This report is available exclusively to subscribers of Inman Intel, a data and research arm of Inman offering deep insights and market intelligence on the business of residential real estate and proptech. Subscribe today.
Social-media home search continues to infiltrate the market and capitalize on users’ comfort level with mobile video.
Real estate search app Rila, which allows consumers to follow agents and group listings into communities, has rolled out a feature that allows agents to create and publish 30-second videos showcasing “the vibe” of properties for sale. The update is for the app’s iOS version.
The update also includes what the company calls a “home-centric machine learning media classifier,” or an algorithm that can get better at recommending content each time a user engages with the app.
“I am really excited to build a platform where users can share homes and Rila starts to help home-seekers and sellers match through content that fits exactly what they’re looking for,” said Ben Bacal, founder of Rila and the luxury brokerage Revel Real Estate.
Rila, “The social app for real estate discovery,“ launched in 2019 with a party at a “cannabis open house” hosted by Bacal, who was then with Rodeo Realty.
“The company will be providing a tour of local cannabis products as aspiring buyers browse the $3.4 million home,” Inman reported.
“Instead of merely staging the three-story home with cool pillows and decluttered closets, pot plants and products will be placed around the home, including dog treats (actually, hemp dog treats) and skincare products.“
The app continued to be supported, and is now in prime position to take hold of the same trends that power TikTok and Instagram Reels, as has Real, an app with a similar approach to property browsing, co-founded by Thomas Ma and Fredrik Eklund.
Rila leverages a number of social-inspired calls to action, from likes to custom song snippets and animated text overlays to capture browsers’ attention. Its Guide feature encourages users to share their home preferences with a community for “crowd-sourced” search. There’s also an image grid for quick views into a wide range of available listings.
Out of Australia, 1060 is another short-form video format search app that’s recently made its way into the U.S. real estate market. The intention is for agents to promote themselves and their listings, and allow consumers and colleagues to search for homes.
Rila will continue to advance its feature set, and immediate plans call for a rewards program. Users can also follow specific neighborhoods and subscribe to updates on larger market activity.
