This year marks a significant milestone for Dezrez—25 years of empowering estate agents with cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions! From humble beginnings as a small start-up to becoming a leading provider of cloud-based estate agency software, our journey has been one of continuous evolution, resilience, and a relentless drive to transform the property sector.

As part of our 25th birthday celebrations, we decided to take a look back at the last 25 years, to remind ourselves and our incredible partners and customers of how far we’ve come, and how excited we are for the future of Dezrez!

So, let’s start at the very beginning…

Want to learn more? Below is a more in-depth breakdown of our 25-year history:

Our founding and early development:

1998-1999

Dezrez was co-founded by Justin Morris and Ian Pearce in 1998. They dedicated themselves to developing and refining early prototypes of what was initially an online property portal. The goal was simple yet ambitious: to create a platform that would streamline property transactions and connect buyers, sellers, and agents in new and meaningful ways.

Just one year later, the concept was brought to market, christening the Dezrez portal in 1999.

2000-2005

Responding to market demand, Dezrez made a pivotal shift in 2000 from a property portal to developing estate agent software. This move positioned Dezrez as a pioneer, launching the UK’s first online estate agency software. It was a revolutionary step that laid the foundation for the comprehensive CRM solutions we offer today. That same year, we welcomed our very first employee, marking the beginning of a team that would grow and thrive alongside the company.

The early 2000s were a period of rapid growth and recognition. By 2004, we had acquired our own business premises and reached 500 customers. A testament to our impact, Prime Minister Tony Blair visited our office, highlighting Dezrez’s role in advancing technology within the property sector.

Market adaption and growth

2006-2010
With a growing customer base of over 1,000 estate agents, Dezrez continued to innovate. Despite the global financial crisis in 2007, we adapted by developing new lettings functionality, helping agents diversify their revenue streams during challenging times. In 2009, we introduced DezrezLegal, a conveyancing firm dedicated to delivering speedy transactions and outstanding customer service to Dezrez customers.

2011-2014
As we entered a new decade, we celebrated reaching 100 employees, a significant milestone that underscored our growth and the expanding community of estate agents we serve.

Market research and innovation

2015-2017
In 2015, we took another leap forward with the launch of Rezi, a cloud-based CRM system featuring a sophisticated backend with open API’s designed to transform how agents use software to accelerate their business. Rezi’s flexible and customisable platform provided estate agents with the tools they needed to streamline operations and enhance productivity.

Building on the success of Rezi, we introduced Rezi Anytime in 2016, a 24/7 client portal offering estate agents and their client’s real-time access to the progress of their transactions. This innovation empowered agents to provide improved customer service, enhancing transparency and communication throughout the property journey.

2018-2019
2018 saw the appointment of Richard Price as Managing Director, marking a new chapter for Dezrez. Under Richard’s leadership, we continued to expand and refine our product offerings, securing major deals and reinforcing our position as a market leader in estate agency software.

2020
The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, but it also highlighted the importance of digital transformation. In response, we released our integration with Zapier, a powerful automation tool, and became the first CRM to integrate with Zoom, allowing agents to conduct virtual viewings during lockdown. These innovations ensured that our customers could continue operating effectively in a rapidly changing environment.

2021
In 2021, we hosted our first-ever virtual event, EAvolution21, during which we also launched ReziPM, a property management software solution. This new product provided agents with a comprehensive tool for managing their properties, further expanding our suite of solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of the property sector.

2022-2024
As we celebrate 25 years in business, we are proud to be one of the longest-running UK-based estate agency software providers. Our recent launch of Open Banking as part of ReziPM has set a new standard, making us the first estate agency software provider to integrate with all major UK banks. This innovation is saving lettings agents countless hours in reconciliation, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to delivering technology that drives efficiency and profitability.

Since launching our API, we’ve produced several new instruction-winning features, including automation which reduces repetitive tasks and increases efficiency (reducing cost) and social media integration which allows agents to win more instructions via their marketing channels, among others.

Most recently, we teamed up with Homesearch to create ‘Property Insights Reports’, a data integration that provides all Dezrez users with instant access to property information for any residential address in the UK.

Dezrezlegal is also now the only conveyancing firm that integrates directly with a comprehensive property sales and lettings CRM. Material information integration means that properties can be more legally ready and transact quicker. We can truly now help manage the process from listing to completion.

The future of Dezrez: a message from our CEO

Chief Executive Officer Justin Morris shared his vision for the future of Dezrez:

“Looking ahead, we remain committed to innovation, customer service, and empowering estate agents with our instruction-winning features and integrations. From automated workflows to data integrations, such as our latest collaboration with Homesearch, we enable agents to better understand the market. We’re also excited about leveraging AI advancements to help estate agents achieve even more. Dezrez handles all aspects of sales, lettings, property management, accounts, and payments. We’re dedicated to continually enhancing our services to offer an even more comprehensive solution.

We’re thrilled to continue this journey with you, our valued customers and partners, as we work together to shape the future of the property sector. Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to the next 25 years of innovation and success!”