Real Estate Advice
PRnewswire | August 16, 2023
Zenerate ,an innovative AI startup in the Proptech space, has entered into a strategic partnership with SoLa Impact ,the leading private real estate developer of affordable housing in California. Zenerate has developed a powerful platform that employs generative design, artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics to optimize the feasibility analysis process for real estate projects, reducing turnaround time and maximizing development returns.
In a groundbreaking move to revolutionize the affordable housing sector, SoLa Impact has partnered with Zenerate, to streamline and automate the feasibility analysis process for their affordable and modular housing developments. The collaboration brings cutting-edge AI technology to the modular construction industry and dramatically accelerates the speed of planning, configuration, design, and the permit approval process for a wide range of SoLa's affording housing projects.
SoLa Impact has been at the forefront of addressing the affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles over the last decade, consistently demonstrating its commitment to creating sustainable, community-focused housing solutions. SoLa currently has over 35 projects with almost 3,000 units at various stages of construction, the majority of which are dedicated to affordable housing. With the increasing demand in the affordable segment, the need for swift and accurate feasibility, configuration, and design analysis has become paramount in the real estate development landscape.
Martin Muoto, the Founder and CEO of SoLa Impact, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We are thrilled to collaborate with Zenerate in our mission to dramatically scale the development and delivery of high-quality affordable housing in California. By leveraging Zenerate's cutting-edge technology combined with our proprietary standardization processes, we can bring significantly more units to market more cost-effectively and more quickly, with the vast majority of our projects to house people that are currently homeless and living in tents. Equally important, these are units that are an order-of-magnitude more energy efficient than the aging housing stock they are replacing. All units are fully electric, use water-efficient fixtures, and have ENERGY STAR-certified appliances, dramatically reducing GHG emissions while providing cost savings to California's low-income Black and brown communities."
The integration of Zenerate's software into SoLa Impact's modular operations will facilitate data-driven decision-making, allowing for a more efficient and comprehensive evaluation of potential development sites, construction costs, and market demand. By automating the feasibility and design analysis, SoLa Impact's team will be able to evaluate more sites, repurpose vacant and sub-optimized locations, and build for maximum density and affordability.
The Co-Founder and CEO of Zenerate, Benji Shin, echoed Muoto's sentiments, emphasizing Zenerate's commitment to providing housing more quickly and affordably by leveraging Artificial Intelligence, particularly expert systems for code compliance and machine learning for rapid massing, configuration, and design. "We are thrilled to partner with SoLa Impact, whose deep commitment to creating sustainable, scalable, and affordable housing aligns perfectly with our mission. By automating key parts of the feasibility, configuration, and eventually, the permitting process, we aim to enable developers to run thousands of financial and design scenarios instantly, ultimately contributing to the advancement of affordable housing initiatives."
The innovative approach undertaken by SoLa Impact and Zenerate is expected to have a significant impact on the speed and scale of affordable housing development in California, starting in Los Angeles – the largest affordable housing market in the United States with the most acute homeless problem – and then expanding to other local municipalities, and eventually, other states.
About SoLa Impact
SoLa Impact is a family of real estate funds with a double bottom line strategy focused on preserving, rehabbing, and building high-quality affordable housing in low- and moderate-income communities. SoLa's proven track record leverages data-driven social impact strategies to deliver superior financial returns. SoLa Impact's fourth fund, the Black Impact Fund, has invested $1 billion in affordable housing in Southern California. SoLa Impact was ranked as the 7th fastest-growing minority-led private company by Inc. 500 and was awarded the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) Emerging Manager ESG Award for SoLa's demonstrated ability to deliver on its commitment to positive changes in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters.
AboutZenerate
Zenerate, a member company of Born2Gl obal Centre, is a venture-backed innovative AI startup in the real estate development space, providing consulting services and web-based products for feasibility studies; Z-maps is a real estate development map that weekly updates all the latest projects in Southern California, and Zenerate App is a design automation tool that generates development scenarios with floor plans in real time for feasibility studies.
Read More
Real Estate Technology, Mortgage and Lending
PRnewswire | July 26, 2023
FirstClose™, Inc., a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that its home equity settlement services ordering module within FirstClose Equity is now integrated with Calyx Software's Point® loan origination system.
Through the integration, Point users can seamlessly originate HELOCs and home equity loans within their LOS and complete the application through the closing process faster than the industry average of 45 to 60 days. FirstClose's one-of-a-kind home equity solution reduces operational touchpoints to elevate the overall customer experience for borrowers. It also enables lenders to automate data collection, verification, and settlement services ordering.
FirstClose's order management module is currently used by more than 200 lenders nationwide to automate back-office manual processes. FirstClose's one-click ordering technology with the ability to modify settlement providers will enable Calyx Point lenders to reduce risk, grow their overall business, and position themselves better for continued growth and success in this surging home equity market.
"As a customer-first company, we are always looking to offer our lenders access to like-minded companies that provide simple solutions to real-world challenges our customers face," said Juan Villegas, Director of National Sales at Calyx Software. "We're proud to be integrated with FirstClose and to be able to help our clients streamline their home equity lending operations."
