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A big problem from small properties: Appraisals and the micro-home trend

More of today's homebuyers are fond of tiny houses, and while this trend has many advantages for consumers, it presents challenges for appraisals. Despite the growing popularity of these micro-homes, they account for only a small portion of available homes, making the valuation process difficult.

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Real Estate Investment, Asset Management

Lockdowns To Push Back Spring Selling Season

Article | May 5, 2023

The spring selling season might be pushed back for a couple of weeks or even months as lockdowns restrict activity in some states and territories, according to CoreLogic. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, sales and listing turnouts typically rise from September to November. Over the ten years to December 2019, the growth in new listings during spring averaged 15.7% while sales hit 6.8%. CoreLogic head of research Eliza Owen said both sales and listings tend to be most seasonal in the capital cities, particularly in Sydney and the ACT. With the lockdowns, however, the in-demand locations might not witness the same level of activity this upcoming spring, which is only two weeks away. "Observing housing market performance through lockdowns reveals that both sales and listings volumes will fall through lockdowns," Ms Owen said. What can be learned from last year's Melbourne lockdown? The extended lockdown in Melbourne last year could provide a glimpse as to what could happen in this year's lockdowns. Melbourne was in lockdown from mid-July to late October. During the period, listings dropped consistently, hitting the lowest at 1,411 in the four weeks to September, which was 80.7% lower than the previous five-year average. There are several factors that contributed to the slowdown during the period. Aside from the obvious restrictions that have limited inspections and auctions to virtual sessions, the low levels of consumer confidence also dampened the overall market sentiment, with vendors being unsure whether they would get an optimal price for their properties. Mortgage repayment deferrals and other government support also contributed, as these prevented distressed sales. However, when restrictions in Melbourne got lifted by late October, there was a sudden shift in the market mood, with listings quickly recovering. "New listings volumes through December 2020 trended an average 40.4% higher than the previous five-year average, suggesting the spring selling season of 2020 was 'pushed back' into the final months of the year," Ms Owen said. Lockdowns to only postpone market activity Ms Owen said the trend in sales and listings through a lockdown indicate the relative stability of the economy and the housing market amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "This has meant that housing purchasing decisions were more likely to have just been postponed through lockdowns, rather than abandoned all together.” In fact, the muted sales activity through lockdowns actually led to an uplift in sales across Melbourne in December of 2020 and July 2021, a time when seasonally, sales volumes would usually be far more subdued. "There are tailwinds in place for housing market demand to suggest this may happen again; household savings rates remain elevated, new average mortgage rates continue to reach new record lows, and many government fiscal stimulus and broader institutional responses have been resurrected amid renewed lockdowns," Ms Owen said. Affordability might become a concern The consistent surge in prices across capital cities in recent months have already resulted in the inevitable constraints in affordability. CoreLogic's Hedonic Home Value Index in July showed a 1.6% gain in dwelling values, a retreat from the previous growth of 1.9%. Ms Owen said some support schemes that supported consumer sentiment, such as JobKeeper and HomeBuilder have already ended which could dampen the expected rebound in demand. The rising threat of the Delta variant of COVID-19 might also be a major headwind, as it could result in further lockdowns which will ultimately impact the incomes of Australian households. "With affordability constraints becoming a larger obstacle in the market, as well as the potential for tighter credit conditions further down the track, if buyer activity does not match the lift in listings we could see a gradual rebalancing between sellers and buyers," Ms Owen said.

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Real Estate Technology

Smart Construction: Building Value through Interconnected Intelligence

Article | July 12, 2022

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.

