Chris Synan, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. — Transforming Real Estate Through Cutting-Edge Tech

01/22/25 • 44 min

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Chris Synan, Vice President of Engineering at Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Chris has been with Keller Williams since just before the COVID lockdown and has played a critical role in driving the company’s technology transformation. With experience managing large teams and overhauling systems at companies such as Dell, AMD, CA Technologies, and General Motors, Chris has valuable insights on large-scale innovation, team culture transformation and technological development.

Key Takeaways:

(04:42) Investing in technology to drive business forward.

(06:37) The importance of simplifying tech processes.

(10:55) Transitioning to React Native for scalability.

(12:33) Building a culture of trust in the team.

(15:48) The importance of strong leadership during difficult times.

(17:50) Expert knowledge is critical to building great tech.

(23:33) Starting fresh with expert guidance boosts efficiency.

(31:10) Scaling the tech stack to support rapid growth.

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Synan -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissynan/

Keller Williams Realty, Inc.| LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/keller-williams-realty-inc/

Keller Williams Realty | Website -

https://kw.com/

React Native -

https://reactnative.dev/

Very Good Ventures designs and builds world-class digital experiences for any screen, with the best tools and engineering approaches for consistent, scalable results. Find out how VGV helps you hit the mark at: https://verygood.ventures/.

#Apps #Flutter #AppDevelopment

Key Takeaways:

(04:42) Investing in technology to drive business forward.

(06:37) The importance of simplifying tech processes.

(10:55) Transitioning to React Native for scalability.

(12:33) Building a culture of trust in the team.

(15:48) The importance of strong leadership during difficult times.

(17:50) Expert knowledge is critical to building great tech.

(23:33) Starting fresh with expert guidance boosts efficiency.

(31:10) Scaling the tech stack to support rapid growth.

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Synan -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissynan/

Keller Williams Realty, Inc.| LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/keller-williams-realty-inc/

Keller Williams Realty | Website -

https://kw.com/

React Native -

https://reactnative.dev/

#Apps #Flutter #AppDevelopment

Previous Episode

David Chen - Building Autonomous Systems for Real-World Challenges

On today’s episode, we’re joined by David Chen, whose previous roles include Chief Technology Officer of Skycatch and Senior Software Engineer at Twitter. He is currently Head of Software Services at Agtonomy, where he focuses on building autonomous farming solutions to address labor shortages in agriculture. David shares his journey from drone-based mining technology to robotics in agriculture, offering insights into designing impactful technology.

Key Takeaways:

(01:14) Autonomous rides set a new standard for reliability.

(02:59) From Twitter to drones: a journey into autonomy.

(04:11) Mapping mines is safer and faster with drone technology.

(07:30) On-site immersion ensures products meet real-world demands.

(11:50) Human-centered design is critical for robotics success.

(14:12) Focused investments in core tech drive impactful results.

(17:04) Strategic tech choices enhance user experiences in the field.

(19:10) Cross-platform development simplifies maintenance for small teams.

(20:32) Multi-platform design reduces the need for specialized engineers.

(22:49) Strategic investments in tech drive flexibility and scalability.

(25:38) First impressions in UX determine an app’s success.

(27:55) Critical industries demand smarter, safer processes for sustainability.

(31:04) Passion drives innovation and improves decision-making.

Resources Mentioned:

David Chen -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-chen/

Agtonomy | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/agtonomy/

Agtonomy | Website -

https://www.agtonomy.com/

Skycatch | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/skycatch/

Skycatch | Website -

https://www.skycatch.com/

Waymo -

https://waymo.com/

#Apps #Flutter #AppDevelopment

Next Episode

Jorge Coca, Very Good Ventures — Simple Solutions for Solving Complex Problems at Scale

On this episode, we’re joined by Jorge Coca, Head of Engineering at Very Good Ventures, whose career spans over a decade of innovative contributions to the Flutter ecosystem and mobile engineering. Jorge’s journey includes pivotal roles at BMW, where he spearheaded Android and Flutter development, and SPR, where he led impactful consulting projects.

Jorge discusses the evolution of scalable and user-friendly engineering practices, the importance of aligning technology with business goals and fostering innovation within engineering teams. He also shares insights into balancing complexity with simplicity in solutions, the role of Flutter in transforming mobile app development, and the emerging frontier of augmented reality and wearable technologies.

Key Takeaways:

(01:12) The parallels between cooking, music and coding.

(02:21) Jorge’s journey from Spain to the US through the Erasmus program.

(04:31) User experience clicked, inspiring interest in website development.

(08:19) First Android hire at BMW, tasked with rapid delivery.

(13:06) BMW apps serve multiple brands and regional variations globally.

(17:34) Past engineering mistakes taught lessons on balancing complexity.

(25:14) Data-driven decisions led to adopting Flutter across engineering.

(28:06) Engineering leaders must foster cultures where failure drives learning.

(31:34) Scalable solutions require critical, focused ideas with broad impact.

(34:21) Avoid over-engineering by focusing on practical, impactful changes.

(36:43) Success means delivering value without compromising business stability.