Mortgages in London are the least affordable in the UK but better than in 2007

Halifax | April 01, 2019

Getting a mortgage to buy a property in London is at its least affordable in a decade but nationally in the UK home loan affordability has remained steady, lender research has found. While London mortgages have become increasingly less affordable over the past decade, but they remain below the 2007 peak when mortgage payments were 52.4% of earnings, according to the study from the Halifax. Mortgage affordability across the UK has remained at or just below the 30% of average disposable earnings since 2009 and the top 10 least affordable home loans are in London and the South East while the most affordable are in Copeland in the North West of England.

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Real Estate Technology, Home and Design

Curbio Expands into Tucson, AZ with the Ultimate Fix Now, Pay Later Home Improvement Solution

PR Newswire | August 23, 2023

Curbio, Inc., the leading pre-sale contractor solution for Realtors and their listing clients, today announces its expansion into Tucson, AZ. With this expansion, Curbio will begin helping Tucson-area real estate agents and their clients get all their listings ready for market reliably and sold for top dollar amid an increasingly competitive housing market. Curbio is an innovative PropTech company that partners exclusively with real estate agents to complete pre-listing home improvements. Curbio works with agents to determine what updates will generate the highest ROI for home sellers, and then acts as the licensed and insured contractor on all projects. In utilizing their innovative project management platform and world-class customer success team, Curbio provides its clients with an elevated home improvement experience and enables agents to win listings and sell them for top dollar. "We are so excited to begin partnering with Tucson-area Realtors, providing them with a pay-at-closing concierge solution that they can use to get all of their listings ready for market reliably and efficiently," said Olivia Mariani, Chief Marketing Officer at Curbio. "Buyers in Tucson want move-in-ready homes, and Curbio allows real estate agents and homeowners to meet this demand without paying any cash up front. We are setting the new standard in pre-listing home improvement and couldn't be more thrilled to be expanding our footprint in Arizona." Curbio provides fix now, pay-at-closing terms for pre-listing home improvement projects of all sizes. With no project minimums or maximums, Curbio is a Realtor's go-to contractor partner for all of their home improvement needs. Examples of projects that Curbio completes include staging, kitchen and bathroom remodels, landscaping, deep cleaning and decluttering, painting, flooring installation and more. This is the fourth major market expansion for Curbio in 2023, following their launches in St. Louis, Jacksonville and Kansas City. Curbio now serves more than 60 markets across the United States. About Curbio Curbio is the leading pay-at-closing contractor working with real estate agents to get homes ready for sale reliably and without hassle. Curbio has modernized home improvement with an easy-to-use mobile app and five-star project management team that streamlines project work and communication, while eliminating the delays and uncertainties that have made home improvement so frustrating, especially for agents and home sellers. Our turnkey approach and pay-when-you-sell model has made Curbio the most trusted contractor for real estate agents and brokerages nationwide, including eXp Realty, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, Long & foster, and many more. Curbio operates in more than 60 real estate markets across the US.

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Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Investment