Read More
Real Estate Technology

What Property Investors Need to Know About Sustainable And Impact Investing

Article | July 25, 2022

There’s no escaping the importance of sustainability in any investment sector. Globally, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing is worth $30 trillion in assets under management each year, around a quarter of all professionally-managed assets. It is more relevant than ever as the ‘high impact, low probability’ shock imposed by Covid-19 has strengthened the case for prioritising people and planet alongside profits, and illustrated the power of collective action to tackle global problems. Many investors are unaware how significant this trend will be. If you are an investor, you need to consider why sustainability will be important, what sustainable property investing actually means, and what the major issues and opportunities are, as these will affect your risks and returns. Why is sustainability so important for investors? The UK’s legally-binding commitment to achieve net carbon zero by 2050 means that sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. Our legal obligation is showing up in the form of new rules, regulations and best practices affecting all sectors that contribute to emissions. 40 per cent of UK emissions come from households, which makes the chance of more regulations and policies around the environmental performance of property more likely than not. These regulations will not only affect your ability to operate in a way that is compliant, but fundamentally change the value, performance and risk associated with your investments.

Read More

What is BIM and How Is It Changing the World of CRE?

Article | April 11, 2020

The construction industry has been slow to evolve, especially in the realm of commercial real estate (CRE). In many ways, the construction process is not dissimilar from how it was when the first skyscrapers were built. However, as technology begins to change various parts of the industry, especially how all stakeholders communicate, building information modeling (BIM) is playing a larger role. BIM stands for building information modeling, and it's essentially a way to create as detailed a model of a potential building as possible so that architects, developers, and construction managers can collaborate and answer questions before and during the construction process. The benefit of this is that all parties can share information and potentially avoid costly mistakes.

Read More
Real Estate Investment, Asset Management

Real Estate Property vs Asset Management: Understanding the Fine Line

Article | May 5, 2023

The spring selling season might be pushed back for a couple of weeks or even months as lockdowns restrict activity in some states and territories, according to CoreLogic. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, sales and listing turnouts typically rise from September to November. Over the ten years to December 2019, the growth in new listings during spring averaged 15.7% while sales hit 6.8%. CoreLogic head of research Eliza Owen said both sales and listings tend to be most seasonal in the capital cities, particularly in Sydney and the ACT. With the lockdowns, however, the in-demand locations might not witness the same level of activity this upcoming spring, which is only two weeks away. "Observing housing market performance through lockdowns reveals that both sales and listings volumes will fall through lockdowns," Ms Owen said. What can be learned from last year's Melbourne lockdown? The extended lockdown in Melbourne last year could provide a glimpse as to what could happen in this year's lockdowns. Melbourne was in lockdown from mid-July to late October. During the period, listings dropped consistently, hitting the lowest at 1,411 in the four weeks to September, which was 80.7% lower than the previous five-year average. There are several factors that contributed to the slowdown during the period. Aside from the obvious restrictions that have limited inspections and auctions to virtual sessions, the low levels of consumer confidence also dampened the overall market sentiment, with vendors being unsure whether they would get an optimal price for their properties. Mortgage repayment deferrals and other government support also contributed, as these prevented distressed sales. However, when restrictions in Melbourne got lifted by late October, there was a sudden shift in the market mood, with listings quickly recovering. "New listings volumes through December 2020 trended an average 40.4% higher than the previous five-year average, suggesting the spring selling season of 2020 was 'pushed back' into the final months of the year," Ms Owen said. Lockdowns to only postpone market activity Ms Owen said the trend in sales and listings through a lockdown indicate the relative stability of the economy and the housing market amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "This has meant that housing purchasing decisions were more likely to have just been postponed through lockdowns, rather than abandoned all together.” In fact, the muted sales activity through lockdowns actually led to an uplift in sales across Melbourne in December of 2020 and July 2021, a time when seasonally, sales volumes would usually be far more subdued. "There are tailwinds in place for housing market demand to suggest this may happen again; household savings rates remain elevated, new average mortgage rates continue to reach new record lows, and many government fiscal stimulus and broader institutional responses have been resurrected amid renewed lockdowns," Ms Owen said. Affordability might become a concern The consistent surge in prices across capital cities in recent months have already resulted in the inevitable constraints in affordability. CoreLogic's Hedonic Home Value Index in July showed a 1.6% gain in dwelling values, a retreat from the previous growth of 1.9%. Ms Owen said some support schemes that supported consumer sentiment, such as JobKeeper and HomeBuilder have already ended which could dampen the expected rebound in demand. The rising threat of the Delta variant of COVID-19 might also be a major headwind, as it could result in further lockdowns which will ultimately impact the incomes of Australian households. "With affordability constraints becoming a larger obstacle in the market, as well as the potential for tighter credit conditions further down the track, if buyer activity does not match the lift in listings we could see a gradual rebalancing between sellers and buyers," Ms Owen said.

