5 STEPS TO FIND THE BEST CASH FLOW INVESTMENTS IN REAL ESTATE

Investing in real estate is a business that involves buying, managing, renting, and selling property in order to make a profit. When done properly, investing in income property can be a great way to make money in real estate. However, finding positive cash flow investments to purchase can be quite a challenge especially for first time investors buying a rental property.

Spotlight

McCarthy Homes (QLD) Pty Ltd

A long established home building company in Queensland, McCarthy Homes specialises in building and tailoring elegant home designs to the highest standard. Providing flexibility, creative customisation and decades of expertise, we can truly bring dream homes to life.

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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

Smart Construction: Building Value through Interconnected Intelligence

Article | May 30, 2023

The construction industry, whether operating at the building level, infrastructure level, or city level, has undergone significant changes over the past decade, and the pace of change has only intensified in the past year. Opaque operating models are giving way to digitalization and transparency in every aspect of the industry, leading to better accountability of the business stakeholder ecosystem and better experience and quality of life for the end customers. The value realization for the sector is coming in three different ways, each with its set of technologies, tools, systems, and processes that lead to specific value maximization. 1. Connected Stakeholder Ecosystems Every stakeholder and their interactions and service provision to building and construction has been digitalized and automated. Architects, urban planners, designers have long been using tools and technologies. The use of 3D modeling and visualization, AR/VR platforms, and drone mapping are creating intuitive means to fast-track the design iteration process and reduce errors. Innovation has been happening in building materials and technologies for smart logistics and inventory management, which is digitalizing the procure to pay cycles and reducing the cost and sustainability footprint of the industry. Infratech is being included into civil construction, and information, communication, and operational tech hardware and software solutions are being integrated at the design stage itself. The industry uses the services of a network of internal and external third party providers and managers. The combination of mobile and enterprise applications, connectivity, and internet of things devices and variables is connecting these people together. Unified frameworks and digital and AI/ML tools allow seamless construction, management, and optimization of built spaces. The sales process is becoming highly digital with the use of customer relationship management platforms, channel management applications, and digital sales aids that blend AR/VR, 3D visualization, audio, video, and digital. The governance and financial mechanisms have evolved as well. Government bodies have digitalized and permissions, access rights, and payment mechanisms are increasingly digital. Regulators are moving towards real time sensor based monitoring and centralized digital reporting on effluents and emissions, aiming to improve sustainability metrics. An array of digital and cloud financial management tools, systems, and dashboards allow every aspect of the financial flow to and from entities to be managed, monitored, and optimized. The users, in both the customer and citizen persona, have become digitally savvy and experiential. The connected and sentient building, infrastructure, and city ecosystem increasingly allows for connected living where many services can already be accessed digitally. 2. Connected Lifecycle Management The construction industry is using digital and automation technologies at every stage of projects – from design to monetization of building, infrastructure, or city systems. Ingredient technologies such as internet of things, artificial intelligence, block chain, distributed computing, edge and mesh intelligence, cloud computing, big data analytics, and data visualization are allowing the industry to plan better and act predictively. The Design phase, in addition to using design and planning tools and technologies, is increasingly adopting concepts of wellness, biophilia, and blue-green integrations to blend technology and architecture. The Build phase has significantly transformed through innovative construction materials and methods, as well as digital, cloud, and sensor based solutions to monitor staff, progress, audits, and errors in construction. The entire land records management system in the country has been digitalized, and plans are underway to use drone based mapping to catalogue all assets and sites at a national level. The Sell phase is using technologies and platforms that have disintermediated some ecosystem partners and aggregated others, increasing the flow of information, communication, validations, and transactions. From marketing to site visits to legal documentation and commercial transactions, every step has been digitally transformed through a combination of AR/VR, AI/ML, digital, and cloud technologies. The Operate phase is seeing newer models of maintenance and management of assets over the long term. Tech enabled metering and monitoring allows for discretization of pay per use type of commercial arrangements, which can be digitally contracted and managed. This allows multi-stakeholder and multi-user assets to operate seamlessly. Multiple automation and real time monitoring systems and solutions – whether fully integrated or point solutions, are enhancing visibility and improving efficiency of operational performance. The Experience phase ensures an interplay of operational and service related systems and technologies allow the users to better access services at building, infrastructure, or city level. There is a lot of emphasis on enhancing customer experience by reducing wait times, improving service levels, creating areas and systems for interaction and engagement, and delivering a better quality of work or life to the end user. The Monetization phase is increasingly at the top of mind of administrators, owners, and operators of construction assets. Long return on investment cycles and complex modes of deployment of public and private capital predicate focus on easing the flow of money and identifying multiple modes of monetization to ensure that projects can succeed. Value added services through retail, advertising, data, or service based use cases are allowing for recurring revenues to be generated. Many of these services can be digitally conceptualized, delivered, and managed. 3. Connected Systems and Services Buildings and infrastructure spaces are increasingly envisioning themselves as an interconnected system of functions, utilities and services, all managed centrally and digitally through a building level control room or an infrastructure or city level integrated control and command center. The set of technologies first adopted for smart cities - such as networking and connectivity; smart management of water, waste, lighting, power, sewage, air quality and emissions; smart access to services and retail; interconnected mobility, parking, and traffic management; and managing request-response systems and on-demand servicing and issues management - are increasingly becoming important for buildings and infrastructure projects. Transport hubs are reimagining themselves as microcities. Road assets are creating logistics hubs and multiple digital monetization channels. Buildings are transforming into mixed use spaces that are accessed and managed digitally. On-demand, surge, discounted pricing mechanisms rely on complex algorithms and predictive forecasts. Multiple indices and standard comparative metrics are being considered by users, governments, regulators, and financiers of patient long-term capital. At the building level, Green ratings and Well Building standards are being measured and reported, and creating methods of differentiating premium and non-premium buildings. Global Infrastructure rankings rate countries in the quality and density and access of road, transport, utilities, and other major infrastructure systems and projects. Ease of Living Index and Sustainable Development Goals create the benchmarks to measure and monitor the performance and impact of city systems. Increasingly, gamification through Swachh Survekshan, Municipal Performance Index, and other city, state, and national level assessments is creating awareness and improving service levels. The indices themselves rely on a set on technology inclusion within projects and technology systems to aid performance measurement.

