European alternative
The Cloze alternative built for European real estate agents
Cloze is an excellent real estate CRM in the United States. In Europe, it runs into five critical gaps: WhatsApp on Android, GDPR compliance, multi-language UI, fragile iPhone sync, and a $42 paywall around its AI. Here's the European option.
No credit card required. Multi-locale FR / PT / ES.
What Cloze is, exactly
Cloze is an American real estate CRM built in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by a team of roughly twenty people. Founded in 2012 around generic professional relationships (lawyers, financial advisors, consultants), the company pivoted to real estate exclusively in 2024. Today, it's an established player in the US market, bootstrapped, with no public funding round.
The most visible move from Cloze came in mid-2025: eXp Realty, the US network of approximately 81,000 agents, selected Cloze as its "CRM of Choice," made available free to its agents. In 2026, William Raveis (a US regional network) followed with a co-branded "Raveis365+" deployment. These two institutional adoptions anchor Cloze as the transactional CRM reference across the Atlantic.
On the product side, Cloze rests on five strong promises: passive data capture (automatically reading calls, SMS, iMessages and WhatsApp messages on Mac), Maia (a voice and text assistant launched in September 2025), Ghostwriter (an OpenAI-powered generator for emails and bios), KIT (a relational cadence system with an eleven-step slider from one day to one year), and smart pause that detects a real exchange and pauses any sequence in progress.
Pricing ranges from $17 per month (Pro solo) to $42 per month (Platinum, where Maia, AI matching and AI drip campaigns live). A Concierge add-on at $20 per user is billed separately for teams, with a $500 monthly minimum. Everything is priced in US dollars, with no euro option.
What Cloze does very well
Before looking at what doesn't work for a European agent, it's worth honestly acknowledging what Cloze has built.
01
iPhone + Mac passive data capture
When the setup holds, the agent no longer needs to log interactions manually. That's a qualitative leap over classic CRMs where everything has to be logged by hand.
02
Eleven-step cadence slider
Cloze turns a complex question — at what rhythm should I follow up each contact type? — into a simple mobile gesture. Most CRMs either impose rigid frequencies or require technical configuration.
03
Smart pause sequences
Without that logic, a CRM keeps sending follow-ups to a contact you just exchanged with. That's the robot effect everyone hates. Cloze solves it cleanly.
04
Blast from the past
Their module dedicated to dormant relationships surfaces forgotten contacts in the daily digest. It's the PRM job-to-be-done in product form.
05
Ghostwriter and shared prompts
Agencies with multiple commercial people can industrialise their phrasing without reinventing everything. Well executed AI generative layer on top of OpenAI.
06
Mature technical stack
More than ten years of existence, a stable team, well-tested US integrations. Cloze isn't a young or structurally fragile product.
Cloze isn't pretending. It's a product built with care by a team that knows the trade. The question, for an independent agent in France, Portugal, Spain — or operating cross-border from the UK or Ireland — isn't is it good. The question is: is it built for my market?
The five critical gaps in Cloze for a European agent
Five points where the product, excellent in the United States, becomes mechanically unbalanced on the European market.
01 Android without WhatsApp = blind to half the market
On Mac, Cloze captures WhatsApp messages via the Desktop application. Elegant. On Android, however, Cloze captures native SMS and calls, but not WhatsApp. The official documentation is explicit on this.
The problem for a European agent is mechanical. WhatsApp is the number-one client conversation channel in Western Europe — particularly in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, but also increasingly in the UK and Ireland for cross-border deals. In every available CRM editor study from the Spanish market, WhatsApp is described as imprescindible (indispensable).
The European mobile market is also roughly fifty-fifty Android / iOS, in contrast to the iOS-dominated US market. Concretely, an IAD France agent who chooses Cloze on Android loses all WhatsApp passive capture, which is the central value proposition of the product.
02 The $42 paywall around the AI
Maia, AI matching, and AI drip campaigns are gated behind the Platinum plan at $42 per month. The Pro ($17) and Silver ($21) plans give access to passive capture but not to AI. Frustration with this gating appears regularly on Capterra and G2 Cloze reviews.
For an independent agent who's starting out, or working alongside a salaried role, $42 (roughly €39) per month to access AI is a high threshold. By comparison, Referys's Pro plan at €8.99 per month includes the Pépito AI (twelve Zod-validated tools, 1500 monthly credits) with no additional gating.
The annual maths matters: $504 for Cloze Platinum, €108 for Referys Pro. Over a ten-year career, that's a several-thousand-euro gap on the PRM tool alone.
03 GDPR and AEPD compliance is not native
Cloze is built in the United States, hosted in the United States, and designed around the American regulatory framework (CCPA for California). The official site publishes a generic Privacy Policy that does not explicitly mention a European Data Processing Agreement, no dedicated EU hosting, and no specific alignment with European supervisory authorities.
