Why I Built MEMO: A Letter to Agents Who Feel the Guilt

By Mark Dusing, Founder
Last updated: November 2025

Dear Agent Who's Been Carrying This Weight,

I'm not a real estate agent.

I've never sold a home. I've never cold-called a lead. I've never spent a Saturday showing houses to someone who "just wants to look."

So why did I build MEMO?

Because I watched someone I care about carry a guilt I couldn't fix.

It Started With a House Hunt

March 2025.

My fiancée Natalie and I were house hunting in Nashville. Our realtor was Meg—a friend from college who'd been in real estate for about 3 years.

Meg is the kind of person who remembers your dog's name six months after meeting you. She genuinely cares about people. It's why she's good at her job.

But one day, we were driving between showings, and she said something that stuck with me:

"I'd rather drop the ball on a contract detail than forget a client's birthday. That's what keeps me up at night."

I asked her to explain.

She showed me her system: Sticky notes. Google Docs. Paper folders on her dining room table.

"I know it's not sustainable," she said. "But I tried using my brokerage's CRM and it felt like... homework. Like I was managing a database instead of nurturing relationships."

The Question I Couldn't Stop Asking

A few weeks later, we were grabbing coffee and Meg asked me:

"Can you build me a better CRM?"

I'm a product manager. I spent 6 years building CRM software at restaurant tech companies (Wisely and Olo). So obviously my ears perked up.

But I was deep in building another project at the time, so I told her I couldn't take it on.

Still, the question haunted me:

Why do agents—who care deeply about their clients—struggle so much to stay in touch?

It didn't make sense.

The Research That Changed Everything

I couldn't let it go.

So I started researching. And what I found shocked me.

91% of agents never contact clients after closing.

88% of buyers would work with their agent again.

That's a 63-point relationship gap.

But here's what really got me:

It's not because agents don't care. It's because the tools are built for someone else.

I analyzed 249 sources: Reddit threads, G2 reviews, ActiveRain forums, agent Facebook groups.

The pattern was overwhelming:

"Too many features I don't need"
"Never use it"
"My brokerage requires it but it's useless"
"I'm so embarrassed that I didn't stay in touch in the first place that I can't bring myself to reach out now"

That last one hit different.

It's not laziness. It's guilt.

Agents care so much about getting it right that they end up doing nothing at all.

The Problem With CRMs

Here's what I realized from my 6 years building CRM software:

CRMs are designed for brokerages and team leaders, not relationship-driven agents.

They're built for people managing:

But Meg doesn't need any of that.

She needs to remember:

That's it.

But her CRM doesn't do that simple thing. It does everything EXCEPT that.

What Meg Actually Told Me She Needed

In August 2025, we finally sat down for a proper discovery session. Natalie (also a PM) and I spent 2 hours just listening to Meg talk about her process.

Here's what she said:

"There's no such thing as a past client. It's your sphere. Everyone in your sphere matters—clients, referral sources, contractors, friends, family."

"If I have to manually log every interaction, I won't use it."

"Show me who's referring people to me and what they're worth. That's how I know where to invest my time."

"I don't want templates. I want frameworks. I need to sound like me, not like a CRM."

Everything clicked.

Meg doesn't need a Customer Relationship Manager. She needs a Personal Relationship Manager.

Why I Decided to Build It

I could have ignored it.

I could have said "CRMs already exist, the market is crowded, someone else will solve this."

But I couldn't shake three things:

1. The guilt is real.

I've now talked to 50+ agents. Every single one described the same guilt: forgetting someone who mattered. Waking up at 3am remembering a birthday they missed.

One agent told me: "I wake up at 3am in a panic realizing I forgot someone's birthday."

That's not a software problem. That's an emotional weight they're carrying.

2. The tools are failing them.

73% of agents don't use adequate CRM systems. Not because they're disorganized. Because the tools aren't built for them.

3. I know how to fix it.

I spent 6 years building relationship management software. I know what works and what doesn't.

But more importantly: I'm not building this alone. I'm building it WITH agents. Meg has been with me every step of the way. So has Ben (another agent I talked to early on). And Natalie (my fiancée, who keeps me honest).

What MEMO Actually Does

MEMO does 4 things. That's it.

