About Us

It Started with a map...

In this new economy, over 70% of new home sales are completed by licensed real estate professionals working with pre-qualified prospective buyers. And while finding and selling pre-owned homes is relatively easy, finding new home inventory—to-be-builts, spec homes and condos notoriously difficult for agents and homebuyers alike. So we set out to make the new home buying process easier, more transparent, and a better proposition for all parties involved.

The challenges were numerous. Our research showed that agents wanted a system that was easy to use, accurate, regularly updated and comprehensive, with the entire new home inventory in one place. Builders wanted their inventory in front of agents the moment the agent had a qualified buyer on the hook. They also wanted the flexibility to update inventory instantaneously at an affordable price. And homebuyers wanted more detail to make smarter decisions about their new home.

We started with an interactive map. From there, we began packing on features to systematically address each of our target users’ pain points. We launched our test site in the state of Texas at a time when the economy and homebuilding industry produced the lowest amount of starts in the past decade. The result? We proved our business model. Our model thrived.

Today, Builders Update is the #1 source of new home inventory in the nation, with the most up-to-date and accurate information about to-be-built homes and condos available. The site is fast, easy to navigate, safe, and consolidates everything an agent needs to know in one location they can access 24/7. Our patented system grants builders the exclusive visibility to agents they’ve been asking for. And homebuyers now have unprecedented support, guidance and information to make informed decisions about the purchase of their dream home.

And we’re growing. Builders Update displays over 75,000 properties from more than 175 national and local builders in more than 100 metropolitan areas in the United States, and more inventory is added everyday.

BUILDERS UPDATE IS USED BY MORE VERIFIED REAL ESTATE AGENTS THAN ANY NEW HOME SITE ON THE INTERNET.

Builders Update continues to be a pioneer and a force for economic growth, helping America get back to work by promoting new home construction and facilitating strong, open and honest relationships among agents, homebuyers and builders.

Build your home. Build your business. Build relationships.℠

Leadership

Bill Gaul

Chief Executive Officer

Bill is an entrepreneur and natural leader accustomed to calling the shots from the pilot’s seat....Full Bio

Bill Gaul

Chief Executive Officer

Bill is an entrepreneur and natural leader accustomed to calling the shots from the pilot’s seat. After graduating from West Point and serving in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot, Bill launched a career in the high tech industry in 1986. While working as a product manager for Raychem, a material science company, Bill began to entertain the idea of running his own company. Leveraging his numerous professional contacts and his firsthand experience of military culture, he shifted gears and became an executive recruiter specializing in transitioning military personnel to the corporate sector. The career move proved to be the catalyst for his entrepreneurial debut.

In 1991, after realizing the huge demand for his recruitment services, he started his first company, Orion International, quickly growing it into a multi-million dollar operation. He sold his interest in Orion in 1997 to take advantage of the growing interest in the Internet and founded The Destiny Group, one of the first employment websites. Bill became a frequently quoted expert for the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, NPR and CNN in the field of employing transitioning military. He was a contributing author for three Wiley Publishing books, On Staffing and both the 5th and 6th edition of Resumes for Dummies, along with numerous syndicated articles that appeared in national media outlets. In 2006, Bill successfully sold The Destiny Group to media conglomerate Landmark Media, creators and operators of the Weather Channel.

After nearly 16 years in the employment field, and with multiple companies under his belt, Bill applied his deep knowledge of startup operations, technology, customer service and software development to establish Builders Update — the first national new home inventory database for licensed real estate agents. Bill lives in Austin and has one son and two daughters who he refers to as his life co-pilots.

"Homebuilding is the cornerstone of our economy. If we’re going to put our neighbors back to work, we’re going to have to build our neighborhoods."

Debbie Horridge

National Sales Director

Debbie Horridge joined the Builders Update...Full Bio

Srinivas Mankala

Chief Technology Officer

Srinivas is the technology mastermind behind Builders Update...Full Bio

Srinivas Mankala

Chief Technology Officer

Srinivas is the technology mastermind behind Builders Update. He holds an Executive MBA in General Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), certification in Big Data Analytics and Optimization, and a masters degree in computer science from Osmania University, Hyderabad. In addition, he has earned certifications in LOMA and Oracle technologies. At Builders Update, Srinivas develops and executes the company’s information systems and IT strategy. His areas of responsibility include IT infrastructure, product architecture, product development and management, as well as processes and people management for the technology team.

Srinivas has 20 years of experience in IT application development for real estate, manufacturing, e-commerce, education, healthcare and insurance. His technical skill set spans solutions for client, server and web technologies, both proprietary and open source. He is experienced working in environments requiring compliance with ISO and CMM quality processes and SOX controls for software development. Srinivas loves to play chess.

"Technology alone means nothing. Making people’s lives easier through technology means everything."