The 3 Tasks Every Real Estate Agent Should Be Outsourcing

A clean, well-managed CRM can be your most valuable real estate tool. Too often, however, the database is so neglected and disorganized that it’s not living up to its full potential. Management of the system is an ongoing task, requiring a significant amount of an agent’s time. In fact, the folks at Hubspot found that nearly 30 percent of salespeople spent in excess of an hour a day on data entry. That’s an hour much better spent taking a former client to lunch or prospecting for new clients. When it comes to outsourcing real estate tasks, how does one go about finding help with data entry? Hiring a virtual assistant with CRM experience is probably the easiest way to get started. Here are just a few tasks to hand off:

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GH Phipps Construction

GH Phipps is an employee-owned full service Construction Manager/General Contractor. Corporate headquarters are located in Greenwood Village, Colorado; with branch offices in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Fort Collins, Colorado, and Laramie, Wyoming.

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Real Estate Technology

A California Perspective: Real Estate Principals Navigate the Current Lending Market

Article | July 12, 2022

Early in 2020, the market was extremely liquid for real estate investors and operating companies. Interest rates were relatively low, asset values were high, unemployment was low, and there was little inflation—overall, the market was performing well. And then the lending market began to change in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of defensive draws by companies to preserve their liquidity has been unprecedented, and the number of loans has drastically increased. Other forms of capital have slowed due to the inability to forecast risk. It’s a challenging time for real estate companies to stay abreast of market trends, as well as quantify the current and anticipated business impacts in this dynamic environment. With data constantly changing, how are real estate companies navigating this seemingly open-ended period of uncertainty? On April 17, EisnerAmper hosted a “Real Estate Principals Virtual Roundtable” with the Bay Area Council, Kennedy Wilson, and Wells Fargo. This online event provided a forum for industry leaders to share their experiences regarding the current lending market and to hear first-hand from their peers regarding how they’re navigating the current environment. Here are some key takeaways from that discussion.

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Real Estate Advice, Asset Management

