How iBuying Is Changing the Real-Estate Market

newsmax | October 29, 2019

Silicon Valley startups are shaking up the American real estate market with a system called iBuying. With iBuying, you contact an online company like Zillow or Opendoor and it gives you an offer nearly instantly, meaning you skip the entire process of listing your home and negotiating with sellers. iBuying currently only makes up about 0.2% of U.S. home sales, but some analysts believe it could touch up to 10% of all transactions by 2022. Despite the hype, iBuying does have its share of disadvantages versus the traditional real estate agent system. Here’s how the process works, along with its effect on the value of your home — even if you never sign up. With iBuying, you visit one of the real estate startup websites and enter some basic information about your home, like the address, age and condition. The company will then run this data through an algorithm and compare it to the value of other similar listings. Once the calculation is finished, the company will come up with a cash offer for your property. That’s it. You don’t have to hire a real estate agent, renovate your home, hold viewings or worry about whether the buyer will be able to qualify for a mortgage.

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Real Estate Technology, Agent

Capital Square Fully Subscribes DST Offering of Multifamily Build-for-Rent Community Near Raleigh, North Carolina

PRnewswire | August 04, 2023

Capital Square, one of the nation's leading sponsors of tax-advantaged real estate investments and an active developer of multifamily communities, announced today that its offering, CS1031 Ashford Townes BFR Housing, DST, has been fully subscribed. The Regulation D private placement, which raised nearly $13.7 million from accredited investors, is comprised of a 74-unit, newly constructed build-for-rent townhome community in the affluent Raleigh suburb of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Capital Square formed the Private Equity Group, managed by experienced real estate executives Dave Platter and Jon Trott as managing directors and co-heads, to profit from opportunities in the housing market, including a dedicated build-for-rent ("BFR") strategy in high growth sunbelt markets. This represents Capital Square's third BFR offering on platform to date. "This is another home run for Capital Square in providing a newly constructed build-for-rent housing community for Section 1031 exchange and other investors seeking stable cash flow and capital appreciation. From Class A and Class B residential communities, manufactured housing in Florida and now build-for-rent residential communities, Capital Square is providing investors with a range of options to invest in the vibrant southeastern housing markets," said Louis Rogers, founder and co-chief executive officer of Capital Square. Completed in February 2022, Ashford Townes is located at 604 Oakbrook Pass Way. The townhome community, developed by D.R. Horton, the nation's largest homebuilder by volume, boasts three-bedroom, open floorplans averaging 1,693 square feet with integrated smart-home technology, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, high vaulted ceilings, built-in window blinds, spacious walk-in closets, full size washer-dryers, attached one-car garages, private patios and outdoor storage. A community dog park is additionally contemplated for development. Residents have access to over 130,000 jobs, including major employers such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Novartis, IQVIA, JLL and Duke Energy. Five minutes from the property are a plethora of local retailers, restaurants, breweries, fitness centers and top performing schools. Approximately 30 minutes south of the property is Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the U.S. and a premier global innovation center covering 7,000 acres of the combined Raleigh-Durham-Cary statistical area. "Ashford Townes is an affordable housing option amidst Raleigh's single-family for-sale market, where rents are predicted to grow 3.75% over the next five years," said Whitson Huffman, co-chief executive officer. "The area has seen a recent decline of multifamily inventory, making the Raleigh market an attractive market for investment in a high-quality single-family rental community." Capital Square is an active owner of multifamily communities in North Carolina. The firm recently acquired Asheville NC Apartment Portfolio, a two-property multifamily portfolio comprised of a total of 305 apartment homes in Asheville. The community was acquired on behalf of CS1031 Asheville NC Apartment Portfolio, DST, a private placement offering that seeks to raise $73.1 million in equity from accredited investors and has a minimum investment requirement of $50,000. Since its founding in 2012, Capital Square has acquired 171 real estate assets for over 6,500 investors seeking quality replacement properties that qualify for tax deferral under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code and other investors seeking stable cash flow and capital appreciation. About Capital Square Capital Square is a vertically integrated national real estate firm specializing in tax-advantaged real estate investments, including Delaware statutory trusts for Section 1031 exchanges, qualified opportunity zone funds for tax deferral and exclusion and a real estate investment trust (REIT). In recent years the company has become an active developer of mixed-use multifamily properties in the southeastern U.S., with eight current projects totaling approximately 2,000 apartment units with a total development cost in excess of $600 million. Since 2012, Capital Square has completed more than $7.5 billion in transaction volume. Capital Square's related entities provide a range of services, including due diligence, acquisition, loan sourcing, property/asset management and disposition, for a growing number of high-net-worth investors, private equity firms, family offices and institutional investors. Since 2017, Capital Square has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation for six consecutive years. In 2017, 2018 and 2020, the company was also ranked on Richmond BizSense's list of fastest growing companies. Additionally, Capital Square was listed by Virginia Business on their "Best Places to Work in Virginia" report in 2019 and their "Fantastic 50" reports in 2019 and 2020. In 2023, Capital Square was recognized by the Richmond Times-Dispatch as one of the region's "Top Work Places."