Read More
Real Estate Technology

Down Payment Assistance and How It Empowers Home Buyers

Article | July 12, 2022

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.

Read More
Real Estate Technology

Investing in real estate CRM? Top 8 features to improve customer experience

Article | July 25, 2022

There’s no escaping the importance of sustainability in any investment sector. Globally, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing is worth $30 trillion in assets under management each year, around a quarter of all professionally-managed assets. It is more relevant than ever as the ‘high impact, low probability’ shock imposed by Covid-19 has strengthened the case for prioritising people and planet alongside profits, and illustrated the power of collective action to tackle global problems. Many investors are unaware how significant this trend will be. If you are an investor, you need to consider why sustainability will be important, what sustainable property investing actually means, and what the major issues and opportunities are, as these will affect your risks and returns. Why is sustainability so important for investors? The UK’s legally-binding commitment to achieve net carbon zero by 2050 means that sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. Our legal obligation is showing up in the form of new rules, regulations and best practices affecting all sectors that contribute to emissions. 40 per cent of UK emissions come from households, which makes the chance of more regulations and policies around the environmental performance of property more likely than not. These regulations will not only affect your ability to operate in a way that is compliant, but fundamentally change the value, performance and risk associated with your investments.

Read More

What is BIM and How Is It Changing the World of CRE?

Article | April 11, 2020

The construction industry has been slow to evolve, especially in the realm of commercial real estate (CRE). In many ways, the construction process is not dissimilar from how it was when the first skyscrapers were built. However, as technology begins to change various parts of the industry, especially how all stakeholders communicate, building information modeling (BIM) is playing a larger role. BIM stands for building information modeling, and it's essentially a way to create as detailed a model of a potential building as possible so that architects, developers, and construction managers can collaborate and answer questions before and during the construction process. The benefit of this is that all parties can share information and potentially avoid costly mistakes.

Read More
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Serving Colorado's residential real estate needs and providing top agents an opportunity to grow with one of INC500's fastest growing companies in the US.

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Brokerage, Real Estate Investment

Rental Beast and Southwest MLS Join Forces to Ignite Albuquerque's Rental Market Revolution