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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

Is Commute Time Becoming a Housing Factor?

Article | June 15, 2023

While many workers plan, at least according to recent surveys, to continue spending at least part of each week working from home, a shorter commute still seems to be holding increasing appeal. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB ) says its first quarter Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) indicates not only a pandemic driven shift in construction to low density, low cost markets, but a rapid expansion in areas with the shortest commutes. Litic Murali, writing in NAHB's Eye on Housing blog, says workplaces are moving toward hybrid home/office work models which could affect 30 to 40 percent of the American workforce. This will give renters and buyers increased market power over their travel times and the ability to reduce both housing and transportation costs. The nationwide average commute is 26 minutes. Those counties in the bottom quintile (lowest 20 percent) have a commute time of 18 minutes or less while the commute in the highest quintile is 28 minutes. The data show that 36.2 percent of the U.S. population resides in the counties in that top slice. The HBGI indicates that the top two quintiles with the longest commutes together had 63.6 percent of single family building. However, growth was strongest in that bottom quintile with a four-quarter moving average annual growth of 22.2 percent.

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Real Estate Investment, Asset Management

Utilizing your IRA to Buy and Sell Real Estate

Article | May 25, 2023

Self-directed IRAs are the less offered and lesser known of the IRA options. That’s simply because they’re seen as needing too much effort to utilize correctly. The truth is that self-directed IRAs aren’t as complicated as they’re made out to be. Especially if you have the right custodian who offers the services you need to successfully run your account. Similar to other IRA accounts, owners can still invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. They can also invest in things like small businesses, boat slips, storage units, parking lots, land, and homes. Interested investors should seek legal advice, as well as input from an accountant and real estate agent for a well-rounded picture. They should also be familiar with the rules for the type of retirement account they’re using. Whether it is a Simple IRA, Roth or Traditional IRA, SEP IRA or Solo 401K, contribution limits still apply, and there are penalties for early withdrawals.

