Summary
Technology and design are at the heart of the innovations Compass delivers to thousands of real estate agents. Compass Founder and CEO Robert Reffkin and Sr VP of Design & UXR Greg Petroff chat about the industry and the opportunity for design to make a difference. Learn how technology and design make Compass stand out and deliver digital innovations in a massive industry. Hear about the Compass culture of learning and collaboration that is at the core of high-performing design teams. See how design scales its efforts with the help of product and engineering partners and a powerful set of entrepreneurial principles.
Key Insights
-
•
Focusing on maximizing strengths instead of compensating weaknesses was a pivotal career realization for Robert.
-
•
A solutions-driven culture avoids killing ideas with 'no' and instead proposes alternative paths to keep momentum.
-
•
The 'movie montage' mindset is a mental trick to positively reframe hard work and persistence in challenging periods.
-
•
Compass views real estate agents as entrepreneurs who orchestrate complex, collaborative workflows involving many stakeholders.
-
•
Designing for Compass users requires accounting for extreme diversity in age, experience, and socioeconomic background.
-
•
Collaborative workflows that integrate multiple roles and views will define the next decade of design in real estate tech.
-
•
Robert champions learning from reality by asking customers what they want and integrating existing ideas rather than inventing blindly.
-
•
Compass’s four key design focus areas are building a mobile-first platform, video-first content creation, AI-based recommendations, and seamless collaboration.
-
•
Having a CEO actively involved and invested in product and design accelerates innovation and user empathy in Compass.
-
•
The 'rocking chair test' encourages considering long-term life satisfaction when making day-to-day work and personal decisions.
Notable Quotes
"Stop trying to make your weaknesses a strength, just minimize weaknesses and maximize your strengths."
"People say no, and it sucks the energy out of the room. Instead, offer three ideas to keep the ball moving."
"I live my life like it’s a movie, visualizing the montage of hard work turning into transformation."
"Real estate agents are entrepreneurs at the center of the most collaborative workflow I know."
"There are 700 software providers selling to two million agents; most didn’t work until they did."
"The greatest advantage you have in life is the speed at which you learn."
"Most business winners are not the inventors but great integrators of existing ideas."
"Mobile-first is critical because real estate is the largest mobile profession without a full app for business."
"Collaborative workflow with permissions, task assignments, and multiple stakeholders is the next big design challenge."
"The rocking chair test helps you evaluate if you’re living a life you won’t regret when you’re old."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"When the whole team is trained in design thinking, they are measurably more aligned, more efficient, and more agile."
Doug PowellClosing Keynote: Design at Scale
November 8, 2018
"A growth mindset in research means being ready to adapt protocols based on what actually works with participants."
Mila Kuznetsova Lucy DentonHow Lessons Learned from Our Youngest Users Can Help Us Evolve our Practices
March 9, 2022
"In Toronto it’s now illegal to transmit a Wi-Fi signal in designated public spaces, with penalties for violations—a policy driven by people wanting to unplug from digital life."
Sarah GallimoreInspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future
November 18, 2022
"Junior team members don’t have to talk directly to executives; working effectively with peers can create grassroots buy-in."
Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne RogondinoTheme 1: Discussion
January 8, 2024
"Our goal is to be AI fluent, not necessarily AI experts."
Alnie FigueroaThe Future of Design Operations: Transforming Our Craft
September 10, 2025
"Statistical significance tells you if a change is likely not random, but it does not tell you if the change matters to your business."
Landon BarnesAre My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?
March 10, 2022
"We have the Big C and the Little C: our external customers and our salespeople using the tools every day."
Emily EagleCan't Rewind: Radio and Retail
June 3, 2019
"Re-platforming is transformative not just for the product but also for the people, teams, and organization."
Malini RaoLessons Learned from a 4-year Product Re-platforming Journey
June 9, 2021
"Assume positive intent, practice a service mindset, and curiosity over ego — remember we’re all in this together."
Asia HoePartnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
November 29, 2023
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
How can service design move beyond artifact creation to become a strategic partner in organizational change?
How can service design artifacts like customer journey maps risk becoming just check-box exercises?
How does testing accessibility at the component level improve overall product accessibility?