Businesswire | July 20, 2023

Rental Beast, a leading real estate technology firm, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking platform integration with Southwest MLS today. Ranked 10th nationwide as a hotspot for sellers, the Albuquerque housing market continues to boom despite a shortage in housing supply. As home values remain high, prospective homebuyers are shifting their focus to the rental market. In fact, each rental property in Albuquerque receives an average of eight tenant applicants, creating a market that's ready for REALTORS® to showcase their expertise. Recognizing the demand for innovative solutions, the MLS is revolutionizing the rental market in Albuquerque through an exciting platform integration with Rental Beast. By providing its members with a comprehensive suite of tools, SWMLS empowers them to succeed in this fiercely competitive landscape. "The launch of Rental Beast and NMHomeRentals.com is an exciting development for consumers, REALTORS®, and landlords in Greater Albuquerque," said Tego Venturi, President of SWMLS, "This new platform creates a reliable marketplace for rental properties, increasing transparency in the rental process and helping protect renters from scams. SWMLS has long been the premier marketplace for the Albuquerque home sales market and this new platform will become the central source of truth for the rental market in the same way." The platform integration includes an array of features, including a rental-centric Add/Edit tool, access to valuable leads, third-party syndication to premier websites, an online application and tenant screening tool, powerful client management tools, and comprehensive training and support for SWMLS members to become experts in the rental market. "We are giving members the tools they need to thrive in this space," said Ishay Grinberg, CEO of Rental Beast. "Our integration equips SWMLS members with the cutting-edge tools and resources needed to navigate the dynamic rental market landscape, deliver exceptional service to their clients, and capitalize on the immense potential that the rental market presents." About Southwest MLS The Southwest MLS Inc, also known as SWMLS, is the top real estate information and data provider in New Mexico, offering services to Central New Mexico and includes coverage in Bernalillo, Valencia, Sandoval, Torrance, and the areas of Socorro and Santa Fe Counties. The Southwest MLS is headquartered in Albuquerque, NM and is committed to equipping its members with valuable products and services, promoting strong ethical and professional stands while also supporting private property rights. About the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® (GAAR) The voice for real estate in the Greater Albuquerque area, the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® (GAAR) represents the growing region of Central New Mexico, which includes Bernalillo, Valencia, Sandoval, Torrance, parts of Socorro, and Santa Fe Counties, and is recognized as the leading provider of real estate information services and data in New Mexico. Chartered in 1921 as the Real Estate Board of Albuquerque, GAAR today is the largest, local professional trade association in Central New Mexico, with 4,300 members pledged to uphold a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. GAAR is an association of professional REALTORS® who work cooperatively to advance the industry and actively support the communities and people they serve. About Rental Beast Rental Beast is a leading real estate technology firm with an end-to-end SaaS platform designed to empower real estate professionals and the nation's most comprehensive database of nearly eleven million rental properties. Sourced directly from property owners, updated in real-time, and offering a fulfillment-grade rental dataset, the Rental Beast database provides real estate professionals with an unparalleled view of all properties and owner types. Utilizing a seamless and secure integration, participating MLSs, and REALTOR® Associations can capture thousands of properties that are normally off-MLS inventory, and leverage essential search, data ingestion, and maintenance systems needed to help member agents and subscribers capture their share of $12 billion in annual leasing commissions. Rental Beast is recognized and supported by Second Century Ventures, the capital and strategic growth arm of the National Association of REALTORS® and is a proud member of the 2022 REACH-Canada program.

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Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Advice

Curbio Releases New Report Detailing What Homebuyers Want and the Pre-Listing Home Improvements that Deliver Sellers the Highest ROI