United Real Estate Announces Second Strategic North Alabama Expansion

PRweb | June 30, 2023

United® Real Estate (United) announced its second expansion in Huntsville, Alabama today, solidifying its position in the top three residential brokerages in the local market. United’s Leading Edge Real Estate Group, which joined United’s national network in 2022, and Huntsville-based Revolved Realty have merged operations. The combined companies and their 300 agents will operate as Leading Edge Real Estate Group. Revolved Realty co-founder, Tim Knox joins the team as President to advance the long-term success of the combined operations and will remain the managing broker of two former Revolved Realty offices in Huntsville. No role changes are planned for Leading Edge Real Estate Group’s founders, Danny and Charlene Sullivan. Agents will gain additional new tools, training and resources deployed through United’s Bullseye™ Cloud proprietary productivity platform. "The merger of these two great local brokerages, combined with the backing of our national partner United Real Estate, offers limitless opportunities for buyers and sellers across north Alabama and southern Tennessee. And for the thousands of REALTORS® who call this area home, our commitment to helping agents build long-term, legacy businesses has never been greater," stated Tim Knox and Chelsea McKinney, founders of Revolved Realty. "That's the banner we will carry as we go forth and expand our market share here and eventually statewide." In today’s market, brokerages have a tremendous opportunity to join forces for long-term competitive advantage. “Tim and his team bring new energy into the company. Together, we have great synergy and focus and can leverage each person’s expertise to accomplish goals that previously seemed insurmountable. The services and tools we’ll bring to our service footprint will be huge for our market and for the agents. Together, we are now the third-largest in unit sales in our marketplace, and our combined strengths are a catalyst for continued growth,” commented Danny & Charlene Sullivan, founders of Leading Edge Real Estate Group. Over the last decade, the real estate industry has shifted from commission-split brokerage models to transaction-fee models. New-generation models that entered the market have shown growth, while legacy models have reported declines in agent count, sales volume and unit sales. COVID-19 magnified those trends. According to a data-backed study examining brokerage profitability by real estate tech strategist Mike DelPrete, United was one of two national brokerages to be profitable in Q1 2023. As brokerages move further into the new real estate market, change and innovation will become imperative for survival. In hindsight, we will look back and realize 2023 was the turning point for both legacy and new-generation models. “Danny, Tim, Charlene, Chelsea and their respective employees and agents are creating forward momentum. What’s very exciting is that we have a carefully crafted strategic plan to navigate their agents successfully into the future. Today’s real estate landscape is vastly different than just five years ago, and these entrepreneurs are leveraging their unique talents and United Real Estate’s national resources to great advantage for their company and agents,” stated Rick Haase, President of United Real Estate. About United Real Estate United Real Estate (United) – a division of United Real Estate Group – was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to real estate brokers and agents in the rapidly changing real estate brokerage industry. United provides the latest training, marketing and technology tools to agents and brokers under a flat-fee, transaction-based agent commission model. By leveraging the company’s proprietary cloud-based Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, United delivers a more profitable outcome for agents and brokers. United Real Estate operates in 33 states with 148 offices and 18,500 agents. The company produced over 77,900 transactions and $27.9 billion in sales volume in 2022. About Leading Edge Real Estate Group Founded in 2013 by Danny and Charlene Sullivan, Leading Edge Real Estate Group’s mission is “Leading the way, using cutting-edge technology to sell your home quickly and effectively while having fun in the process.” The company is committed to professionalism and quality and serves the real estate needs of clients throughout North Alabama. About Revolved Realty Founded in 2018 by Tim Knox and Chelsea McKinney, Revolved Realty was built on the premise that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. Their team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals is dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all clients throughout North Alabama. A champion of relationships, Revolved Realty agents work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to achieve their real estate goals.

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Market Outlook, Real Estate Technology

MRI Software's First Cloud Instance in Canada Expands Regional Presence

PRnewswire | July 19, 2023

MRI Software, a global leader in real estate solutions, announced that it has expanded its offerings to the Canadian market through the launch of its first cloud instance in Canada. MRI clients in Canada can now easily access the latest solutions from MRI and host their data in country, ensuring compliance with privacy and security regulations. "We're thrilled to grow our footprint in Canada, demonstrating our continued commitment to ensuring our clients' success and supporting the larger Canadian market," said John Ensign, president and executive managing director of North America for MRI Software. "In fact, MRI was actually one of the first PropTech companies to support property management businesses in Canada, and in recent years, we've significantly expanded our portfolio of solutions in the region. The new cloud instance marks an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to deliver the best services and products to this market." Through the new cloud instance, Canadian clients can take advantage of MRI Agora™, the company's next-generation real estate platform. Built on an AI-first foundation, MRI Agora empowers businesses to automate mundane tasks through connected data and shared services, and MRI Agora Insights unearths actionable portfolio trends to drive better business decisions. The hyper-connected platform bridges MRI's solutions with partner and third-party systems, providing users with the flexibility to control their technology strategy and embrace their applications and processes in a unified experience -- ultimately driving competitive advantage. Additionally, Canadian clients using MRI Property Management X and MRI Angus can now leverage MRI Agora to access the broader range of advanced capabilities from MRI and the PropTech ecosystem. "MRI clients in Canada can now enjoy enhanced performance, security and compliance," says Terry Keller, MRI's senior vice president of information technology. "The ability to access the most advanced solutions from MRI and host data within Canada will give clients unprecedented insights into their property portfolios and clear the way for future scalability." MRI has grown its longstanding presence in Canada, and the number of employees in the region has increased by over 400% within the past two years. In addition to extending access to the MRI Agora platform in the region, MRI has also expanded its facility management and energy management solutions. MRI's cloud instance in Canada is part of the Microsoft Azure data center footprint in Toronto and Quebec. MRI's clients can learn more about today's announcement by registering for its upcoming Canadian Client Summit, which will be held July 27 at the Delta Hotel by Marriott in Toronto. About MRI Software MRI Software is a leading provider of real estate software solutions that transform the way communities live, work and play. MRI's open and connected, AI-first platform empowers owners, operators and occupiers in commercial and residential property organizations to innovate in rapidly changing markets. MRI has been a trailblazer in the PropTech industry for over five decades, serving more than six million users worldwide. Through innovative solutions and a rich partner ecosystem, MRI gives real estate companies the freedom to realize their vision of building thriving communities and stronger businesses. For more information, please visit mrisoftware.com.

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