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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

Enhance Asset Management Efficiencies with Data-driven Real Estate

Article | June 15, 2023

Explore the potential of data-driven real estate in optimizing asset management and revolutionizing strategies. Learn how advanced technology is changing the future of real estate asset management. Contents 1. Importance of Data-driven Decision Making in Asset Management 2. Overcoming Difficulties to become Data-driven Real Estate Business 2.1 Availability of Data and Connectivity 2.2 Implementation of a Structured and Agile Development Process 2.3 Accelerating Speed and Reducing Costs 3. Benefits of Data-driven Real Estate Asset Management 3.1 Increased Efficiency and Cost Savings 3.2 Improved Tenant Satisfaction and Retention 3.3 Better Risk Management and Decision-making 3.4 Increased asset value and profitability 4. Data-driven Asset Management Solutions 4.1 Property Management Solutions Providers 4.2 Digital Asset Management Solutions Providers 4.3 Project Portfolio Management Solutions Providers 5. Emerging Data-driven Asset Management Patterns 1. Importance of Data-driven Decision Making in Asset Management Real estate asset management is a complex and competitive industry, presenting challenges for asset managers and portfolio managers. Gathering and analyzing information provides valuable insights for data-driven decision making, impacting the success of real estate investments. Decision-making through insights allows real estate asset managers, as well as portfolio managers, to identify trends for the future of digital real estate asset management, make accurate predictions, and forecast future outcomes. For example, data analytics can provide insights related to occupancy rates, rent growth, and lease renewals, which further helps in strategic decision-making for the future. 2. Overcoming Difficulties to Become Data-driven Real Estate Business Corporate real estate asset management requires strategic planning and informed decision-making. Utilizing data-driven approaches, valuable insights into commercial property performance can be gained, leading to optimized operations, reduced costs, and increased profits. However, implementing a data-driven approach comes with its own set of challenges. Therefore, executives and managers in the real estate industry need to understand how to overcome these difficulties and successfully transform their businesses through data-driven operations. Key challenges the businesses must address include data availability, structured processes, and cost efficiency, all of which are essential for improving the effectiveness of asset management in the long run. 2.1 Availability of Data and Connectivity Reliable data availability is a significant challenge in data-driven decision-making for real estate businesses, as the data generated is often fragmented and siloed across different departments. To overcome this challenge, businesses must invest in technology cloud-based platforms, APIs, and data warehouses to enable seamless data integration and connectivity across the organization. In addition, organizations must consider implementing an integrated data management system to analyze data from multiple sources, providing the decision-makers with a comprehensive view of the organization's performance. 2.2 Implementation of a Structured and Agile Development Process For businesses adopting a data-driven methodology, implementing a structured and agile development process is a major challenge. A data-driven approach requires a planned data collection, analysis, and decision-making process. At the same time, the process needs to be adaptable to the changing market conditions and business requirements. To overcome this challenge, businesses must establish a formal process for data-driven decision-making, including clear roles and responsibilities, data governance policies, regular reporting and analysis. This can be achieved by leveraging agile methodologies, DevOps practices, and automation tools. 2.3 Accelerating Speed and Reducing Costs Speed and cost reduction are critical challenges for real estate businesses that operate in a highly-competitive market Data-driven decision-making is time-consuming and expensive, demanding executives and managers to invest in tools that can automate the data analysis and decision-making process. It includes implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to rapidly process large amounts of data and provide real-time insights to facilitate informed decision-making. 3. Benefits of Data-driven Real Estate Asset Management Data-driven real estate asset management has the potential to revolutionize the way real estate businesses operate. Businesses will be able to unlock valuable insights to enhance overall operations and drive innovation by leveraging asset management tools and techniques. 