For a French, Portuguese or Spanish agent, using Cloze relies on standard mechanisms for transferring data outside the EU — mechanisms subject to evolving European case law since the Schrems II ruling. For a Spanish agent, the AEPD is notoriously stricter than France's CNIL on certain points, making Cloze usage in Spain even more exposed.
Referys, conversely, is built in Europe for Europe. Hosted on Supabase in the EU region, with strict Row-Level Security on every table, user_id isolation on all client data, and no WhatsApp Business API (the wa.me bridge keeps the conversation on the agent's phone, with no intermediary server).
04 No French, Portuguese or Spanish localisation
Cloze's interface is entirely in English. No option to switch to French, Portuguese or Spanish. Maia and Ghostwriter AI prompts generate text in English by default. You can enter custom prompts in your language, but the translation and cultural adaptation are on you.
For an agent practising in continental Europe with francophone, lusophone or hispanophone clients, that's daily friction. The voice coming out of the tool isn't theirs.
Referys is multilingual from birth. Editorial parity between the French, Portuguese and Spanish versions is maintained line by line (more than 3,600 JSON lines per locale). The locked Spanish real estate glossary contains around one hundred industry terms. Pépito prompts are written directly in each language, not translated from French.
05 Fragile, Mac-only iPhone sync
The exact iPhone sync mechanism on the Cloze side has been publicly documented by their support. On Windows, you need iTunes installed, a Lightning USB cable for the first pairing, an encrypted backup password, and periodic local Wi-Fi. On Mac, you need Messages in iCloud enabled, Calls on Other Devices enabled, WhatsApp Desktop installed and permanently running, and Full Disk Access granted to Cloze. In total, between six and nine system toggles to activate manually.
The operational result is well-documented on Capterra. A review dated 16 August 2025, rated 1 out of 5, sums up the problem in one sentence: "Every three to four months, it will require you to reinstall the program." Sync breaks at each major iOS or macOS release, because Apple progressively restricts access to the chat.db file.
Referys doesn't depend on this fragile plumbing. No chat.db sync, no Full Disk Access, no Mac prerequisite. Contacts are imported via CSV or via the native contacts app (iOS and Android). Outbound messages go through the wa.me bridge, which opens WhatsApp directly with the text pre-filled.
The European alternatives landscape
Before introducing Referys, here's the broader market for a European real estate agent looking beyond Cloze.
| Tool | Type | Monthly pricing | Locales | Android | Verdict for European indie agent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloze | Real estate CRM | $17 to $42 | EN only | Mac only | No WA | Excellent in US, critical gaps in EU |
| Hektor | Transaction software | €70 to €150 | FR | No | Yes | Transaction-focused, not relational |
| Netty | Agency software | €89 to €250 | FR | No | Yes | Expensive, agency-oriented |
| Apimo | Agency software | €30 to €80 | Multi | No | Yes | Multi-portal listing, not relational |
| Pipedrive | Generic B2B CRM | €15 to €40 | Multi | No | Yes | Non-real-estate generic pipeline |
| HubSpot CRM | B2B CRM | €0 to €450 | Multi | No | Yes | Too generic, steep upgrade curve |
| Otaree | New-build CRM | €139 to €179 | FR | No | Yes | Niche new construction |
| Witei | Spanish real estate CRM | €60+ | ES | Limited | Yes | Spain only |
| Mobilia | Spanish real estate CRM | On request | ES | Official WA API | Yes | Spain, Meta API |
| Inmovilla | Spanish full-stack CRM | €79+ | ES | Limited | Yes | Spain, integral package |
| Referys | Pure-relational PRM | €8.99 to €14.99 | FR + PT + ES | Native wa.me bridge | Yes | Sub-€20 reference for indie EU agents |
No European actor under €20 per month covers the same proposition as Referys (pure relational, mobile-first, native WhatsApp, multi-Latin-language). Transactional tools (Hektor, Netty, Apimo) are complementary but don't manage long-term relationships. Generic CRMs (Pipedrive, HubSpot) aren't real-estate-verticalised. Spanish tools (Witei, Mobilia, Inmovilla) stay confined to their domestic market.
Detailed Cloze vs Referys comparison
| Criterion | Cloze | Referys |
|---|---|---|
| Entry pricing | $17/month (≈€16) | €8.99/month |
| Premium AI pricing | $42/month (Platinum) | Included in Pro €8.99 |
| UI locales | English only | French + Portuguese + Spanish (parity) |
| WhatsApp Android | No | Yes (native wa.me bridge) |
| WhatsApp iOS | Mac sync only, fragile | Yes (deeplink + Capacitor) |
| EU compliance | CCPA-first, not GDPR-native | GDPR-native, EU hosting, AEPD-friendly |
| Surfaces | Web + secondary mobile apps | 4 surfaces (web + iOS + Android + PWA) |
| AI assistant | Maia (Platinum) + Ghostwriter | Pépito (12 Zod-validated tools) |
| Inbound passive capture | Yes (Mac only, breaks regularly) | WA inbound prototype on roadmap |
| Smart pause sequences | Yes | Yes (Sprint 10) |
| Cadence per segment | KIT 11 global steps | 11 steps per segment |
| Community and support | US-centric, English, ET timezone | EU-centric, FR/PT/ES, CET timezone |
| Pricing model | Subscription + Concierge add-on | Transparent subscription, no add-on |
| Brand style | Growth-aggressive, +36% sales | Calm, anti-hustle, human |
Who Cloze is right for
Cloze is an excellent choice if you meet most of these conditions.