1. The Stack (Your Daily Workflow)
Every morning, The Stack shows you just 3 people to connect with (The Short List). Birthdays, home anniversaries, and people who are drifting. Connect with them, and you've won the day.

2. Shows you what to say
Not word-for-word templates. Frameworks you adapt to your voice. "Acknowledge the gap. Give a specific reason. Lead with care."

3. Makes it fast
10 minutes a day. That's all it takes. Open the app. See today's 5 people. Reach out. Done.

4. Tracks your ROI
See who's referring people to you, how many deals came from them, and how much commission you earned. Now you know where to invest your time.

No pipeline stages.
No lead scoring.
No drip campaigns.

Just: Never forget the people who built your business.

Why I'm Charging What I'm Charging

MEMO is $49/month (or $39/month annual).

I know that might seem like a lot compared to free tools or cheap CRMs.

But here's my thinking:

This isn't a CRM. It's peace of mind.

If MEMO helps you:

...then $49/month is a steal.

But more than that: I'm betting on agents who care.

If you're the kind of agent who feels the guilt—who genuinely wants to stay in touch but doesn't have a system—you'll pay $49/month for something that actually works.

If you don't care about relationships? You'll never pay for MEMO. And that's fine.

I'm not building for everyone. I'm building for you.

What I'm NOT Promising

Let me be crystal clear about what MEMO does and doesn't do:

MEMO will NOT:

MEMO WILL:

If that's worth $49/month to you, try it.

If not, no hard feelings.

Why I'm Building This in Public

You might have noticed: I share a lot.

I post on LinkedIn about what I'm learning. I share validation insights. I'm transparent about what's working and what's not.

Here's why:

1. Accountability
If I say I'm building something, I have to actually build it.

2. Learning
Other founders share what worked for them. That helps me avoid mistakes.

3. Trust
If you're going to trust me with your sphere—the people who built your business—you should know who I am.

I'm not hiding behind a polished brand. I'm a guy who learned to code with AI over the last year, talked to a bunch of agents, and decided to solve a problem I saw.

If that resonates with you, great.

If you want a "professional" software company, there are plenty of those.

The Moment I Knew This Was Real

September 2025.

I showed Meg the first version of MEMO.

She opened the app. Saw her sphere. Saw today's reminders.

She smiled and said: "This is exactly what I asked for. But you didn't just build what I asked for. You built what I actually needed."

That's when I knew.

I'd spent 6 years at Wisely and Olo building features that stakeholders requested. Sometimes they worked. Sometimes they didn't.

But this? This felt different.

Because I wasn't building for a roadmap. I was building for Meg.

And if it works for Meg, it'll work for agents like her.

What I Want You to Know

If you're reading this, you're probably the kind of agent who:

I see you.

I built MEMO for you.

Not for high-volume agents who need pipeline dashboards.

Not for teams who need transaction tracking.

For YOU. The agent who cares so much that the weight of it becomes paralyzing.

An Invitation

Try MEMO for 14 days. Free. No credit card required.

If it doesn't help you stay in touch with your sphere, email me personally. I'll refund you.

But if it does? If it lifts even a little bit of that guilt?

Then stick around. Help me make it better.

Because I'm not done building. I'm just getting started.

And I want you with me on this journey.

One Last Thing

My fiancée Natalie asked me recently: "What if this doesn't work? What if agents don't want it?"

I told her: "Then at least I tried. And I'll have learned something."

But here's what I actually believe:

I've talked to too many agents who feel this guilt for it not to be real.

91% of agents lose touch.
73% don't use adequate systems.
80% burn out from the emotional weight of it.

This isn't a software problem. It's a human problem.

And I think MEMO can help.

If you think so too, I'd love for you to try it.

Questions? Email me: mark@memoforagents.com

I'm personally answering every email. (For now. Once we scale, I'll probably need help. But today? It's just me.)

With gratitude,

Mark Dusing
Founder, MEMO
mark@memoforagents.com

P.S. — If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I know your time is valuable. I promise I won't waste it. If MEMO helps you, tell me. If it doesn't, tell me that too. I'm building this for you, and your feedback matters.

P.P.S. — To Meg, Ben, Stacy, and every agent who's shared their story with me: Thank you. You're the reason MEMO exists. This is for you.