How the Eco-Friendly Trend is Changing Real Estate

As the eco-friendly movement gains traction, many industries are adapting—and adopting green solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. This happens at an individual level, as well, when people choose the more environmentally conscious option despite the higher cost. As renters became more aware of their behavior and the effects of it on the planet, they prompted a movement that changed the rental industry. Developers and investors now push toward green construction and green living; they also use more sustainable materials in their buildings and offer green amenities, such as recycling options and energy-efficient appliances.

Spotlight

Group Camargo Corrêa

Camargo Correa SA is a holding company. The company operates through its subsidiaries including Construções e Comércio Camargo Corrêa SA, Intercement Brasil (Camargo Corrêa Cimentos SA), Camargo Correa Desenvolvimento Imobiliario, Tavex Corporation and Alpargatas. It is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The group is a shareholder in CPFL, CCR, Usiminas, A-Port.

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Real Estate Investment, Asset Management

Revitalizing Multifamily Communities with Impactful Resident Services

Article | May 5, 2023

Impactful service-enriched housing programs and onsite supportive services build a foundation for serving the unique needs of a rental community’s tenant base. Quality services that address the individual concerns of each resident help eliminate the challenges that force turnover and increased expenses for property managers. Service-enriched housing includes the incorporation of programs and services within a community that advances the social and economic skill set of tenants. Meeting net operating income (NOI) and covering debt service obligations are key performance indicators for property managers. Tenants must be valued because they are crucial to improving the financial performance of a community or property. Without support in discovering a realistic path to self-sufficiency, these improvements made will not promote the stabilization of a tenant population. The key outcome for a community through the implementation of service-enriched housing programs is internal revitalization. Tenants benefit socially and economically from services that support access to job readiness, education and financial growth. During this time of economic instability, our resident services coordinators help remove barriers that plague many living in rental housing communities. Through its partnership with Esusu, Rainbow has alleviated tenants’ significant economic hardship by bridging default payments with no-interest loans. Tenants can use the company’s rent reporting platform, which sends on-time rental payment data to the three major credit bureaus – allowing them to build and develop their credit scores. Prioritizing tenant empowerment offers tangible and intangible changes in a property, leading to increased financial performance and improved tenant retention. It also reduces turnover costs for property management such as flooring, paint and reletting fees. Free programs and services also improve the marketability of a property to prospective tenants. Rainbow communities have seen a reduction in community vandalism since the implementation of youth enrichment programs that keep children engaged and supported in their education. Quality service-enriched housing programs, such as those offered by Rainbow Housing Assistance Corporation, provide direct access to resources that support the needs of physically and mentally disabled individuals, veterans, chronically homeless, single-parent households, families and seniors. Additionally, this type of outreach attracts the interest of local city, state and federal agencies as it helps stabilize the most vulnerable communities, cutting city and government expenses on a number of levels. This type of approval can even lead to further funding and support for initiatives that will enrich the future of affordable housing services. Key programs and resources address life skills, financial intelligence, education, employment, youth and senior programs, resources to eliminate emergency situations, and social development in a multifamily community. The implementation of a professional, service-enriched housing program with onsite staff ensures that these offerings are tailored to each community and primed for longevity. A stable tenant base will determine the solvency of a community and reposition the financial performance of an asset.

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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.

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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

Utilizing your IRA to Buy and Sell Real Estate

Article | May 10, 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

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

Article | July 25, 2022

Real estate technology has revolutionized the real estate business. Most real estate developers today use technology to meet the needs of customers who are becoming more knowledgeable, give them the best service possible, and remain competitive. Real estate agents are turning to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to manage all communication and interactions with customers and prospects and improve operational efficiencies. What is a real estate CRM? A quick glance A CRM system for real estate is a system that helps manage all communications with leads and clients. It functions as an online database, allowing you to manage your contacts while saving time and effort on manual data entry. Email and text messaging, lead tracking tools, and click-to-call capabilities are some of the key features you will find in the top real estate CRM. A productive realtor must multitask, including keeping the database of clients, locating properties, communicating with clients, using websites and social media platforms to advertise and communicate with new clients, etc. This is where a CRM software plays a critical role because time is money and CRM software allows saving a considerable amount of time, minimizes effort and resources by sales automation, inventory management, automating contacts, managing customer interactions, and performing other data operations. Before selecting a comprehensive CRM solution for your real estate business, you should consider a few key aspects and features Sales process automation Manage your sales pipeline with end-to-end sales automation features that let your sales team focus on tasks that bring in more money while routine tasks are automated. Inventory Management Platform A cloud-based dedicated digital inventory management can let you remotely manage vast quantities of inventory across various projects, buildings, floors, and units. You can use the automation feature to organize and sort a large amount of real estate inventory, as well as to ensure that inventory is selected based on the buyer persona and criteria. List management Your CRM should allow you to personalize your data in order to generate lists based on transactions, dates, offers, events, and incentives Automate tasks and workflow Realtors must be able to quickly respond to property queries without having to browse through their inboxes. Once a client interacts with an agent, the system initiates real-time push alerts, sends follow-up emails or texts, manages calendars, and enables the customer to select other preferred contact channels Post sales automation Using CRM, the sales team could maintain customized payment schedules based on projects, send automated payment reminders, handle inventory payments, create and share documents online relating to bookings. Seamless cross-platform accessibility The CRM software must provide cloud access in addition to phone, desktop, and any smart device. Compatibility with other platforms — compatibility with products like as Microsoft Office and Google Docs is of tremendous assistance, so include it to your list of must-haves. In addition, ensure that the system is user-friendly for individuals who may lack technological expertise. Feedback and reporting The core of your company's success is gathering client feedback. A software that provides insights into your data through centralized reporting and real-time client feedback is ideal for making quick decisions that help you improve sales and boost customer engagement and retention Scalability Scalability is another factor to consider; will you have the flexibility to simply add users as your business grows? You need a CRM platform that is versatile and reliable, able to handle ever-growing business operational efficiencies and not suffer from regular system downtimes, lags and data losses. Conclusion Whether you are a seasoned realtor or a newcomer, investing in CRM software that provides you with a variety of options for time-and cost-efficient customer data management has become critical. Despite the wide variety of CRM options available on the market, the most important thing is to find the one that is best suited to your specific real estate needs. Once you know what you want, you'll be able to make better decisions about your real estate business.

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Spotlight

Group Camargo Corrêa

Camargo Correa SA is a holding company. The company operates through its subsidiaries including Construções e Comércio Camargo Corrêa SA, Intercement Brasil (Camargo Corrêa Cimentos SA), Camargo Correa Desenvolvimento Imobiliario, Tavex Corporation and Alpargatas. It is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The group is a shareholder in CPFL, CCR, Usiminas, A-Port.

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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.

Read More

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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