- ✓You're an agent in the United States or Canada
- ✓You work primarily in an iOS environment (iPhone + Mac + WhatsApp via Mac)
- ✓You already pay $42 per month, or you benefit from a CRM of Choice program (eXp Realty, William Raveis)
- ✓You don't use WhatsApp on Android
- ✓Native GDPR isn't a requirement of your practice
- ✓You operate in English and your clients communicate in English
Who Referys is right for
Referys is built for you if these conditions match your practice.
- ✓You're an independent agent in France, Portugal or Spain — or operating cross-border into those markets from the UK or Ireland
- ✓You use WhatsApp as your primary client communication channel
- ✓You work across both iOS and Android
- ✓You want a GDPR-native, AEPD-friendly tool hosted in the European Union
- ✓You're looking for a sub-€20-per-month PRM rather than a premium CRM gated at $42
- ✓You want an AI that speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish natively
- ✓You're part of a network (iad, SAFTI, Capifrance, eXp France, RE/MAX) or fully independent
How to migrate from Cloze to Referys
If you already use Cloze and want to test Referys, here's the practical six-step path.
Export your contacts from Cloze
Settings > Export Contacts (CSV). Cloze exports contact information, but not the captured conversation history.
Create your Referys account
14-day free trial, no credit card required. You pick your locale (French, Portuguese, Spanish) at signup.
Import the CSV into Referys
Go to Contacts > Import > drop the file. Deduplication is automatic. Pépito suggests an A / B / D / E / T / R segmentation to validate.
Configure your style
Settings > Pépito voice. Default informal tone, signature, first name, optional coach mode. Configuration takes less than five minutes.
Launch your first cycle
On the dashboard, Pépito suggests the three to five contacts to reach out to today. The first message goes out in under fifteen minutes after import.
Keep Cloze running in parallel if you want to compare
During your 14-day Referys trial, nothing forces you to drop Cloze. You compare both flows in real conditions.
Important note: passive email and SMS capture from Cloze does not migrate to Referys. This is deliberate. Referys's value sits in future engagement (follow-ups going out on time), not in archiving the past. For agents who absolutely want WhatsApp inbound capture, a prototype for importing historical exports is in development on the Referys side.
FAQ — Cloze alternatives in Europe
- Is Cloze available in French, Portuguese or Spanish?
- No. The Cloze user interface is exclusively in English. Maia and Ghostwriter AI prompts generate text in English by default. You can enter custom prompts in your language, but the cultural adaptation remains on you. Referys, by contrast, is native in French, Portuguese and Spanish — three languages maintained at line-by-line editorial parity.
- Does Cloze work in Europe?
- Technically yes: you can create an account and use the product from Europe. In practice, five critical gaps limit usage for an independent European agent: no WhatsApp on Android, GDPR compliance not native, no UI localisation, $42 Platinum paywall around the AI, and fragile Mac-only iPhone sync.
- Is Cloze GDPR-compliant?
- Cloze is CCPA-compliant (California's privacy regulation) and publishes a generic privacy policy. The official site doesn't mention an explicit European Data Processing Agreement, dedicated EU hosting, or specific alignment with the French CNIL or the Spanish AEPD. Referys is hosted in the European Union region, with strict Row-Level Security and the wa.me bridge.
- How does Cloze pricing compare to Referys?
- Cloze offers four plans: Pro at $17/month, Silver at $21, Gold at $29, and Platinum at $42 (where Maia, AI matching and drip campaigns live). A Concierge add-on at $20 per user is billed separately, with a $500 monthly minimum. Referys offers two plans: Pro at €8.99/month or €89.99/year (Pépito AI included, 1500 monthly credits) and Unlimited at €14.99/month.
- Can I import my Cloze contacts into Referys?
- Yes. Cloze allows CSV export from Settings > Export Contacts. Referys imports CSVs with automatic deduplication and proposes a Pépito-driven segmentation to validate. Migration of 200 to 500 contacts takes 10 to 15 minutes on average. The conversation history captured by Cloze doesn't migrate.
Try Referys for free
Fourteen-day trial, no credit card required. The PRM built for independent real estate agents in French, Portuguese and Spanish.
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