A Guide to Measure Data-driven Real Estate Asset Management Services

Article | May 9, 2023

Explore the latest trends, tools, and strategies for optimizing data-driven real estate asset management services and achieving long-term success with a comprehensive guide to improving business ROIs. Contents 1 Importance of Data-driven Model for Real Estate Asset Management 2 Seven Steps to Measure Data-driven Asset Management 2.1 Defining the Purpose and Scope 2.2 Identifying the KPI 2.3 Determining the Sources 2.4 Collecting and Cleaning Data 2.5 Data Analysis 2.6 Performance Evaluation 2.7 Continuous Monitoring 3 Effectiveness Metrics for Data-Driven Asset Management 3.1 Occupancy Rate 3.2 Operating Expense Ratio 3.3 Tenant Retention Rate 4 Conclusion 1. Importance of Data-driven Model for Real Estate Asset Management As real estate technology continues to develop and become more cost-effective for both new and existing business structures, and as collaboration platforms, sensors, and smart devices continue to advance, the amount of data produced by commercial real estate assets is growing exponentially. This data can give real estate market participants like investors, asset managers, property managers, and tenants a competitive advantage and help them avoid disruption if they develop data-driven services and new business models centered on the specific needs of users, owners, or the property itself. However, only a concerted effort by all real estate stakeholders including builders, investors, owners, tenants, and service providers towards data-driven real estate asset management can optimize data to generate insights that improve performance and profitability. The significance of data-driven models in real estate asset management is growing as the models enable more informed decision-making and more efficient operations by collecting and analyzing data from various sources. Real estate asset managers can gain a greater understanding of the performance of their assets and make more informed management decisions. This can result in increased efficiency, profitability, and tenant satisfaction. 2. Seven Steps to Measure Data-driven Asset Management Measuring the effectiveness of data-driven real estate asset management services enables businesses to evaluate their current strategies and identify areas for improvement in the services they offer By following these steps to measure asset performance, processes, and activities, businesses can gain insights and make data-driven decisions to optimize performance and maximize returns. 2.1 Defining the Purpose and Scope The process of measuring data-driven real estate asset management services begins with a clear definition of the purpose and scope of the measurement. It involves conducting a comprehensive review of the business goals as well as identifying specific objectives and purposes for the strategies to develop a well-defined purpose and scope for measuring the effectiveness of asset management services. It helps to ensure that the real estate asset management services are aligned with the broader business strategy. 2.2 Identifying the KPIs Defining the purpose and scope of data-driven asset management is followed by identifying KPIs to measure success. It requires a clear understanding of critical areas of asset management and selecting quantifiable measures to define success factors and track progress. Choosing the right KPIs provides valuable insights into asset performance, enabling real estate executives and managers to make informed, data-driven decisions to optimize performance and maximize returns. 2.3 Determining the Sources Identifying the data type, including financial, property, market, and tenant, is essential to determine the sources for evaluating data-driven asset management services. After establishing the data requirements, the sources, such as internal systems and databases, third-party data providers, and publicly accessible data sources, are determined with data compliance and security as the determining factor. Determining sources ensures that the asset management data is trustworthy, current, and accurate, which impacts subsequent decision-making. This step provides the groundwork for data-driven decision-making. 2.4 Collecting and Cleaning Data Data collection and cleansing are essential for measuring data-driven asset management services. The collected data must be precise, exhaustive, and dependable for subsequent analysis and decision-making. The step involves validating the data for completeness and accuracy, eliminating errors, inconsistencies, and duplicates, and standardizing the data across all sources. The process identifies improvement opportunities, optimizing real estate asset management services for maximum efficiency and profitability. 2.5 Data Analysis Data analysis plays a critical role in measuring data-driven asset management services. After finalizing the data collection and cleaning step, the data is analyzed using various techniques such as statistical analysis, predictive modeling, and data visualization. These techniques help to identify trends, patterns, and relationships that provide insights into asset performance. Data analysis provides a more profound understanding of the performance of real estate assets, leading to improved efficiency, increased profitability, and enhanced tenant satisfaction. 2.6 Performance Evaluation Evaluation of data performance to comprehend improvements in the data-driven asset management services starts once the data is analyzed. The performance evaluation step involves comparing actual results to the established KPIs to determine whether the goals are being met or whether there are areas for improvement. It aids in identifying deviations from predetermined objectives and prompts and taking required corrective actions to realign with the business strategy. In addition, this step facilitates identifying improvement opportunities and ensures that real estate asset management services are optimized for maximum efficiency and profitability. 2.7 Continuous Monitoring Measurement of data-driven real estate asset management services ends with continuous monitoring. To ensure asset management strategies are working, continuously tracking and evaluating KPIs from earlier steps while identifying underperformance and improvement opportunities is involved in the last stage. Operation managers can make data-driven choices, identify risks and opportunities, and optimize asset management strategies for efficiency and profitability by monitoring real estate asset performance. In addition, it ensures that real estate asset management services remain effective over time and can adapt to market changes to maintain a competitive edge. 3. Effectiveness Metrics for Data-Driven Asset Management Effectiveness metrics for data-driven asset management services are the KPIs used to measure the success of data-driven strategies. These metrics help real estate executives and managers evaluate the performance of their assets and make data-driven decisions for maximum efficiency and profitability. 3.1 Occupancy Rate The occupancy rate is an essential metric in data-driven real estate asset management. This metric indicates the proportion of a property's rental units that are occupied at present. A higher occupancy rate suggests the property performs well, as more tenants occupy the units. Therefore, this metric can be used by real estate businesses to gauge the efficacy of their digital asset management strategies. 3.2 Operating Expense Ratio The operating expense ratio is used to evaluate a property's operational efficiency for data-driven asset management. It is calculated by dividing the operating expenses incurred by the property by the total rental income generated. It helps measure the proportion of income consumed by the expenses, such as maintenance costs, utilities, and commercial property management fees. A lower operating expense ratio indicates better cost control and efficient use of resources, resulting in increased profitability for the real estate asset. 3.3 Tenant Retention Rate In real estate asset management, the tenant retention rate is an essential metric that measures the proportion of tenants who choose to renew their lease agreements. It is an essential indicator of tenant satisfaction and the quality of property management services. A higher tenant retention rate indicates that tenants are satisfied with the property and management, resulting in a stable tenant base, lower vacancy rates, and decreased costs associated with tenant turnover. 4. Conclusion The significance of utilizing data-driven models for real estate asset management is rising due to digital real estate asset management, technological advancements, and the expansion of collaboration platforms, sensors, and intelligent devices. To gain a competitive edge and avoid disruption, stakeholders in the real estate industry must prioritize the development of data-driven services and innovative business models that cater to the unique needs of users, owners, and the property itself. In addition, the use of data-driven models can also lead to more efficient and informed decision-making, reducing costs along with increasing profits and improving real estate portfolio management.

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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTING GUIDELINES

Article | May 30, 2023

Real estate is always an attractive avenue for keen investors. The prospects of property appreciation and their potential returns keep luring people every now and then.Investment in residential property in India is always on the boom. However, the commercial real estate investing trend is also witnessing a rise. This is because commercial properties for medical care centres, hotels and shopping malls present bright investment opportunities. They provide huge returns on investment in short time. This is because of the high profits involved.

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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

GH Phipps Construction

GH Phipps is an employee-owned full service Construction Manager/General Contractor. Corporate headquarters are located in Greenwood Village, Colorado; with branch offices in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Fort Collins, Colorado, and Laramie, Wyoming.

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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."

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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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