Honest comparison

Ociate vs Vault RE

Vault RE (now MRI Vault) is one of the most-deployed CRMs in Australia and New Zealand — MRI cite 3,950+ offices and 64,700+ users. It's strongest on trust accounting, REA buyer lead integration and Xero sync. AI is limited to property-description generation; there's no autonomous SMS or voice handling.

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Last updated April 2026 · 14-day free trial · No credit card required

Ociate Ociate
Vault RE by MRI Software
Side-by-side · sources at the bottom

We make Ociate. We'll still tell you when Vault RE is the better fit — every section below calls out where each tool wins. Pricing and features sourced from Vault RE's public site and review platforms (links at the bottom).

TL;DR

Which one should you pick?

Pick Ociate if

You want AI to actually run inbound conversations — both SMS and voice — instead of automating templated emails on a schedule.

Pick Vault RE if

You're a mid-to-large agency that needs sales CRM + trust accounting + Xero sync in a single audit-ready platform with deep REA integration.

Either works if

You're a hybrid sales/PM business and want to add AI to the sales side without ripping out trust accounting.

At a glance

Feature-by-feature, head to head.

Feature Ociate Vault RE

AI auto-reply on inbound SMS (autonomous)

AI voice agent (answers inbound calls)

Bulk SMS campaigns

Vault has SMS automation but not autonomous two-way handling.

AI content generation (listings, descriptions)

Trust accounting

Vault's flagship strength — full audit-ready ledger with Xero sync.

Property management module

Vault has lighter PM; MRI sells PropertyTree as the dedicated PM product.

Xero 2-way sync (accounting)

realestate.com.au buyer-lead feed (direct)

Vault has a direct purchase-readiness feed via REA's CRM integration.

Mobile app

CSV import for contacts/listings

Published pricing

Legend: ✓ available · ◐ partial / via integration · ✗ not available

Honest take

Where each one wins.

Vault RE wins on
  • Trust accounting is core — full compliance ledger with Xero 2-way sync, sales trust, advertising and invoicing.
  • Deep REA integration — direct buyer-lead feed from realestate.com.au with purchase-readiness signals (272k+ leads delivered since launch, per MRI).
  • All-in-one scope — sales CRM, trust accounting, listings, reporting in one platform.
  • Market presence — 1 in 3 AU/NZ agencies, large vendor with stability and 1,000+ integrations available.

Where Vault RE struggles

  • — Reviewers describe a steeper learning curve than newer competitors.
  • — AI is limited to listing descriptions — no autonomous SMS, no AI voice.
  • — Mobile workflows lag behind some competitors (e.g. Rex claims 90% feature parity).
  • — Pricing is opaque — quote-based, enterprise sales motion.
Ociate wins on
  • AI auto-reply on inbound SMS — Vault doesn't have this.
  • AI voice agent — answers inbound calls, qualifies leads, books appointments.
  • Bulk SMS campaigns with two-way AI handling, not just templated drips.
  • Modern UI built in 2025–2026, not adapted from a 2010s codebase.
  • Published pricing — Vault requires a sales call for any number.

Where Ociate is still catching up

  • — No trust accounting — Vault's core strength is exactly this gap in Ociate today.
  • — No REA buyer-lead feed integration — Vault has the deeper portal pipe.
  • — Smaller install base — fewer years of edge cases ironed out.
  • — No Xero 2-way sync.

Pricing

What you'll pay.

Pricing summary as published on each vendor's site at the date below — confirm with the vendor before signing.

Ociate

~$500/month

Typical office · plus ~10c per SMS · 14-day free trial

  • ✓ AI auto-reply on SMS, included
  • ✓ Bulk SMS campaigns (≈10c per message)
  • ✓ Voice agent + transcription
  • ✓ No lock-in contracts
See full pricing →

Vault RE

Not published

Per-user, custom (not published)

MRI Vault uses an enterprise sales motion. No tier pricing on the public site — quotes are based on agency size and modules. AU sales line: 1300 657 700.

Best fit

Who each one is built for.

Vault RE is best for

Mid-to-large AU/NZ agencies that need sales CRM + trust accounting + Xero in one platform with audit-ready compliance and the deepest REA buyer-lead integration.

Ociate is best for

Sales-led agencies whose biggest gap is response time on inbound SMS and calls — and who'd rather pay for AI conversation handling than another templated email module.

Switching

Moving from Vault RE to Ociate.

What carries over, what you'll need to rebuild, and roughly how long it takes.

Carries over

  • ✓ Contacts and lead history via CSV export
  • ✓ Property listings via CSV / REAXML
  • ✓ Notes and contact history (CSV)

Needs rebuild

  • ↻ Workflow automations (rebuilt as Ociate sequences)
  • ↻ Email and SMS templates
  • ↻ Trust accounting stays in Vault if you keep it for that workflow

Time estimate

1–2 weeks for the sales-side workflows

From kickoff to your first AI-handled lead.

Talk to us about migration →

Questions

Common questions about Ociate vs Vault RE.

Still on the fence? Book a 15-min call and we'll walk you through both honestly.

Does Ociate replace Vault RE's trust accounting?

No. Vault's trust + sales accounting and Xero sync are the strongest in this category, and we don't compete on that. Many agencies keep Vault (or Eagle / PropertyMe) for trust + PM and run Ociate for AI lead handling on the sales side.

How does Ociate's AI compare to Vault's AI?

Vault's AI is property-description generation — it writes listing copy. Ociate's AI is conversational — it actually replies to leads on SMS and answers inbound calls. Different category of feature.

Can I import my contacts from Vault?

Yes — Vault exports contacts and listings to CSV, and our import handles standard fields. Custom workflows and trust ledgers don't move (and shouldn't — keep Vault for those).

Does Ociate integrate with realestate.com.au like Vault does?

Vault has a direct buyer-lead pipe from REA today — that's deeper than Ociate's portal handling. If your inbound funnel depends entirely on REA buyer-lead enrichment, Vault is the stronger fit on that axis.

What's MRI Vault vs the old VaultRE name?

Same product. VaultRE was acquired by MRI Software and rebranded as MRI Vault under their 'Living for Agencies' portfolio. Functionality is the same; positioning is now MRI-led.

Can I trial both?

Yes — Ociate's 14-day free trial has no credit card. Many agencies route a portion of inbound SMS through Ociate alongside their existing Vault setup to compare AI handling against current process.

Try Ociate alongside Vault RE for 14 days.

See exactly how AI handles your inbound leads — before deciding whether to switch.

Start Free Trial See Ociate Pricing

14-day free trial · No credit card · No lock-in

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Sources