3.1 Increased Efficiency and Cost Savings Data-driven commercial real estate asset management services offer businesses a powerful tool for increasing efficiency. Businesses must automate their manual processes and optimize workflows to increase productivity by leveraging real estate automation tools. It will save time, money and improve the overall quality of service provided to tenants, leading to higher tenant satisfaction rates. Additionally, data-driven decision-making help businesses identify areas to reduce unnecessary expenses, like energy consumption or maintenance costs. 3.2 Improved Tenant Satisfaction and Retention Real estate businesses understand tenants better and improve satisfaction as well as retention rates by managing assets using data-driven methods. By analyzing demographics, behavior, and preferences data, businesses can determine tenants' needs regarding property and make informed decisions to improve services and tailor offerings accordingly. In addition, it leads to higher satisfaction rates and helps companies to retain tenants, which is crucial for long-term success in the real estate industry. 3.3 Better Risk Management and Decision-making Real estate enterprises can make more informed decisions and better manage risks with data-driven asset management. Businesses must use real estate data analytics tools to examine property performance, identify potential opportunities and risks. It improves the accuracy and reliability of their decision-making process and helps mitigate risks more effectively. Furthermore, by incorporating predictive analytics in the real estate decision-making process, businesses can anticipate future trends and proactively take measures to address potential issues before they occur. 3.4 Increased Asset Value and Profitability Data-driven real estate asset management help businesses improve the value and profitability of assets. Business intelligence in real estate helps interpret property management data. In addition, businesses can identify areas for improvement, like cost savings or increasing rental rates. It can result in improved asset value, leading to higher profitability. Furthermore, by analyzing data on market trends of real estate asset management and tenant behavior, businesses can also identify potential areas for investment, leading to increased profitability in the long run. 4. Data-driven Asset Management Solutions Data-driven asset management solutions help real estate businesses manage assets more efficiently and effectively. With data analytics, businesses will be able to streamline their operations, make better-informed decisions, and increase asset value. Ultimately, it will result in overcoming the difficulties in managing the assets and improving the portfolio performance. With the help of advanced technology and automation tools, one can stay ahead of the curve in the highly competitive market and achieve business objectives effectively. 4.1 Property Management Solutions Providers TenantCloud TenantCloud is a cloud-based property management solution provider that offers comprehensive tools and features for real estate businesses to manage their assets efficiently. Its property management software enables real estate executives and asset managers to automate their workflow, increase efficiency, and reduce costs by centralizing and streamlining their property management processes. Its platform provides real-time visibility into property performance, tenant behavior, and rental income, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions and identify opportunities for growth. Its online portal also allows tenants to submit maintenance requests, pay rent online, and communicate with property managers seamlessly. London Computer Systems London Computer Systems (LCS) is a leading real estate asset management service provider established in 1987. Its flagship product, Rent Manager, is a Property Management Software that offers a comprehensive solution for property management, including integrated accounting, contact management, work orders, and marketing solutions. LCS offers Net Dial Tone VoIP telephone systems, enterprise-level hosting solutions, network design and support services, and custom website development. With its customer-focused approach and advanced technology, The company streamlines operations by eliminating the need for multiple programs and driving innovation in the real estate industry. DoorLoop DoorLoop is a cloud-based property management software that specializes in real estate software, commercial real estate PMS, and residential property management software. Its solutions offer a range of features, including lease management, rent collection, maintenance requests, accounting, and reporting. With DoorLoop, managers and executives in real estate businesses can easily manage their properties and tenants from a single platform, improving efficiency and streamlining processes. Guesty Guesty is an end-to-end property management solution provider that offers a comprehensive platform for managing short-term rental properties. Its features include multi-calendar management, automated messaging, dynamic pricing, guest communication, and channel management. With Guesty's intuitive and user-friendly dashboard, real estate businesses can easily manage their properties anywhere. Its innovative solutions help businesses stay ahead of the competition, enhance their efficiency, and drive growth in the real estate industry. 