Short answer: dotloop and SkySlope store your documents, handle e-signatures, and keep your files compliant. A CRM tracks your leads and contacts. None of them do the coordination work. Lintel does — and it works on top of the tools you already use. You don't have to switch. Here's the difference.
Quick comparison
| dotloop / SkySlope (TMS) | CRM (Follow Up Boss, etc.) | Lintel (AI coordinator) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Store docs, e-sign, compliance | Track leads and contacts | Do the coordination work |
| Reads contracts, enters data | No | No | Yes |
| Drafts paperwork and emails | No | No | Yes |
| Tracks deadlines | Reminders | No | Yes, actively |
| E-signature | Yes | No | Works with yours |
| Keeps a compliance file | Yes | No | Feeds yours |
| Cost | ~$32/user/mo (dotloop) | $30–$100/user/mo | ~$79/file |
What dotloop and SkySlope are for
These are transaction management systems. They are good at what they do. They hold every document for a deal in one place. They handle e-signatures. They give your broker a clean, compliant file and a way to check it. But they are storage and forms. They don't read your contract for you. They don't enter the data, draft the emails, or chase the signatures. You or your coordinator still do all of that by hand. Your brokerage probably requires one of these, and that's fine.
What a CRM is for
A CRM like Follow Up Boss manages the front of your business: leads, contacts, and follow-up before a deal exists. It's built for winning clients, not for running a transaction from contract to close. Different job.
The key difference
Here's the simplest way to think about it:
- dotloop and SkySlope hold your files.
- A CRM holds your contacts.
- Lintel works your files.
Lintel reads the signed contract, enters the details, builds the deadline calendar, drafts the paperwork and emails, and chases the signatures. The storage tools keep the record. Lintel does the labor. That's the part a human used to do.
You don't have to switch
Lintel is not a replacement for dotloop, SkySlope, or your CRM. It works with them.
- It reads the deal from your email inbox.
- It pushes the finished documents and key dates into dotloop or SkySlope.
- It updates your CRM with the deal details.
So your broker keeps the compliance system they trust. Your team keeps the CRM they know. Lintel sits on top and does the work that fills them in. Nothing gets ripped out.
What it costs
- dotloop: about $32 per user a month
- SkySlope: quote-based, usually tens of dollars per user a month
- CRM: $30 to $100 per user a month
- Lintel: about $79 a file
You're not choosing Lintel instead of these. You're adding the one tool that actually does the coordination, for a fraction of a human coordinator's cost.
Lintel vs. transaction software FAQ
No. Those store your documents and keep you compliant. Lintel does the coordination work and feeds the documents and dates into them.