PRnewswire | June 13, 2023

Curbio, Inc., the leading pay-at-closing home improvement solution for the real estate industry, today released its new Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report, a comprehensive report that analyzes thousands of projects completed by Curbio to determine which ones get homeowners the highest returns when selling, and surveys buyers on what they're looking for in a home. Curbio conducted its homeowner insights survey to learn more about the misconceptions people have regarding pre-listing home improvements. The survey found that nearly half of homeowners (43%) don't think they need to update their house before listing it – but that is not what buyers think. Some key buyer insights include: 67% of potential buyers say they only consider homes with updated features and layouts 68% of potential buyers say the biggest dealbreaker to buying a home is disrepair and wear and tear 77% of potential buyers won't consider purchasing a home that isn't move-in ready When renovating or making repairs to get a home ready to sell, different projects can result in vastly different returns. Data analysis of renovation projects across 30+ U.S. markets shows where sellers can get the most bang for their buck. These are the top five home improvement projects that generate the highest ROI: Kitchen refresh (painting cabinets, new appliances, new countertops, updating hardware): 377% Refinishing hardwood floors: 348% Basic listing prep (interior electrical updates, minor fixes): 297% Roof replacement: 288% Carpet replacement: 280% The Preparing to Sell report found that the project bringing the highest return is a kitchen refresh, with a 377% ROI; if a homeowner spends $15,000 to update their kitchen, they can expect to sell for an additional $71,550 – a $56,550 profit. The data also shows that refreshing key areas of a home, like a kitchen or bathroom, deliver higher returns than full remodels. A bathroom refresh has a 256% ROI, and a full bathroom remodel has a 120% ROI. "Sellers often have the misconception that putting work into the home means they need to fully renovate their homes before listing, but simple refreshes in your kitchen or to your floors actually have much higher returns and take a lot less work," said Olivia Mariani, Chief Marketing Officer at Curbio. "In a competitive housing market, it's important for agents and sellers to work to attract potential buyers and make a home stand out. We created this new report as a tool for realtors and their clients to make smart, savvy choices when getting a home ready to sell." The housing market has slowed greatly since last year. According to the National Association of Realtors, home sales this April were 23% lower than last April – meaning the buying frenzy is over. Buyers now have more options to choose from, making the market increasingly competitive. The report also found that 77% of homeowners said they would choose an agent who offered a pay-at-closing solution over those who didn't. Curbio makes it easy for agents and their clients by streamlining sourcing, project management and communication, and acting as the licensed, insured general contractor on all projects. About Curbio Curbio is on a mission to help real estate agents fix and update homes before they go on the market, so they sell quickly and for the best price, with zero payment due until closing. Founded in 2017, Curbio has quickly become the largest national home improvement company dedicated to pre-listing repairs, updates, and renovations. Curbio has modernized home improvement with an easy-to-use app that accelerates project timelines by 50%, while removing the delays, uncertainties and other frustrations that have plagued home improvement for decades. Their rapid time to listing, coupled with a turn-key approach and project ROI expertise, has made Curbio the most trusted fix first, pay-at-closing home improvement partner to thousands of realtors and brokerages nationwide, including eXp realty, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, Long & Foster, @properties and many more.

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Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Investment

Inside Real Estate Launches CORE Listing Machine & Design Center, Automating Listing Marketing and Attracting More Homebuyers

PRweb | May 22, 2023

Inside Real Estate, one of the fastest-growing independent real estate software companies and trusted technology partner to over 400,000 agents, teams, brokerages and top franchise brands, announced the rollout of the new and enhanced CORE Listing Machine & Design Center. Connecting directly to the MLS, CORE Listing Machine & Design Center pulls in property details and automatically creates a complete marketing campaign across all listing stages. “The excitement of our sales team over having a fully integrated marketing solution for both digital and print is overwhelming,” said Wendi Iglesias, CIO, The Keyes Company. “Our goal is always to provide best-in- class, streamlined solutions to our team that will allow them to make an impact and drive business without having to leave our ecosystem to find the solutions they need. Now, we have everything we need to market ourselves and our listings in one easy to use platform!” CORE Listing Machine & Design Center is the only marketing solution in the industry that has both direct MLS and print vendor integrations. By directly connecting to an agent’s MLS, property details are automatically populated to create an entire marketing campaign for any listing. Features include: Single property websites are generated for each listing, automatically shared on social media pages, and each site has full screen property images, a mortgage calculator and multiple ways to engage potential buyers, and secure contact information. Customizable listing kits allow agents to tailor their marketing templates to fit the design and dynamic of the property they are promoting, to better highlight their listings, reach potential buyers more effectively, and add more value for seller clients Custom listing videos maximize listing exposure while driving powerful SEO value, with custom intros, outros, music, and voiceover capabilities, and are posted directly to an agent’s YouTube page. Social media automation keeps agents top-of-mind with customers through a consistent, branded social media presence. The Design Center makes it easy to create custom branded print and digital assets, with a library of premium, customizable templates, that can be leveraged to promote an agent’s personal brand across any channel, in just a few clicks. Direct print integration capabilities allow you to quickly and effortlessly create printed assets to bolster your brand and market your listings. “So often the most effective marketing tasks are the most time-intensive, but with this new suite of capabilities, we’re ensuring our clients can seize every marketing opportunity, at every stage of the listing cycle, automatically,” said Joe Skousen, CEO of Inside Real Estate. “These tools free up agents’ time, allow full control over branding and market presence, and most importantly, deliver incredible value to both their seller and buyer clients.” Early data suggests strong adoption. In the early stages of the CORE Listing Machine & Design Center rollout, over 300,000 assets have already been auto-generated. CORE Listing Machine & Design Center availability to all kvCORE users will continue over the coming months. About Inside Real Estate Inside Real Estate is a fast-growing, independently-owned real estate software firm that serves as a trusted technology partner to over 400,000 top brokerages, agents, and teams. Their flagship product, kvCORE Platform, is the most modern and comprehensive solution in the industry known for delivering profitable growth at every level of a brokerage organization. Built on a modern, scalable, and flexible architecture, kvCORE enables every brokerage to create its own unique technology ecosystem through custom branding, robust integrations, and high-quality add-on solutions. Recent strategic acquisitions have expanded the company’s technology portfolio further, including BoomTown, Brokermint, and AmpStats solutions, which solidifies Inside Real Estate as the leading technology partner in the real estate industry. With an accomplished leadership team and its talented staff, Inside Real Estate brings the resources, scale, and vision to deliver ongoing innovation and success to their growing customer base.

