OVERVIEW.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
The project was for SourceRE, a SaaS/Web Application in the Real Estate / PropTech industry. SourceRE is an internal product of Modern Tech, a technology and consulting firm specializing in solutions for the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) market in North America. SourceRE aims to provide advanced MLS database and API solutions, enabling MLS organizations to control data, enhance security, and facilitate growth through a Data Marketplace that connects data providers with PropTech vendors.
PROBLEM
The core problem SourceRE addressed was the fragmented and inefficient property data distribution landscape in real estate. MLS organizations suffered from a lack of control and sovereignty over their data because existing technology providers often bundled databases with front-end software, creating vendor lock-in and hindering innovation. Additionally, the industry faced inconsistent data distribution standards.
TEAM AND TIMELINE
Guilherme Theodoro served as Lead Product Designer for SourceRE, leading the product development process for this internal product. His role was a hybrid of specialist product designer and team manager. The project lasted one year and two months, from July 2024 to September 2025.
SOLUTION
Guilherme led the design of SourceRE from scratch, conceiving the ecosystem it as the "Google Drive of the MLS Data". This involved creating a centralized, independent database (MLS Data Exchange or MDX) to give MLSs full control over their real estate data and freedom to integrate other technologies.
The solution is structured around four interconnected modules:
1. Business Dashboard (MLS Module)
2. End Customers Platform (Vendors Module)
3. Moderation Tools (Admin Module)
4. Public-facing website (Data Marketplace)
The design process included:
• Product discovery efforts, such as Discovery Workshops with industry experts and Competitive Research & Analysis to understand the market and identify opportunities.
• Developing User Journeys and Personas through user interviews and discussions to represent key stakeholders (MLS and Vendors).
• Creating User Flows and wireframes, ranging from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity representations, to clarify information hierarchy and component layouts.
• Developing high-fidelity prototypes that were instrumental for commercial demonstrations and user testing. Usability tests were conducted with 23 users to evaluate 6 key features and gather insights for refinement.
• Implementing a design system based on Radix-UI primitives, with rigorous WCAG AA accessibility contrast validation for all color combinations.
IMPACT
The project achieved significant pre-launch success, with the high-fidelity prototypes securing over $500,000 in client partnerships and contracts even before a single line of code was written. This demonstrated design's power as a business tool and attracted substantial investment, enabling continuous product development scale.
The MVP was delivered one month early. The strategic product design addressed MLS board biases, leading to significant market penetration and the product becoming an integral part of the MLS ecosystem. Real-time validation through user interviews ensured continuous refinement.