4.2 Digital Asset Management Solutions Providers Canto Canto is one of the leading digital asset management solution providers for visual communications to help real estate companies of all sizes. Established in 1990, Canto is one of the digital asset management industry pioneers. 2,500+ customers leverage Canto’s software to organize, find and share videos and images that helps to work faster and build a brand in this evolving digital ecosystem of real estate businesses. Bynder Bynder is a digital asset management solution provider that is a centralized platform for managing all marketing and creative assets. Its features include asset organization and categorization, asset distribution and sharing, digital rights management, and analytics. Its solution enables real estate businesses to streamline their asset management workflows, collaborate more efficiently, as well as reduce the time and resources required to manage their digital assets. Bynder also integrates with other software tools, such as Adobe Creative Cloud, WordPress, and Salesforce, allowing seamless workflow integration. Aprimo Aprimo is a marketing operations platform provider that offers digital asset management, marketing resource management, and campaign management solutions. Businesses will be able to streamline marketing process workflows using the centralized platform. Aprimo's features include digital asset management, workflow automation, project management, budget tracking, and marketing performance analytics. With the company’s centralized platform, real estate businesses can optimize their marketing operations and drive innovation. The platform also enables businesses to collaborate on projects and measure the impact of marketing campaigns, leading to increased efficiency. 4.3 Project Portfolio Management Solutions Providers ClickUp ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that offers a wide range of features, including task management, time tracking, calendars, and project reporting. Enterprises utilize the platform for creating Gantt charts, and tasks, tracking time, and reporting to stay on top of their projects and meet deadlines. The company enables effective project portfolio management, playing a crucial role in real estate asset management by helping businesses streamline their operations, optimize resources, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and drive innovation. Organizations can leverage this solution to ensure the effective delivery of projects, maintain alignment with strategic objectives, and ultimately achieve better outcomes for their real estate assets. Saviom Software Saviom Software provides futuristic resource management and workforce planning solutions that help real estate businesses optimize project portfolio resources, schedules, and budgets. Its solution offers features such as capacity planning, project scheduling, forecasting, and resource allocation, which are crucial for effective real estate asset and project portfolio management. It benefits real estate industry professionals by providing extensive features to improve project delivery times, resource utilization, and cost management. In addition, it enables real estate organizations to enhance team collaboration, automate manual processes, and reduce administrative burdens, leading to greater efficiency and profitability. Octalsoft Octalsoft is a project portfolio management solution provider that offers a comprehensive suite of tools to manage real estate assets efficiently. Its features include project planning, resource management, budgeting, and risk analysis. In addition, its project and portfolio management solution offers robust reporting and analytics capabilities, providing insights into project performance and identifying areas for improvement. By streamlining project management processes, Octalsoft's project and portfolio management solution drives innovation by allowing real estate asset management companies to focus on high-value activities and drive better outcomes. 5. Emerging Data-driven Asset Management Patterns Data-driven asset management is essential in the real estate industry, allowing businesses to optimize efficiency, improve tenant satisfaction, manage risks, and increase asset value and profitability. The emerging data-driven asset management patterns discussed showcase how businesses can leverage technology and data analytics to drive innovation. The variety of solutions offered by project portfolio management, property management, and digital asset management solution providers enable real estate businesses to streamline processes, increase collaboration, and make data-driven decisions. Investing in these solutions will help real estate businesses to remain competitive and achieve long-term success.