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Brokerage, Real Estate Investment

Rental Beast and Southwest MLS Join Forces to Ignite Albuquerque's Rental Market Revolution

Businesswire | July 20, 2023

Rental Beast, a leading real estate technology firm, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking platform integration with Southwest MLS today. Ranked 10th nationwide as a hotspot for sellers, the Albuquerque housing market continues to boom despite a shortage in housing supply. As home values remain high, prospective homebuyers are shifting their focus to the rental market. In fact, each rental property in Albuquerque receives an average of eight tenant applicants, creating a market that's ready for REALTORS® to showcase their expertise. Recognizing the demand for innovative solutions, the MLS is revolutionizing the rental market in Albuquerque through an exciting platform integration with Rental Beast. By providing its members with a comprehensive suite of tools, SWMLS empowers them to succeed in this fiercely competitive landscape. "The launch of Rental Beast and NMHomeRentals.com is an exciting development for consumers, REALTORS®, and landlords in Greater Albuquerque," said Tego Venturi, President of SWMLS, "This new platform creates a reliable marketplace for rental properties, increasing transparency in the rental process and helping protect renters from scams. SWMLS has long been the premier marketplace for the Albuquerque home sales market and this new platform will become the central source of truth for the rental market in the same way." The platform integration includes an array of features, including a rental-centric Add/Edit tool, access to valuable leads, third-party syndication to premier websites, an online application and tenant screening tool, powerful client management tools, and comprehensive training and support for SWMLS members to become experts in the rental market. "We are giving members the tools they need to thrive in this space," said Ishay Grinberg, CEO of Rental Beast. "Our integration equips SWMLS members with the cutting-edge tools and resources needed to navigate the dynamic rental market landscape, deliver exceptional service to their clients, and capitalize on the immense potential that the rental market presents." About Southwest MLS The Southwest MLS Inc, also known as SWMLS, is the top real estate information and data provider in New Mexico, offering services to Central New Mexico and includes coverage in Bernalillo, Valencia, Sandoval, Torrance, and the areas of Socorro and Santa Fe Counties. The Southwest MLS is headquartered in Albuquerque, NM and is committed to equipping its members with valuable products and services, promoting strong ethical and professional stands while also supporting private property rights. About the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® (GAAR) The voice for real estate in the Greater Albuquerque area, the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® (GAAR) represents the growing region of Central New Mexico, which includes Bernalillo, Valencia, Sandoval, Torrance, parts of Socorro, and Santa Fe Counties, and is recognized as the leading provider of real estate information services and data in New Mexico. Chartered in 1921 as the Real Estate Board of Albuquerque, GAAR today is the largest, local professional trade association in Central New Mexico, with 4,300 members pledged to uphold a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. GAAR is an association of professional REALTORS® who work cooperatively to advance the industry and actively support the communities and people they serve. About Rental Beast Rental Beast is a leading real estate technology firm with an end-to-end SaaS platform designed to empower real estate professionals and the nation's most comprehensive database of nearly eleven million rental properties. Sourced directly from property owners, updated in real-time, and offering a fulfillment-grade rental dataset, the Rental Beast database provides real estate professionals with an unparalleled view of all properties and owner types. Utilizing a seamless and secure integration, participating MLSs, and REALTOR® Associations can capture thousands of properties that are normally off-MLS inventory, and leverage essential search, data ingestion, and maintenance systems needed to help member agents and subscribers capture their share of $12 billion in annual leasing commissions. Rental Beast is recognized and supported by Second Century Ventures, the capital and strategic growth arm of the National Association of REALTORS® and is a proud member of the 2022 REACH-Canada program.