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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, Mortgage and Lending

Newrez Announces Partnership with Homebot to Empower Customers

Businesswire | June 28, 2023

Newrez LLC (“Newrez”), a leading mortgage lending and servicing organization, today announced a strategic partnership with Homebot, a home finance education portal that empowers consumers to make smart home finance decisions. This partnership taps the power of Homebot to solidify customer intelligence in empowering decisions. As one of the largest lenders in the country, Newrez continually seeks innovative solutions to support loan officers, their clients and partners, and homeowners from their existing MSR portfolio. Homebot empowers homeowners and buyers with personalized home finance insights, market intelligence, and property search experiences, while keeping them connected with their trusted home advisor every step of the way. "At Newrez, our mission is to reimagine the homeownership experience by empowering our clients to make the best financial decisions every step of the way. By incorporating Homebot’s rich content and technology in our servicing portfolio, it will allow our loan officers to provide clients support based upon their needs during their homeownership journey,” said Baron Silverstein, President of Newrez. "Newrez is also one of the first companies to offer Homebot to our servicing portfolio, a strategic initiative to drive enhanced engagement and recapture efforts.” The partnership with Homebot will enable loan officers to deliver powerful, highly-personalized insights to homeowners and buyers, ultimately creating more connected client relationships and increasing engagement. Plus, Homebot’s rich behavioral engagement insights give loan officers an opportunity to connect with clients and prospects at the right time, the moment they start showing signals of intent. “We’re incredibly excited about the relationship we’ve developed with Newrez and the opportunity we have to fuel retail growth and servicing recapture efforts, all by empowering and educating millions of clients,” said Charlie Pratt, CEO of Homebot. ABOUT NEWREZ Based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, Newrez is a leading mortgage company, dedicated to reimagining the homeownership journey. Combining mortgage origination and servicing, we are uniquely positioned to offer a streamlined, customer-centric experience, catering to our clients when and where they need us most. Our customer-first strategy empowers homeowners to optimize their investment, guiding them towards the most beneficial financial decisions every step of the way. Founded in 2008, Newrez is a member of the Rithm Capital Family of Companies. ©2023 Newrez LLC, 1100 Virginia Dr., Ste. 125, Fort Washington, PA 19034. 1-888-673-5521. NMLS #3013 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Doing business as Newrez Mortgage LLC in the state of Texas. Alaska Mortgage Lender License #AK3013. Arizona Mortgage Banker License #919777. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license. Massachusetts Lender #ML-3013. Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance. Licensed Mortgage Banker-NYS Banking Department. Additional licenses available at www.newrez.com. ABOUT HOMEBOT Homebot, an ASG company, is a home education portal that keeps people connected to their home advisors (loan officers and real estate agents). The award winning portal delivers personalized, actionable intelligence throughout the entire homeownership lifecycle. And with an average 50% monthly engagement rate, Homebot ensures lenders and agents remain the trusted advisors that consumers rely on to make informed decisions about the largest asset they may ever own, their home. For more information on Homebot, please visit: homebot.ai

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