface - Good real estate templates

What's Missing: - Complex web app features - Advanced calculations - AI/RAG integration

Pros: - True native mobile apps - App store presence - Simpler than Bubble

Cons: - Less powerful than Bubble - Limited web features - Smaller community

Option C: Hybrid Approach (RECOMMENDED)¶

Concept: Use no-code for 80% of features, custom code for Cameron-unique differentiators

Architecture:¶

Split by Component:¶

Cost Breakdown: | Item | Monthly | Annual | |------|---------|--------| | Bubble (Team) | $149 | $1,788 | | Custom API hosting | $50-100 | $600-1,200 | | Qdrant Cloud | $25 | $300 | | Claude API | $50-200 | $600-2,400 | | Vimeo Pro | $20 | $240 | | Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | Variable | | Domain/SSL | $20 | $240 | | TOTAL | ~$350-550 | $4,000-6,500 |

Development Cost: | Phase | Effort | Cost (if outsourced) | |-------|--------|---------------------| | Bubble app build | 80-120 hrs | $8,000-15,000 | | Custom AI backend | 40-60 hrs | $6,000-10,000 | | Video integration | 20-30 hrs | $3,000-5,000 | | Testing + Polish | 40 hrs | $4,000-6,000 | | TOTAL | 180-250 hrs | $21,000-36,000 |

Time to MVP: 4-6 months (with dedicated team)

Pros: - Cameron's unique features ARE possible - AI scoring and RAG differentiation - Video integration achievable - Reasonable cost vs full custom - Can iterate quickly on no-code parts

Cons: - Two systems to maintain - Some technical complexity - Need to find Bubble + Python devs - Integration points can break

Option D: Full Custom Build¶

Tech Stack (2025 Best Practices): - Frontend: Next.js 14+ (React) - Backend: FastAPI (Python) or Node.js - Database: PostgreSQL + Qdrant - AI: Claude API + custom RAG - Video: Self-hosted or Mux - Hosting: Vercel + Railway or AWS - Payments: Stripe

Cost Breakdown: | Phase | Effort | Cost | |-------|--------|------| | Design + Spec | 80 hrs | $8,000-12,000 | | Backend API | 200 hrs | $25,000-35,000 | | Frontend Web | 160 hrs | $20,000-28,000 | | Mobile Apps | 160 hrs | $20,000-30,000 | | AI/RAG System | 80 hrs | $12,000-16,000 | | Video System | 40 hrs | $5,000-8,000 | | Testing/QA | 80 hrs | $8,000-12,000 | | DevOps/Deploy | 40 hrs | $5,000-8,000 | | TOTAL | 840+ hrs | $103,000-149,000 |

Ongoing Costs: | Item | Monthly | |------|---------| | Hosting (Vercel/Railway) | $100-500 | | Database (Supabase/Railway) | $25-100 | | Claude API | $100-500 | | Video hosting (Mux) | $100-300 | | Monitoring | $50 | | TOTAL | $375-1,450/mo |

Pros: - Complete control - No vendor lock-in - Maximum performance - Full differentiation possible - Own your IP completely

Cons: - Highest cost ($100k+) - Longest timeline (8-12 months) - Need full dev team - Ongoing maintenance burden - All bugs are your bugs

Part 2: Technology Stack Comparison¶

If Building Custom:¶

If Using No-Code:¶

Part 3: Cameron-Unique Features Feasibility¶

Bottom Line: Cameron's core differentiators (AI scoring + video integration + RAG) REQUIRE at least a hybrid approach.

Part 4: Recommendation¶

RECOMMENDED: Option C - Hybrid Approach¶

Why:

1. Cost-Effective: $25k-40k vs $100k+ for full custom
2. Time-Efficient: 4-6 months vs 8-12 months
3. Differentiators Possible: AI scoring, RAG, video links all achievable
4. Maintainable: No-code parts easy to update without devs
5. Scalable: Can migrate custom parts later if needed

Proposed Architecture:¶

Alternative If Budget Constrained:¶

Start with Softr + Airtable ($1,200/yr) - Build basic portal with deal tracking - Prove market demand - Add custom AI layer later with revenue

Part 5: Next Steps¶

1. Validate Requirements: Review with Cameron
2. Choose Option: Hybrid (C) or Budget (B)
3. Find Developer: Bubble expert + Python dev
4. Create Detailed Spec: Screen-by-screen
5. Build MVP: Phase 1 features only
6. Beta Test: 10-20 users
7. Iterate: Based on feedback

Part 6: Vendors/Resources to Evaluate¶

No-Code Developers:¶

• Airdev (Bubble agency) - Premium, $150-250/hr
• Zeroqode (Bubble plugins + dev)
• Upwork Bubble experts - $50-100/hr
• NoCodeDevs.com - Marketplace

AI/Custom Development:¶

• Curotec (from research) - Laravel, Vue, Python
• Toptal - Vetted freelancers
• In-house - Bert Frichot (you)

Hosting/Infrastructure:¶

• Vercel - Frontend hosting
• Railway.app - Backend + DB
• Qdrant Cloud - Vector search
• Cloudflare R2 - File storage

Summary Table¶

Document Status: Complete Next Action: Review with Cameron, decide on approach