From Chaos to Clarity: How Anchored Realty Scaled with Podio Automation

With Progress Podio software, Anchored Realty Services:

• Automated property and task management, eliminating unnecessary spreadsheets
• Improved communication and visibility across a fully remote team
• Scaled operations to handle 50+ property transactions per year with just seven employees
• Built transparency and trust by improving visibility through centralized data and clear accountability  

When Carlene Nace co-founded Anchored Realty Services with her husband, Kirk, she knew success would depend on more than just closing deals. As the business grew, acquiring more than 50 properties in a single year, the team faced an unexpected challenge: Keeping up with their own momentum.

Seemingly overnight, their lack of modern systems had become impossible to ignore. What once worked for a smaller operation was now creating roadblocks, turning their own success into a bottleneck.

“We had umpteen thousands of spreadsheets,” Carlene recalls. “It was chaotic.”

Every property, renovation project and sale was manually tracked in Google Sheets. For a small team operating remotely and widely dispersed, that meant endless email chains, fragmented communication and mounting frustration. They needed structure—dependable structure that wouldn’t slow them down.

That’s when Carlene and broker Elisabeth Mapley-Brittle turned to Progress® Podio® software.

Turning Spreadsheets into Systems of Record

Moving from manual processes to a fully automated workspace was no small feat. But Elisabeth quickly saw potential in Podio customizable workflows and began mapping every stage of the business into a single, organized platform—all the way from purchase, to renovation and finally to sale.

The Podio task automation feature became a game-changer. Now, each property follows a clear path, with the right task being triggered for the right person at the right time. Segmented workspaces help keep the investment, brokerage and financial data organized and secure.

“Podio assigns tasks and automates seamlessly. It creates everything for me instead of me manually having to go in there every single time. It’s very helpful.”
— Elisabeth Mapley-Brittle, Broker, Anchored Realty Services

A Clear View of Every Property

For Carlene, the biggest change was visibility.

“The fact that we can log every single property that comes in and have a track record of it—and not be wondering ‘What properties did we buy this year? What’s the status of each?’—is great. We have all the addresses, counties and utilities in one spot. That to me is the biggest impact.”
— Carlene Nace, Co-Founder, Anchored Realty Services

Before using Podio software, keeping track of progress meant trusting that everyone was on the same page. Now, updates, notes and documents can be located quickly and seamlessly—bringing clarity, accountability and peace of mind.

“There’s more trust that people are moving things along because of Podio’s ability to track updates and changes. Before, it was me just being like, ‘Alright—I’m trusting that they’re doing this right.’”
— Elisabeth Mapley-Brittle, Broker, Anchored Realty Services

Scaling Smarter, Not Harder

Podio automations didn’t just streamline workflows—they helped the team grow smarter and more sustainably. With only seven team members, Anchored Realty has managed to keep their headcount low, despite their rapid growth. And yet, this lean, well-coordinated team still manages dozens of transactions each year, all while staying organized and confident in the details.

When the team decided to slow acquisitions for a short time to strengthen internal systems, Podio tools helped make the transition seamless. Since every document, task and conversation was already centralized, it allowed them to fine-tune operations and prepare for long-term scalability.

What’s Next for Anchored Realty

Carlene and Elisabeth continue to fine-tune their Podio platform, building automations that fit their team’s unique work styles. Next, they plan to customize workspaces for Kirk’s deal-making workflow and add new features to simplify reporting and tax tracking.

For a team that values adaptability, the Podio platform has become more than a tool—it’s an essential for the company’s ongoing success.