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Spotlight

McCarthy Homes (QLD) Pty Ltd

A long established home building company in Queensland, McCarthy Homes specialises in building and tailoring elegant home designs to the highest standard. Providing flexibility, creative customisation and decades of expertise, we can truly bring dream homes to life.

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Real Estate Advice

Zillow unveils a new look for property pages, their biggest redesign in 5 years

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

Zillow is launching a big update to the look and feel of for-sale property listings on its website, improving home shoppers' experience with a more intuitive and simplified layout. The enhanced design of for-sale property listings on Zillow.com offers a wider, single-scroll format, making it easier for home shoppers to find key information, such as square footage, the Zestimate feature, lot size and home type. The new layout also introduces a media section at the top of the page that better showcases photos and 3D tours. By clicking on a photo, the media section expands, providing a full-page, magazine-style layout for seamless navigation through the rest of the home's photography. "The new design delivers a fun and efficient way to browse homes on the Zillow website, making it easier for home shoppers to navigate and process information," said Jenny Arden, chief design officer at Zillow. "We introduced a wider layout for images, larger fonts for the most important facts and a clearer articulation of what makes the home special to help our users quickly understand if the home is right for them." Zillow's app updates: Navigate with ease and simplify financing with the Home Loans tab In addition to the redesign on the Zillow website, for-sale property listings on the Zillow app (iOS) are also receiving an update. This new look minimizes excessive scrolling by allowing users to more easily find the information that matters the most to them, whether that's home facts and features, a cost calculator or the Zestimate history. When viewing a for-sale listing on the app, users will see a new look that presents the home details categorized into sections such as "What's Special,"' "Market Value," "Monthly Cost" and "Neighborhood." Users can click into particular sections of interest to find more details. This new look will be available before the end of the year on the Zillow iOS app. Zillow is also introducing a new "Home Loans" tab on the Zillow app to help shoppers become buyers. Users can now easily figure out their budget, connect with a lender, get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans℠, and track their loan status — all in one place. "Financing is a critical part of the home-buying process, and 60% of buyers say setting their budget is their first step when buying a home. With this update, we're helping the millions of people browsing the Zillow app better understand what they can afford within their budget and see a clear path toward getting the mortgage they need," said Matt Daimler, senior vice president of product at Zillow. "We're already seeing an impact: Customers are saying it's easier than ever to access and use our financing tools and get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans."

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Real Estate Technology

Barings and Foulger Pratt Close Acquisition of $50+ Million Build-to-Rent Community in Raleigh, NC

Business Wire | October 19, 2023

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, today announced its joint venture with Foulger Pratt to acquire a 172-unit build-to-rent (BTR) community in the Raleigh, N.C. metropolitan area. The $50+ million acquisition marks Barings’ entrance into the BTR market and builds on the firm’s $12.5+ billion* U.S. real estate equity platform. The transaction brings Foulger Pratt’s BTR portfolio to 700 homes and approximately $250 million in investment across North Carolina and Maryland. “We believe build-to-rent is one of the fastest growing segments of the housing market given demographic trends, evolving consumer preferences, and a national housing shortage,” said Joe Gorin, Barings’ Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity. “We are excited to partner with the well-established team at Foulger Pratt on our first BTR acquisition and look forward to deploying more capital into attractively priced assets as we scale our capabilities in this segment.” “Foulger Pratt is excited to continue its investment in the Carolinas through the delivery of quality rental housing in partnership with Barings – one of the world’s leading investment managers,” said Cameron Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of Foulger Pratt. The community will consist of 89 townhomes and 83 single-family detached units situated on 39 acres in Wendell, N.C. – just east of Raleigh. The initial deliveries of homes are expected to be available for lease in H1 2024. “We anticipate strong job, population, and household growth in this emerging submarket and believe this property will be well-positioned to offer an affordable rent alternative, a high quality of life, as well as easy access to key employment centers and top-tier universities,” said Kevin Miller, Barings’ Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, Eastern U.S. Barings has been investing in U.S. real estate equity for nearly 30 years and today has $35.5 billion* in U.S. real estate AUM across equity and debt, with nearly 130 dedicated real estate investment professionals across six U.S. offices managing more than 550 assets.

