Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.
I was gone for the last two weeks, hiking and rock climbing with United States military combat veterans in Yosemite National Park.
It’s great work, and one of the byproducts is detaching for a short time from the very stuff I write about in this column: real estate technology.
A nature fiend I may be, but my love for gadgets and all things geek only grows; thus, I’m always psyched to get back to the inbox to see what new, updated and cool tech tools agents need to better their business.
Here’s a brief rundown of what went unread for 10 business days — and didn’t end up in the trash.
Got money in the bank? Now you can prove it faster
Certified Proof of Funds is a mobile and web app that allows stakeholders in large transactions to securely and quickly verify that buyers and investors are financially viable.
Screen shot from Certified Proof of Funds homepage.
An agent’s buyer can connect a bank account to the app and generate a certificate for those needing proof of funds.
I’ll be providing a full review of the product this week. I’m most interested in learning more about its partnership with zipLogix and how those needing proof of funds can rely on the app’s certificate, since it isn’t generated directly from a bank.
Will other transaction parties consider the app a viable source for accreditation?
Updates to a neighborhood ranking tool
I think Revaluate, a property rating tool, is sharp and useful. I reviewed it almost a year ago and understand now that they’ve closed some funding, added new markets and sealed some CRM partnerships.
To recap, the software uses crazy amounts of public and social data to rank the livability of communities.
Screen shot from Revaluate.
It offers scores for crime rates, cost of living and quality of life, among other relevant homebuying factors.
A demo of the new stuff is scheduled and should run in the next few days. Stay tuned.
Multimedia creator boasts bells and whistles
I find Animoto, a video and image slideshow builder, to be one of the better alternatives for real estate agents because of its ease of use and number of features available for lower costs.
A new version was made available this month for marketing-savvy agents who want to produce longer, more involved video projects.
Screen shot from Animoto.
Animoto’s Marketing Video Builder gives users a number of editing options and creative tools to go beyond simple listing presentations. It’s now a full-featured solution for brokerage marketing videos, agent profiles and Facebook advertising.
All of the same drag-and-drop interface simplicity is intact along with voiceover integration and new levels of text control.
If you’ve been wanting to step into video for your office, this might be the tool for you.
Back to the inbox…
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.
