Software for Real Estate Professionals

Software for Real Estate Professionals, Inc. (SFREP) prides itself on being part of the cutting edge in software technology. SFREP is a provider of innovative software tools for the real estate appraisal and mortgage lending industry and is committed to providing complete real estate software solutions to both appraisers and lending institutions.

SFREP builds industry-specific solutions for customers, who may, in turn be provided with custom interfaces for their individual applications. By providing industry-wide solutions, SFREP takes advantage of the economies available when providing products to a large number of customers. At the same time, SFREP allows itself to respond to the needs of the individual customer, by providing flexible products capable of interfacing with existing systems or providing custom interfaces and add-ons as required by the individual customer.

To provide practical software solutions of unsurpassable quality for the mortgage lending and appraisal industry, while utilizing the best and most advantageous new technologies.

Software for Real Estate Professionals, Inc. (SFREP) prides itself on being part of the cutting edge in software technology. SFREP is a provider of innovative software tools for the real estate appraisal and mortgage lending industry and is committed to providing complete real estate software solutions to both appraisers and lending institutions.

A privately held company, SFREP was founded by in 1983, and later incorporated in Louisiana in 1986. SFREP is now held equally by R. Wayne Pugh and John Kevlin.

In the early 1980's, there were few software products available for the real estate appraiser. At this time, interest in providing software applications for the appraiser began to increase as a result of four factors:

• Computer price/performance ratios were improving dramatically.
• Common word processing hardware and software were found on desktop computers.
• Disk storage devices were attaining higher capacity.
• Multiple Listing Service databases and county courthouse record databases were becoming more readily available.

SFREP’s first product, The Residential Appraiser, a DOS-based software package that assists appraisers in completing appraisal forms, was released in 1984. At that time, decreasing costs, increasing performance/capacity factors, and the emergence of the desktop computer as a low cost storage medium were especially important to the appraisal market. Previously, storage media and main frame computers had been too costly to handle the large amounts of data required for maintaining current appraisal data.

Additionally, sales data was becoming available via modem access at no cost to anyone doing business within the applicable geographical area. The data, though, was difficult to access and store through the computer means available at that time. These difficulties presented SFREP with an opportunity to develop a new market. In 1991, SFREP released MLS Scan, which allowed appraisers to download Multiple Listing Service database information directly into the Comparable Sales Database of The Residential Appraiser.

Meanwhile, Kevlin, as Director of Research and Development, decided that SFREP should be part of the emerging Microsoft Windows technologies, and began to develop a counterpart to The Residential Appraiser based in the new Windows operating environment. By doing so, Kevlin felt that the Windows environment would ultimately offer greater flexibility for the real estate appraiser, not only in terms of hardware, but would also offer expanded interoperability with other applications.

SFREP based this Windows product on a forms engine which provided an easy, cost-effective method of producing an ever-increasing variety of forms for the appraiser. This allowed SFREP to become a leader in Windows-based technologies for the appraiser.

In 1993, the appraisal industry decided to enter the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) playing field. It was decided at that time, that SFREP would also embrace as a primary strategy for providing solutions to not only the appraiser but also mortgage lending institutions.

Since then, SFREP has succeeded in acquiring a significant number of high profile clients in the mortgage lending industry, and has been in direct contact with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Mortgage Bankers Association(MBA), and other mortgage lending industry leaders in conjunction with the EDI Workgroup. SFREP is a major contributor to the EDI Workgroup and frequently acts as a consultant to the workgroup for EDI mapping, transaction set infrastructure and other issues involving the practical application of EDI. SFREP is an active member of the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 Data Interchange Standards Association, Inc. (DISA), and an associate member of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

Wayne has been active in the appraisal industry as CEO and founder of R. Wayne Pugh and Company appraisal company since 1975. He is also CEO and founder of Real Estate Data Services, Inc, a publisher of commercial real estate transfer and public records including detail summaries of all real estate transfers in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding parishes since 1983. Wayne is also Vice-president and Founder of Smokey Mountain Software, Inc., a real estate software publishing firm founded in a 1988 He has also been active in the Baton Rouge Board of Realtors as director, chair of the MLS committee and commercial Investment division since the early 1980’s. ASREC Activities include Site Selection Committee member for the American Society of Real Estate Counselors for 1992 through 1995. His SREA, and AI Chapter Activities include President for the Louisiana Chapter of the Appraisal Institute for 1993, and Vice-President the founding year (1992). Also served as Chairman of Education and Chairman of Public Relations. .President Baton Rouge Chapter of the Appraisal Institute for 1990, also have served as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, Chairman of Education, and Chairman of Public Relations. His Appraisal Institute Activities include Region IX Representative for 1990 through 1997 present for the Appraisal Institute Regional Ethics Panel member for the Appraisal Institute 1992 through present Chairman of Regional Technology Committee. His Appraisal Institute National Activities include Chairman Technology Outreach Committee 2002 and 2003 Member Communications Committee 2002 and 2003

Our Corporate Vision is to be a globally recognized leader in electronic commerce solutions for the appraisal and mortgage lending industry. This will be achieved through our continued infrastructure development, implementation of state of the art software technologies, improved administrative techniques, a strong commitment to excellence in service, and world class training to our ever expanding electronic trading community. We are determined to do what we have done throughout the United States and Canada, in Europe, Mexico and Asia.

Headquarters, Sales and Marketing
   7423 Picardy Avenue, Suite F
   Baton Rouge, LA 70808
   Voice: 1-800-523-0872
   FAX: 1-225-766-7629

Product Support and Development
   596 West Main Street
   Sylva, NC 28779
   Voice: 1-800-644-4051
   FAX: 1-800-344-1484