- Startup Alley companies represent the latest in sales and marketing innovations meant to benefit the real estate professional.
Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.
Startup Alley is the nerve center of Inman Connect conferences. It’s where the synapses fire and pulse, charging attendees with ideas on how to improve their business and fueling participants with the energy to keep innovating.
At each show, new and emerging technology companies showcase where their products stand in the industry; some are shelf-ready, others remain in beta, collecting the last few bits of insight they need to launch. Regardless of their status, you should make a visit to each one. After all, if there’s anyone who knows what it takes to make a business successful, it’s a real estate agent.
The few real estate tech names highlighted here stand out to me because they’re addressing old needs (e.g., showing safety, lead generation) in new ways; going after established competition (listing pages); or applying advanced tech to real estate needs (augmented reality).
ShowPal
ShowPal has the potential to become a ubiquitous product in the industry.
Photo credit: ShowPal
A simple way to verify the identity of a buyer will become an ever more pressing concern as lead automation and showing efficiencies speed up the pace at which agents go from hearing “I’m interested in this house,” to touring the master suite.
Low inventory markets demand that agents and buyers move fast, and buyer due diligence can suffer as a result. ShowPal wants to help agents remember that personal safety is more important than a commission.
Restbai
If your website is enhanced by the artificial intelligence (AI) image recognition tool Restbai, you probably show homes quite often.
This is a true tech nerd’s tool even though you don’t need to understand it to benefit from it.
Restbai reads your property images and automatically classifies and renames them according to room, features and amenities. The value here is an augmented online listing that search engines love and homebuyers covet.
The software also organizes your photos for you and lets you textually highlight standout room features.
I really dig Restbai’s feature that allows you to block third-party listing site logos on images. It also helps you approach them for payment of placement … because it’s your content.
Another way to amp up your web presence is to use single listing websites. They increase page depth, add relevant search content and better expose your customers’ listings.
Rela
Rela will be in Startup Alley showing agents how easy it is to create and leverage single listing pages.
The company’s software builds sharp, contemporary web pages in little time (they claim three minutes) with little training.
Rela sites include a host of powerful value-adds, like Matterport files, a lead management system, mobile optimization and no additional hosting fees.
Rela
Website designs are template-based (a necessity for this kind of turnaround) and reflect modern design themes.
Content is easy to add and edit, and users are not limited to only a couple of visual options.
Opcity
It’s always smart for agents to have several lead sources, but coming out of pocket for those tools can be costly. Enter Opcity.
Opcity
This broker-focused sales booster tracks down interested homebuyers and cultivates them until it’s time for your top agents to take over.
When that time comes, an Opcity representative performs a live introduction via phone to the agent best suited to that customer’s needs. Leads are paid for only when a sale closes.
Opcity is a well-funded company with proven technology leadership. I’d make it a point to stop by their corner of Startup Alley.
These are just a few of the up-and-coming technology players aiming to help agents continue to match wits with the savvy internet consumer.
Check out a few other ICSF 17 Startup Alley participants:
- PAM
Pocket Agent Mentor is an app and web software to help new agents learn and advance. - Revaluate
A data-driven ranking system for homes and neighborhoods. - Immoviewer
Use your iPhone and an affordable camera to create 3-D virtual home tours. - HomeSelfeRE
Use home energy audit reports to keep in touch with clients. - Carey
A chat service and lead generation Facebook bot for real estate agents. - BrokerSumo
A full-featured back office team and brokerage management suite. - Bank Shot
A fast way to pay agents and disburse payments after closing. - PreClose
A tool for managing the most important part of a transaction: escrow. - VoiceterPro
“Alexa, find me a home.”
Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.