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Real Estate Technology

JPAR Meets Consumer Demand for Floor Plans in Real Estate Listings with CubiCasa Partnership

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

JPAR, a leading name in real estate, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with CubiCasa, a pioneer in floor plan technology. The partnership marks one of CubiCasa's first partnerships with a residential real estate brand. The companies have joined in executing a vision to bring a floor plan to every listing. In a survey by the National Association of REALTORS®, it was revealed that 67% of home buyers consider floor plans "very useful" in their property search, yet this essential feature is often overlooked in listings. Following photos and listing data, a floor plan is the most coveted data asset for consumers. "We want every interaction with one of our agents and listings to be a quality experience for consumers. This partnership empowers our sales professionals to meet the demands of modern buyers by providing them with the information they need to make some of the largest decisions in their lives," said Daniel Butbul, VP of Operations at JPAR's Affiliated Network. "Our goal is to have floor plans available on 90% of JPAR listings by the end of 2024," added Butbul. Effective immediately, agents may now register for a JPAR-sponsored CubiCasa account, accessible through the JPAR® OneStop HUB. "It's incredibly exciting to work with JPAR® on this project. They share our vision of a better real estate search experience powered by floor plans being attached to every listing, and our technology is the world's single-easiest and most-scalable solution to creating floor plans," according to Jeff Allen, President, CubiCasa. The CubiCasa app streamlines the process of creating floor plans for listings, requiring just 5-10 minutes to scan the property using almost any mobile device. Agents can then upload the scan on-site or at their convenience. CubiCasa's advanced AI technology transforms the scan into a professional-grade floor plan, which is delivered within 6-24 hours, available with and without measurements. About JPAR - Real Estate JPAR – Real Estate is a full-service real estate brand and franchise platform offering a highly competitive transaction fee-based model and agent-centric culture. The JPAR® platform provides agents seven (7) days-per-week support, a comprehensive tech stack, marketing, lead generation, training, and mentoring. JPAR® affiliated owners benefit from compliance review, 1-on-1 consulting, recruiting support, and a peer network of influential industry leaders. The company boasts more than 4,000 agents operating in 65 offices across 27 states, Washington, D.C. and closes over $8B annually in sales volume. About CubiCasa Headquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 160 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitize real estate.

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Real Estate Advice

Zillow unveils a new look for property pages, their biggest redesign in 5 years

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

Zillow is launching a big update to the look and feel of for-sale property listings on its website, improving home shoppers' experience with a more intuitive and simplified layout. The enhanced design of for-sale property listings on Zillow.com offers a wider, single-scroll format, making it easier for home shoppers to find key information, such as square footage, the Zestimate feature, lot size and home type. The new layout also introduces a media section at the top of the page that better showcases photos and 3D tours. By clicking on a photo, the media section expands, providing a full-page, magazine-style layout for seamless navigation through the rest of the home's photography. "The new design delivers a fun and efficient way to browse homes on the Zillow website, making it easier for home shoppers to navigate and process information," said Jenny Arden, chief design officer at Zillow. "We introduced a wider layout for images, larger fonts for the most important facts and a clearer articulation of what makes the home special to help our users quickly understand if the home is right for them." Zillow's app updates: Navigate with ease and simplify financing with the Home Loans tab In addition to the redesign on the Zillow website, for-sale property listings on the Zillow app (iOS) are also receiving an update. This new look minimizes excessive scrolling by allowing users to more easily find the information that matters the most to them, whether that's home facts and features, a cost calculator or the Zestimate history. When viewing a for-sale listing on the app, users will see a new look that presents the home details categorized into sections such as "What's Special,"' "Market Value," "Monthly Cost" and "Neighborhood." Users can click into particular sections of interest to find more details. This new look will be available before the end of the year on the Zillow iOS app. Zillow is also introducing a new "Home Loans" tab on the Zillow app to help shoppers become buyers. Users can now easily figure out their budget, connect with a lender, get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans℠, and track their loan status — all in one place. "Financing is a critical part of the home-buying process, and 60% of buyers say setting their budget is their first step when buying a home. With this update, we're helping the millions of people browsing the Zillow app better understand what they can afford within their budget and see a clear path toward getting the mortgage they need," said Matt Daimler, senior vice president of product at Zillow. "We're already seeing an impact: Customers are saying it's easier than ever to access and use our financing tools and get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans."

