Tech Bytes: REsides taps Earnnest to streamline payments
The partnership reduces risks for agents, the MLS said. Plus, Aivre cuts appraisal time using Restb.ai’s computer vision and more tech news.
Editor's note: Technology is a driving force in real estate. From startups to established players, tech companies are constantly innovating, growing and forging partnerships. Here we highlight some of the latest news about the companies that help power the industry.
REsides, which bills itself as a "borderless" MLS, is teaming up with digital payments provider Earnnest to integrate earnest money transactions directly into their workflow.
Colette Stevenson, CEO of REsides, calls it a win for everyone. "Agents running around picking up checks is not perceived as a value-added service but instead puts them and their clients at risk," Stevenson said.
REsides is a privately held corporation that supports more than $4.5 billion in transactions annually while offering participants the opportunity to become equity shareholders.
"REsides has built a forward-thinking platform that truly puts brokers and agents first," said Russell Smith, president and COO of Earnnest. "We're proud to support that mission by delivering a secure, digital payments solution that eliminates fraud risks and gives subscribers peace of mind."
Aivre slashes appraisal time with Restb.ai's computer vision
Real estate appraisal software company Aivre says it has cut its appraisal time in half by leveraging Restb.ai image recognition capabilities.
"Aivre frees appraisers from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on their expertise and deliver faster, more precise appraisals with greater efficiency," said Aivre Founder and CEO Jake Lew.
Instead of manually checking floorplans and gathering property details, appraisers can use Aivre to pull this information from photos instantly, along with condition and quality assessments. The tool also allows for auto-populating forms and can reduce errors while saving three hours of time per report, the company stated.
More tech news
Florida association offering Rayse: Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors are offering access to Rayse, a platform created to provide homebuyers and sellers with data-driven insights into the support agents provide. "With nearly 46 percent of buyers believing their Realtor spends less than 15 hours helping them purchase a home, it became clear that this misconception needed to be addressed with the right tools," said Jonathan Lickstein, the association's president.
Rechat launches new digital ads tool: Rechat Digital Ads, a new addition to the company's tech platform, allows agents to create, launch and manage Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns without using external tools, the company announced. Rechat's Marketing Center then tracks performance in real time, from reach to leads to cost per click.
Epique Realty adds Zillow Showcase: Just days after announcing a deal with HomeServices of America, Zillow says Epique Realty has signed on to offer its agents access to Zillow Showcase. The immersive listing product, which launched in 2023, allows agents to uplevel their listings with enhanced visual features and interactive floor plans.