The traditional real estate brokerage landscape is rapidly evolving with the rise of tech-driven , transparent digital mandate models which help developers optimize channel partner performance and empower brokers with real time project information and standardised selling processes. Here, in an exclusive interview with Torbit Realty, Satya Shobhan Mahapatra, Chief Marketing Officer, JUSTO RealFintech, a full-service real estate mandate company, talks about the growing popularity of digital mandate platforms, their USP, business model, evolving mandate partnerships with developers, changing deal economics and growth prospects and challenges before the mandated service industry.
Q. How do you view the growing ecosystem of digital mandate platforms, and how is technology fundamentally reshaping the mandate business model?
The mandate ecosystem is transitioning to streamlined, technology-led operating models from fragmented, relationship-driven sales structures. Digital platforms now combine lead flow, inventory visibility, campaign performance, and channel partner engagement into one, accountable system. The research shows that app-based lead and inventory management is making predictability better, leakage is getting reduced, and developer oversight is getting strengthened. Mandate partners are more and more switching to mobile-first CRMs, AI-led scoring, and automated follow-up engines to funnel quality. We have seen that when data, market intelligence, and sales operations get functional on unified platforms, it significantly improves absorption and reduces CAC. The broader industry is moving in this direction as developers seek performance-linked, transparent models instead of traditional brokerage. Technology is no longer an enabler; it is now the foundation upon which mandate scalability, accuracy, and accountability are built.
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Q. Transparency and accountability are key to mandate execution. What is your perspective on ethics and accountability within the mandate ecosystem?
Ethics and accountability are the key aspects that have come to define a mandate ecosystem which is gradually becoming more digitized and strictly compliance-driven. While RERA has been instrumental in bringing structural transparency to the sector, digital systems are now implementing it on a daily basis through audit trails, access controls, lead traceability, and real-time reporting. For mandate partners, ethical conduct is not limited to communication accuracy; it extends to data governance, customer handling, channel partner payouts, and financial discipline. In our own experience at Justo, transparency has been a driver of developer trust because every action site visit, lead quality, booking status, or cash-flow alignment—is recorded, measurable, and auditable. The industry as a whole is moving from intent-based ethics to system-driven accountability. This shift is essential, because a mandate relationship requires a developer to hand over strategic control of revenue. Integrity, therefore, is not only a value but a core operational requirement.
Q. What tech tools are being deployed to maximise lead quality and conversion, and how is mandate success measured?
To a large extent, real estate mandates today are dependent on integrated tech stacks that bring discipline and consistency to the sales funnel. Most of the established mandate partners have been observed to employ AI-enabled CRMs for lead scoring, automated outreach via WhatsApp/IVR, granular campaign attribution, and real-time inventory mapping. Such a transition is in line with the trends in the respective industry, where developers can significantly increase their ROI through structured lead management. The use of our proprietary tools for Leads and Work helps in funnel hygiene through the centralisation of follow-ups, sales actions, and documentation. Success is not only measured by the absolute sales total but also by concrete KPIs such as conversion ratios, lead-to-visit time, CPL and CPQL, marketing ROI, and sales velocity. Mandate outcomes turn into being foreseeable and optimisable as each move is digitally logged. Those companies which utilize the suitable analytics and automations are always at a higher level compared to the ones that rely on manual, unstructured processes.
Q. How do partnerships with developers work, and how are they redefining deal economics in the real estate industry?
Mandate partnerships have evolved from vendor-style relationships to strategic collaborations. Developers increasingly prefer partners who take full responsibility for research, positioning, marketing, channel partner management, site operations, and CRM—reducing the need for multiple external agencies. This consolidation optimises costs and brings transparency into CAC, sales velocity, and cash-flow planning. Industry data shows that when mandates manage the full funnel, developers see faster absorption and stronger ROI. Justo partners are aligned to the performance of the company, with rewards being tied to the results. Thus, it changes the deal economics to be more variable, efficiency-driven from the fixed-cost structures ones. Besides, the partners who are on the mandate today have the distribution networks, micro-market intelligence, and technology as the assets that can directly open the top line of a project. The outcome is a model that is more reliable, where there is mutual accountability, and it is also easily expandable which is great for developers and homebuyers alike.
Q. What is the current status of the digital mandate industry, and what strategies are helping expand beyond metros into Tier-2 cities?
The digital mandate industry is in a high-growth phase, with developers seeking structured platforms that combine technology, distribution, and operational depth. While metros remain the strongest mandate markets, the next wave of growth is clearly coming from Tier-2 cities where demand is rising and formalisation is accelerating. The methods of expansion consist of hyperlocal digital marketing, a strong channel partner ecosystem, and mobile-first CRMs that are even operational in low bandwidth areas.With our inroads into Tier 2 cities , we have found that cross-sourcing, regional CP networks, and market-specific positioning facilitate the process of conveying the message considerably faster. The industry playbook is changing from “metro expertise exported outward” to “localised execution powered by centralised tech.” As a result, more developers in Tier-2 cities are looking for predictable, transparent sales operations, and mandate partners with strong technology and local presence are becoming the most attractive way of scaling further.
Q. What are the key prospects and challenges for the mandated services industry?
The mandate sector is set to grow substantially as developers will be looking for performance-driven, technologically advanced partners. Key prospects include deeper integration of AI in lead scoring, predictive demand analytics, virtual sales experiences, and end-to-end digitisation of the homebuyer journey. The model is also becoming central to project cash-flow predictability one of the biggest priorities for developers today. However, challenges remain. Execution consistency across geographies is difficult, particularly in channel-partner-heavy markets. As more and more consumer information is gathered, data privacy and governance will require even more stringent measures. Another balancing act is performance incentive alignment without customer experience degradation. We believe that the greatest opportunity is in creating a mandate ecosystem characterized by transparency, technology, and operational discipline. The ones who are able to achieve this on a large scale will determine how the real estate distribution in India evolves.
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