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Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Advice

Curbio Releases New Report Detailing What Homebuyers Want and the Pre-Listing Home Improvements that Deliver Sellers the Highest ROI

PRnewswire | June 13, 2023

Curbio, Inc., the leading pay-at-closing home improvement solution for the real estate industry, today released its new Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report, a comprehensive report that analyzes thousands of projects completed by Curbio to determine which ones get homeowners the highest returns when selling, and surveys buyers on what they're looking for in a home. Curbio conducted its homeowner insights survey to learn more about the misconceptions people have regarding pre-listing home improvements. The survey found that nearly half of homeowners (43%) don't think they need to update their house before listing it – but that is not what buyers think. Some key buyer insights include: 67% of potential buyers say they only consider homes with updated features and layouts 68% of potential buyers say the biggest dealbreaker to buying a home is disrepair and wear and tear 77% of potential buyers won't consider purchasing a home that isn't move-in ready When renovating or making repairs to get a home ready to sell, different projects can result in vastly different returns. Data analysis of renovation projects across 30+ U.S. markets shows where sellers can get the most bang for their buck. These are the top five home improvement projects that generate the highest ROI: Kitchen refresh (painting cabinets, new appliances, new countertops, updating hardware): 377% Refinishing hardwood floors: 348% Basic listing prep (interior electrical updates, minor fixes): 297% Roof replacement: 288% Carpet replacement: 280% The Preparing to Sell report found that the project bringing the highest return is a kitchen refresh, with a 377% ROI; if a homeowner spends $15,000 to update their kitchen, they can expect to sell for an additional $71,550 – a $56,550 profit. The data also shows that refreshing key areas of a home, like a kitchen or bathroom, deliver higher returns than full remodels. A bathroom refresh has a 256% ROI, and a full bathroom remodel has a 120% ROI. "Sellers often have the misconception that putting work into the home means they need to fully renovate their homes before listing, but simple refreshes in your kitchen or to your floors actually have much higher returns and take a lot less work," said Olivia Mariani, Chief Marketing Officer at Curbio. "In a competitive housing market, it's important for agents and sellers to work to attract potential buyers and make a home stand out. We created this new report as a tool for realtors and their clients to make smart, savvy choices when getting a home ready to sell." The housing market has slowed greatly since last year. According to the National Association of Realtors, home sales this April were 23% lower than last April – meaning the buying frenzy is over. Buyers now have more options to choose from, making the market increasingly competitive. The report also found that 77% of homeowners said they would choose an agent who offered a pay-at-closing solution over those who didn't. Curbio makes it easy for agents and their clients by streamlining sourcing, project management and communication, and acting as the licensed, insured general contractor on all projects. About Curbio Curbio is on a mission to help real estate agents fix and update homes before they go on the market, so they sell quickly and for the best price, with zero payment due until closing. Founded in 2017, Curbio has quickly become the largest national home improvement company dedicated to pre-listing repairs, updates, and renovations. Curbio has modernized home improvement with an easy-to-use app that accelerates project timelines by 50%, while removing the delays, uncertainties and other frustrations that have plagued home improvement for decades. Their rapid time to listing, coupled with a turn-key approach and project ROI expertise, has made Curbio the most trusted fix first, pay-at-closing home improvement partner to thousands of realtors and brokerages nationwide, including eXp realty, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, Long & Foster, @properties and many more.

