Formule is the Lofty alternative for agents who sell on WhatsApp

Formule is a Lofty alternative for real estate agents who sell to international buyers and run their client conversations on WhatsApp. Formule is a real estate CRM with agentic AI: its AI agent, Really, does the work a CRM usually just records, from drafting follow-ups to building listing pages, and the agent approves everything before it goes out. Lofty, formerly Chime, is a full US platform with a lot to offer. This page lays out both honestly.

Lofty is an all-in-one platform for US agents, teams and brokers

Chime Technologies rebranded as Lofty in November 2023. Today the Phoenix-based company describes Lofty as "an agentic AI Operating System built for agents, teams, and brokers". As of October 2026, its site lists:

• A Smart CRM that it says is powered by agentic AI.

• An IDX website with home search that turns visitors into leads, plus a WordPress IDX plugin and SEO services as add-ons.

• Lead generation through more than 33 methods, including Google Local Services Ads, social ads and other paid programs.

• AI agents. Cowork is described as an agentic business partner. The Sales Agent works as a virtual ISA around the clock, the Homeowner Agent works your database for seller leads, and the Social Agent handles social media marketing. You can also build Custom Agents.

• Automation and calling. Smart Plans nurture leads across email, text, calls and direct mail, and a Power Dialer handles outbound calls.

• Back office and transactions, mobile apps and a Lofty MCP server.

Lofty also cites a community of more than 70,000 real estate professionals and more than 50 live training sessions a week. Its plans are Lofty Agent, Team, Broker and Enterprise, and every plan is priced on request. Its homepage says there is no free trial, only a one-on-one demo. Some lead programs carry extra fees: digital seller advertising requires a 20% ad management fee.

The two products answer different questions

Lofty answers the question of how a US agent or brokerage generates, captures and nurtures leads at volume: IDX site, paid lead programs, drip plans, dialer and AI agents working inside one system. If you are building a lead machine in a US market, that breadth is the point.

Formule answers a narrower one: how an agent keeps up with buyers who talk on WhatsApp, in several languages, without spending the evening updating a CRM. Lofty's site lists email, text, calls, direct mail and social as its channels. It does not advertise a native WhatsApp channel. Third-party tools can connect Lofty to WhatsApp Business APIs, but that is an extra product to set up and pay for.

Formule is a CRM built around WhatsApp and Really

Formule was built WhatsApp-first, for agents who work with international buyers and in markets where WhatsApp dominates. Think of agents selling to clients relocating from abroad, investors who buy remotely, or families who expect a reply on WhatsApp rather than an SMS.

Really is the agent you talk to

Really works inside the Formule app, on WhatsApp at +1 786 982 0633, and by voice in the app. It works in the agent's language: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian or Polish. You ask it about a lead, a property or your day, and it answers or drafts the next step.

Approval is the default

Really helps you follow up leads and drafts replies, and you approve what goes out. Lofty's AI page says its agents "respond, follow up, and work even when you don't", while also saying the agents suggest actions and you approve the important ones. Formule keeps it simple: nothing reaches a client until you have seen it.

A listing page from a link

Paste a property link and Really turns it into a listing draft and a shareable listing page. For agents without an IDX site, or with listings outside the MLS, that covers the basic need of sending a buyer a clean page fast.

Images and videos on credits

The Marketing section produces AI images and short videos of a property. You pay with credits rather than a service retainer.

Leads in one pipeline

Leads from ads and portals land in one pipeline, and branch managers see every lead. On the agency plan, Formule can run an agency's Meta lead ads; those campaigns have averaged €0.084 per click with a 6.13% click-through rate.

Your AI assistant connects too

Like Lofty, Formule has an MCP server. It connects Formule to Claude and ChatGPT, so you can work with your data from the assistant you already use.

How Lofty and Formule compare

• Who it is for. Lofty: US agents, teams, brokers and enterprises. Formule: agents and agencies whose clients live on WhatsApp, including international and multilingual buyers.

• Channels. Lofty: email, text, calls, direct mail, social. Formule: WhatsApp, the app and voice.

• Websites and MLS. Lofty: IDX website with home search. Formule: shareable listing pages from a link; it does not advertise MLS or IDX integrations.

• Getting started. Lofty: a demo, no free trial, pricing on request. Formule: a free start with a 7-day Really trial, and Really sets up new agents in one chat.

• Languages. Lofty's AI pages do not mention supported languages. Really works in six.

Agents who are better off with Lofty

Stay with Lofty, or choose it, if you want one vendor for your IDX website, paid lead generation, dialer, nurture plans and back office, and your clients mostly answer texts and calls. Brokerages that need brand-wide rollouts will also note that Lofty's packages list single sign-on, white-label and custom org structure options. Formule does not try to replace a US lead-generation stack.

A practical middle path exists: keep Lofty for domestic lead generation and add Formule for the international buyers who only reply on WhatsApp.

Formule's numbers come from the live platform

Formule has been live for 17 months with 14 agencies on the platform. More than €4.2M in property has been sold through Formule, the catalogue holds 10,288 property listings, the platform has sent 3,569 WhatsApp messages, and it has logged 2,264 AI assistant calls.

Trying Formule takes one chat

There is no demo to book and no onboarding call to schedule. Create a free Formule account, answer Really's questions, and your workspace is ready. Paste one of your listings to see the page it builds, then send Really a message on WhatsApp about a lead and approve the reply it drafts. If that is how your clients already talk to you, you will know within the 7-day trial whether it fits.