The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has just announced the 12 tech startups competing at the Innovation, Opportunity, and Investment (iOi) Summit’s Pitch Battle.
And we thought we’d take a moment to explore what each of these startups is offering. That way, you can decide for yourself which one interests you most or what you think the industry really needs.
At the very least, knowing what innovations are coming to the real estate world will get you thinking. Because the ideas behind these startups didn’t come from nowhere.
The iOi Summit is about discovering the next big thing in real estate tech as we continue working to foster a culture of innovation and inclusivity. We are thrilled to see how the next generation of outstanding tech companies will leverage this platform to present their innovations.
Meet the 12 Startups
Here they are in alphabetical order, with a few details on what each startup is all about and what it contributes to the industry. We’re all about supporting startups that make life better—not just for those who work in real estate but also for the people they serve.
So, let’s take a closer look at what each of these 12 startups brings to the table.
#1—Accacia
An AI-enabled SaaS platform, Accacia helps real estate owners, asset managers, operators and facility managers, developers, and investors to assess their carbon footprint and design a realistic plan to reduce it. At a time when more business owners are prioritizing sustainability, Accacia has made it its mission to “simplify and scale real estate decarbonization.”
Climate change-led flash floods, hurricanes and forest fires have impacted property prices globally and rising energy costs have necessitated the use of alternative energy sources,” she told TechCrunch. “Unlike many other sectors, the impact of climate change in real estate is ‘here and now’ and as someone who has worked on building design, construction and investments, the combination of my skill sets allowed me to look at this impact in a holistic way.
#2—Highnote
Designed for sales and marketing professionals, Highnote is used by real estate powerhouses like Brooks Landry to enhance their marketing with innovative and effective presentations. Highnote gives enterprising agents an edge over their competitors with—
- Intuitive drag-and-drop design
- Real-time notifications—with detailed analytics on everything you send
- An AI assistant
#3—Instacard
I mean, if Ryan Serhant is giving Instacard his stamp of approval, how can we not pay closer attention? We’re fine with saying goodbye and good riddance to physical business cards, partly because we love the idea of not having a collection of business cards we’ll probably never look at again (and those are the ones we don’t toss immediately).
That said, it’s not enough just to “go digital.” Instacard goes above and beyond by providing a central hub for all your online and social media profiles—including your most recent photos, contact information, bio, and client reviews.
And with one tap, you can share your card with anyone via SMS or email.
#4—Koggi
With a goal of simplifying home financing throughout Latin America, Koggi facilitates connections between real estate developers, buyers, and financial institutions.
Buyers can start their home loan application and explore the options available with the banks on their platform. Banks and construction companies likewise benefit from risk management and the supply of potential clients/customers.
#5—ListAssist
“Writing property descriptions is my favorite part of being a real estate agent,” said no one ever.
At first glance, ListAssist could be just another AI tool like ChatGPT. But then, right there on their website, they tell you exactly why ListAssist is better. First of all, like Restb.ai, it uses computer-vision AI to generate detailed descriptions based on the images you upload.
ListAssist also uses a secure API, keeping your information, photos, and inputs private. Here’s what $14 a month gets you:
- Full Listing Descriptions
- Signboard/Press Descriptions
- Social Media Posts
- Marketing Video Scripts
- Local Suburb/Area Descriptions
- Local Transport Options
- Image Captions
- Free Onboarding
#6—Productive.ai
Productive.ai enhances your call history with AI summaries of every mobile phone call, instant audio and transcription playback, and automated CRM call logging. And if you don’t have a CRM (which you should), you can access all your details right in Productive.
It even logs tasks automatically to your calendar. All you need to do is…talk.
Among others, Productive.ai integrations include some BAM favorites: FollowUp Boss and BoomTown.
#7—Propify
Propify is a unified API for property management software, with clear and accurate documentation. Among its top selling points are the ability to reduce development costs, launch integrations faster, and win more sales.
#8—Rechat
Describing itself as a “super app for elite real estate brokers and agents,” Rechat is a lead-to-close solution that integrates a comprehensive marketing suite, a CRM, and mobile transaction management. So far, the iPhone app has an impressive average rating of 4.9.
#9—Rila
This one we’ve been curious about, mainly because it showed up in the results of a collaborative Agent Sentiment survey by BAM and 1000watt as one of the social media platforms used by real estate agents to connect with potential clients.
Real estate professionals can use Rila to share their listings, which the app’s machine learning models automatically tag and label to make them easier for home shoppers to find with AI-automated recommendations.
You can also browse the needs and preferences of home seekers in the platform’s Guide section and recommend appropriate listings to them.
#10—Style to Design
Style to Design provides a creative solution for real estate professionals who want to level up their value proposition. By leveraging this tool’s staging and design services, agents can maximize each listing’s sales potential as well as profit.
As they point out on their website, according to NAR® surveys, staging/styling is the home sale preparation service that adds measurable value, with an ROI that can exceed 550%.
#11—Tongo
With Tongo, real estate agents can use pending commissions like a line of credit to stabilize their cash flow. Tongo allows users to access pending deposits for as little as 3% per 30 days. And you only pay for what you actually use.
Access the capital you need without waiting for approval from brokers, managers, or banks. Every transaction is private—just between you and Tongo. And while it works similarly to a line of credit, it won’t impact your credit score.
#12—Work & Mother
Work & Mother is a wellness tech company focused on making the workspace more supportive for working parents. One of its innovations is a lactation suite for the modern office, supporting new mothers when they come back from maternity leave and making it easier for businesses to retain employees, minimize child-related sick days, and comply with FLSA regulations.
What’s at stake?
At the Pitch Battle, each contestant will have four minutes to present their product or service with a live pitch, followed by a four-minute, rapid-fire Q&A session from a panel of judges. Each must explain, with an economy of words, how their new tech innovation will improve the real estate industry.
The winner of the tech startup Pitch Battle will receive—
- A $15,000 award
- A booth at NAR’s annual conference in November: NAR NXT
- The opportunity to present next year’s (2024) iOi Pitch Battle Winner
Each of these 12 startups offers something unique to our industry. Regardless of the outcome, each participating company is contributing to real estate technology’s evolution, and that’s a victory in itself.
Click here to learn more about NAR’s iOi Summit on August 29-30 in Miami.
Takeaways for real estate agents
The whole point of technological innovation is to improve something—generally to make life better for a specific group or for as many people as possible.
After looking through the options described above, did any of them stand out for you? Which one are you most interested in learning more about and possibly investing in for your business?
Every innovation has to start somewhere. So, what ideas do you have for tools that could make life better for real estate agents—or for your clients?
