Home and Design
EasyKnock | August 17, 2023
Ribbon, powered by EasyKnock, announces today that RibbonCash – its pioneering cash offer solution – has relaunched in Atlanta and Charlotte.
As one of the pioneers of powerbuying solutions, Ribbon has considered Atlanta and Charlotte as its historical home base, driving the company’s success since its founding in 2017. Ribbon’s product reached around 2 percent of the overall closings in the Atlanta market in 2022, an achievement indicative of the appetite for homeownership.
“The EasyKnock and Ribbon teams could not be more excited to announce the return of RibbonCash to Charlotte and Atlanta,” said Jarred Kessler, CEO of EasyKnock. The Southeast in general remains competitive according to Bankrate’s Housing Heat Index. According to the index, despite price declines elsewhere in the United States, the Southeast has held steady due to comparatively affordable prices. Ribbon aims to tap into this reality for everyday homebuyers who seek ways to achieve homeownership for themselves or their family.
“We believe the Southeast maintains a culture of homeownership that withstands shifts in the market. Mortgage rates and inventory may ebb and flow, but achieving homeownership - and seeking the leading tools to compete - has not,” Kessler said.
“We continue to be bullish on Atlanta, Charlotte, and the Southeast overall.” By working with real estate agents and loan officers, and not competing with them as a direct-to-consumer offering like iBuyers, Ribbon sustains its reputation for empowering the real estate ecosystem.
EasyKnock acquired the assets of Ribbon in 2023. Both EasyKnock and Ribbon have forged strong partnerships in residential real estate by using best-in–class technology that connects consumers with loan officers, real estate agents, and other participants in the homebuying and home selling experience.
Together, Ribbon and EasyKnock are ushering in a new chapter for the real estate industry, creating a one-stop shop for financial solutions that serve homeowners, buyers, and sellers across the country.
About EasyKnock
EasyKnock is the first-to-market, technology-enabled residential sale-leaseback company in the U.S. Through innovative and accessible solutions, American homeowners who sell their property to EasyKnock can remain in their homes as renters while still getting the cash they need to pursue their financial goals. Headquartered in New York City and founded in 2016, EasyKnock has team members nationwide working to help homeowners unlock their financial freedom through non-loan programs so they can pay off debts, buy their dream home, fund a venture, and more - all while maintaining the ability to stay in their homes and communities. In 2023, EasyKnock acquired the assets of Ribbon Home and continues to offer Ribbon products to customers.
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Investments
PR Newswire | August 29, 2023
Curbio, Inc., the leading pay-at-closing contractor solution for real estate agents, today announces the launch of its official Realtor's Guide to Pre-Sale Home Improvement. This free playbook is intended to be a resource for real estate agents as they navigate the home sale process.
In today's competitive real estate market, buyers want move-in-ready homes, with 77% of buyers surveyed saying that they wouldn't consider a home that isn't move-in-ready. By offering a turnkey, pay-at-closing concierge service, agents can not only meet buyer demand for move-in-ready properties, but can also stand out from the competition to win listings. With 47% of agents surveyed reporting Curbio's fix first, pay when you sell service helped them win a listing, agents can grow their business and stand out from the competition when other agents are simply offering sellers the status quo.
"Agents know that every home, regardless of age or condition, will benefit from pre-sale home improvements, but sometimes that can be a tricky conversation with sellers. And with the hot market over the last few years, truthfully, some agents didn't have to navigate the topic. But, that's no longer the case and pay-at-closing repairs and updates are more important than ever. We created this playbook to help agents navigate their conversations with data, expertise and confidence. Our goal here is to help agents shine in their listing appointments, providing them with the tools and information they need to win listings and get them market-ready successfully," said Olivia Mariani, Chief Marketing Officer at Curbio.
Curbio's Guide to Pre-Sale Home Improvement provides a comprehensive overview of pre-sale home improvements for agents, with contents including:
• The benefits of pre-sale home updates
• Overview of the current market and common seller personas
• Guide to pitching pre-sale improvements to win listings
• List of the top ROI driven pre-sale updates
• Listing walkthrough checklist
• Guide for getting ahead of client concerns
• Comprehensive overview of Curbio's solution and process
Other resources available to agents from Curbio include an agent marketing toolkit, which features everything that agents need to share Curbio with their network, such as customizable social media templates and listing presentation slides.
The playbook's release comes on the heels of news earlier this month announcing a US roadshow tour offering free seminars for real estate agents looking to level up their pre-sale home improvement expertise.
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, Mortgage and Lending
PRnewswire | July 28, 2023
Rhino, which pioneered security deposit insurance in 2017 and services a six-million-home partner network, today announced that Omega Realty Group is using the new Rhino+ platform to manage security deposits for renters.
Rhino+ is the rental industry's first digital deposit platform that simplifies and modernizes the security deposit process, making renting easier, transparent and affordable.
"Rhino has been a trusted partner for over three years, helping protect our thousands of rental units with security deposit insurance. With Rhino+, we now offer our renters the choice to use cash or insurance as part of their move-in experience," said John Ashley, Omega Realty Group. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Rhino and delivering a digital experience to our residents, allowing them to move in seamlessly while protecting our assets."
Leasing teams typically deal with physical deposit checks that must be brought to the bank and held in an escrow account. Property owners often have to track these payments in software platforms coded in the 80s that can't always be used on personal computers. Cash sits in escrow, inaccessible until the end of the lease. The process is required for every unit, taking up to 20 hours per month.
"Rhino+ alleviates the headache of the traditional security process by giving owners and renters choices," said Ben Lantos, Rhino's CEO and co-founder. "Renters can transact digitally, which is their preferred method, and property owners save significant time on administrative tasks."
For owners, Rhino+ effortlessly automates every step of the deposit journey, from viewing and managing security deposits, insurance policies, claims, properties and renters, all in a single platform. The solution streamlines operations, reduces complexity and improves efficiency.
Rhino currently works with one-third of the Top 100 property owners in the U.S. Learn more at sayrhino.com.
About Rhino
Rhino was founded to give renters everywhere greater financial freedom to plan and enjoy their lives. In 2017, Rhino pioneered security deposit insurance, replacing cash deposits with smart, affordable insurance so renters can maintain control of their cash. Instead of a large upfront cash security deposit, renters pay Rhino a small fee, and Rhino insures the property owner for damages that might occur and lost rent. In 2022, Rhino launched an end-to-end deposit management and compliance platform, transforming how security deposits are administered.
In addition, Rhino today also offers Renters Insurance, giving renters a simple and affordable way to purchase contents and liability insurance, which property owners often also require at move-in. Rhino is offered in over two million homes with a six million home partner network, and we have saved renters over $1 billion in cash.
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