Read More

Real Estate Technology

Barings and Foulger Pratt Close Acquisition of $50+ Million Build-to-Rent Community in Raleigh, NC

Business Wire | October 19, 2023

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, today announced its joint venture with Foulger Pratt to acquire a 172-unit build-to-rent (BTR) community in the Raleigh, N.C. metropolitan area. The $50+ million acquisition marks Barings’ entrance into the BTR market and builds on the firm’s $12.5+ billion* U.S. real estate equity platform. The transaction brings Foulger Pratt’s BTR portfolio to 700 homes and approximately $250 million in investment across North Carolina and Maryland. “We believe build-to-rent is one of the fastest growing segments of the housing market given demographic trends, evolving consumer preferences, and a national housing shortage,” said Joe Gorin, Barings’ Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity. “We are excited to partner with the well-established team at Foulger Pratt on our first BTR acquisition and look forward to deploying more capital into attractively priced assets as we scale our capabilities in this segment.” “Foulger Pratt is excited to continue its investment in the Carolinas through the delivery of quality rental housing in partnership with Barings – one of the world’s leading investment managers,” said Cameron Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of Foulger Pratt. The community will consist of 89 townhomes and 83 single-family detached units situated on 39 acres in Wendell, N.C. – just east of Raleigh. The initial deliveries of homes are expected to be available for lease in H1 2024. “We anticipate strong job, population, and household growth in this emerging submarket and believe this property will be well-positioned to offer an affordable rent alternative, a high quality of life, as well as easy access to key employment centers and top-tier universities,” said Kevin Miller, Barings’ Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, Eastern U.S. Barings has been investing in U.S. real estate equity for nearly 30 years and today has $35.5 billion* in U.S. real estate AUM across equity and debt, with nearly 130 dedicated real estate investment professionals across six U.S. offices managing more than 550 assets.

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Real Estate Technology

JPAR Meets Consumer Demand for Floor Plans in Real Estate Listings with CubiCasa Partnership

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

JPAR, a leading name in real estate, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with CubiCasa, a pioneer in floor plan technology. The partnership marks one of CubiCasa's first partnerships with a residential real estate brand. The companies have joined in executing a vision to bring a floor plan to every listing. In a survey by the National Association of REALTORS®, it was revealed that 67% of home buyers consider floor plans "very useful" in their property search, yet this essential feature is often overlooked in listings. Following photos and listing data, a floor plan is the most coveted data asset for consumers. "We want every interaction with one of our agents and listings to be a quality experience for consumers. This partnership empowers our sales professionals to meet the demands of modern buyers by providing them with the information they need to make some of the largest decisions in their lives," said Daniel Butbul, VP of Operations at JPAR's Affiliated Network. "Our goal is to have floor plans available on 90% of JPAR listings by the end of 2024," added Butbul. Effective immediately, agents may now register for a JPAR-sponsored CubiCasa account, accessible through the JPAR® OneStop HUB. "It's incredibly exciting to work with JPAR® on this project. They share our vision of a better real estate search experience powered by floor plans being attached to every listing, and our technology is the world's single-easiest and most-scalable solution to creating floor plans," according to Jeff Allen, President, CubiCasa. The CubiCasa app streamlines the process of creating floor plans for listings, requiring just 5-10 minutes to scan the property using almost any mobile device. Agents can then upload the scan on-site or at their convenience. CubiCasa's advanced AI technology transforms the scan into a professional-grade floor plan, which is delivered within 6-24 hours, available with and without measurements. About JPAR - Real Estate JPAR – Real Estate is a full-service real estate brand and franchise platform offering a highly competitive transaction fee-based model and agent-centric culture. The JPAR® platform provides agents seven (7) days-per-week support, a comprehensive tech stack, marketing, lead generation, training, and mentoring. JPAR® affiliated owners benefit from compliance review, 1-on-1 consulting, recruiting support, and a peer network of influential industry leaders. The company boasts more than 4,000 agents operating in 65 offices across 27 states, Washington, D.C. and closes over $8B annually in sales volume. About CubiCasa Headquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 160 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitize real estate.

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