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Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Investment

Inside Real Estate Launches CORE Listing Machine & Design Center, Automating Listing Marketing and Attracting More Homebuyers

PRweb | May 22, 2023

Inside Real Estate, one of the fastest-growing independent real estate software companies and trusted technology partner to over 400,000 agents, teams, brokerages and top franchise brands, announced the rollout of the new and enhanced CORE Listing Machine & Design Center. Connecting directly to the MLS, CORE Listing Machine & Design Center pulls in property details and automatically creates a complete marketing campaign across all listing stages. “The excitement of our sales team over having a fully integrated marketing solution for both digital and print is overwhelming,” said Wendi Iglesias, CIO, The Keyes Company. “Our goal is always to provide best-in- class, streamlined solutions to our team that will allow them to make an impact and drive business without having to leave our ecosystem to find the solutions they need. Now, we have everything we need to market ourselves and our listings in one easy to use platform!” CORE Listing Machine & Design Center is the only marketing solution in the industry that has both direct MLS and print vendor integrations. By directly connecting to an agent’s MLS, property details are automatically populated to create an entire marketing campaign for any listing. Features include: Single property websites are generated for each listing, automatically shared on social media pages, and each site has full screen property images, a mortgage calculator and multiple ways to engage potential buyers, and secure contact information. Customizable listing kits allow agents to tailor their marketing templates to fit the design and dynamic of the property they are promoting, to better highlight their listings, reach potential buyers more effectively, and add more value for seller clients Custom listing videos maximize listing exposure while driving powerful SEO value, with custom intros, outros, music, and voiceover capabilities, and are posted directly to an agent’s YouTube page. Social media automation keeps agents top-of-mind with customers through a consistent, branded social media presence. The Design Center makes it easy to create custom branded print and digital assets, with a library of premium, customizable templates, that can be leveraged to promote an agent’s personal brand across any channel, in just a few clicks. Direct print integration capabilities allow you to quickly and effortlessly create printed assets to bolster your brand and market your listings. “So often the most effective marketing tasks are the most time-intensive, but with this new suite of capabilities, we’re ensuring our clients can seize every marketing opportunity, at every stage of the listing cycle, automatically,” said Joe Skousen, CEO of Inside Real Estate. “These tools free up agents’ time, allow full control over branding and market presence, and most importantly, deliver incredible value to both their seller and buyer clients.” Early data suggests strong adoption. In the early stages of the CORE Listing Machine & Design Center rollout, over 300,000 assets have already been auto-generated. CORE Listing Machine & Design Center availability to all kvCORE users will continue over the coming months. About Inside Real Estate Inside Real Estate is a fast-growing, independently-owned real estate software firm that serves as a trusted technology partner to over 400,000 top brokerages, agents, and teams. Their flagship product, kvCORE Platform, is the most modern and comprehensive solution in the industry known for delivering profitable growth at every level of a brokerage organization. Built on a modern, scalable, and flexible architecture, kvCORE enables every brokerage to create its own unique technology ecosystem through custom branding, robust integrations, and high-quality add-on solutions. Recent strategic acquisitions have expanded the company’s technology portfolio further, including BoomTown, Brokermint, and AmpStats solutions, which solidifies Inside Real Estate as the leading technology partner in the real estate industry. With an accomplished leadership team and its talented staff, Inside Real Estate brings the resources, scale, and vision to deliver ongoing innovation and success to their growing customer base.

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