"Mortgage rates are rising; homeowners are staying in their homes longer and they are in a much better financial position than ever before. All these pieces point to HELOCs and HELs as the right products for the times," said Tedd Smith, Chief Executive Officer at FirstClose. "Having our order management module within Point will give Calyx users a simple and efficient way to capitalize on this growing market opportunity and stand out amongst the crowd by offering a significantly enhanced customer experience."
About Calyx
Calyx® is an established provider of compliant mortgage software solutions used by banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, and brokerages nationwide. The company's easy-to-use technology, including its online borrower interview, loan origination systems and secure electronic signature software, is designed to streamline, integrate and optimize all phases of the loan process for customers of various sizes, workflows, channels and complexities. Combined with its extensive network of integrated partners, Calyx products deliver a true digital mortgage solution that maximizes profitability and enhances the customer experience.
About FirstClose
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FirstClose, Inc. provides fintech solutions to HELOC and mortgage lenders nationwide. The company's mission is to increase profitability and reduce cost for mortgage lenders. FirstClose makes this possible through offering systems and relationships that enable lenders to assist the lender's borrowers more effectively, reduce closing costs, and ultimately shorten closing times.
Read More
Real Estate Investment
PRnewswire | August 08, 2023
Modwell, the design technology company transforming how the $4 trillion dollar global realty market buys, sells and lists properties, and Christie's International Real Estate, today announced a first-of-its kind partnership that will provide top agents of the world's leading high-value real estate brand with access to its game-changing suite of real estate listings solutions.
The partnership between the two companies will give 50 of Christie's International Real Estate's Masters Circle agents – the highest grossing agents across the brand's U.S. network – the ability to leverage Modwell's proprietary and patented tech-based design platform in order to showcase home listings in an unprecedented, modernized fashion, drive sales and help future buyers envision the full potential of any home, apartment or property lot. The Modwell infrastructure is even flexible enough to accommodate developer-ready parcels.
Specifically, these Christie's International Real Estate Masters Circle agents, representing 39 luxury markets across at least 15 states, will be able to access Modwell's suite of solutions including:
Enhanced Listings. Which takes an existing property and applies 3D scanning and modeling technology in order to reimagine and fully realize the untapped design potential of any property's interior and exterior. From there, agents will be able to share design exhibits via their own user profile directly to their network of clients in order to sell more, faster.
Next Gen 3D Showrooms. Modwell's virtual "warehouse" that curates a highly individual aggregated listings experience for real-estate professionals and their organizations. These digital showrooms are designed so that agents can showcase featured properties and attach their personal showrooms to Modwell's larger Masterbrand Showroom.
Consumer Home Vaults. Created to supercharge referrals (which make up 82% of agent revenues in the U.S.), this interactive solution gives agents an opportunity to maintain more meaningful relationships with their clients over the lifetime of their home ownership. Clients are invited onto Modwell's platform in order to fully document their home by uploading their surveys, floor plans, 3D models and more into a purpose-built design hub.
"We're thrilled to be able to work with an esteemed brand like Christie's International Real Estate. Technology has enabled consumers to change how they live their lives – from how they communicate, to what, when and how they connect with content, to how they purchase goods and services. While home buying should be no different, and 97% of consumers use online tools when buying a home, listings have remained legacy based. Modwell is changing that paradigm through advanced technology and we're excited that Christie's International Real Estate's top agents will be able to leverage our platform in a way we think will help them sell more," said Jonathan Reisman, Co-Founder, Modwell.
"Christie's International Real Estate has a rich and storied history as a market leader and a lot of that has to do with continually giving our agents innovative ways to engage with potential clients. Our program with Modwell continues that high standard and we're excited to get their technology into the hands of our top agents in order to drive a more efficient and interactive process," said Thad Wong, co-CEO of Christie's International Real Estate.
In under a year, Modwell has disrupted an industry stuck in legacy models, creating the highest fidelity 3D technology to power a better overall real estate experience for both buyers and sellers across a varied array of industry verticals and segments.
The company was selected for the prestigious Moderne Ventures' Passport Program, a six-month industry immersion program that catalyzes the growth of its companies by offering its participants education, mentorship, and pilot opportunities with new customers via access and exposure to Moderne's Network of real estate – and real estate adjacent – industry leaders. The program is highly selective with the Moderne Ventures team evaluating over 4,500 companies a year, but selecting on average 6 to 10 companies per class. In February, the company's technology was prominently featured in the Bravo hit "Million Dollar Listings'' and, more recently, it provided the technology behind a prominent Robb Report listing and article.
About Christie's International Real Estate
Christie's International Real Estate has successfully marketed high-value real estate around the world for more than 30 years. Through its invitation-only Affiliate network spanning nearly 50 countries and territories, Christie's International Real Estate offers incomparable services to a global clientele at the luxury end of the residential property market.
About Modwell
Modwell is a design tech company whose first-of-its-kind collaborative platform and tools empower agents and buyers to modernize their real estate experience. While other industries have evolved to match our 21st century lifestyles and preferences, real estate has stayed relatively the same. Modwell was founded in 2020 by architecture and marketing veterans who not only set out to close that gap but who have a clear vision for where real estate is going as the world embraces virtual realities.
Read More