Proptech
News focusing on new technological solutions which create efficiencies and cost-savings for estate and letting agents and the wider residential property industry.
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Agents don’t get proptech
Just five per cent of property businesses consider themselves technologically advanced, according to research by Qube Global Software.
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Virtual viewings app for smartphones launched
A 360-degree tour tech firm is to launch a real-time service that will enable agents to offer virtual viewings. The system, it says, will be the first in the world to offer real-time, two-way viewings on mobile phones and laptops. Eyespy360, which is based in London, says this this will help agents cut down the number of physical viewings agents have to complete by eliminating tyre-kickers, and enable agents to concentrate on qualified leads. “Why wouldn’t a potential buyer look at a virtual tour first instead of turning up blind and then having to walk away when they realise it’s not for them,” says CEO Andrew Nichols (pictured, right). EyeSpy360, which launched in May last year and already counts Countrywide, Arun Estates, JLL and developer Octagon among its clients says it will launch the product in “a few months”. Started up in May 2016 but in development for six month before that, EyeSpy360 began by creating an affordable way for agents to offer high quality 360-degree property tours. Samsung Gear Whereas some companies charge up to £4,000 for their proprietary kit, the EyeSpy360 system can be used with any of the 360-degree cameras on the market, which start at around £200 for…
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Gary Lineker joins Zoopla to back home insurance disruptor Neos
Neos, the home insurance digital disruptor backed by ZPG that believes it is the “‘future of insurance” has raised a further £5 million in a round of funding lead by insurance giant Aviva but also including TV presenter Gary Lineker (pictured, right). The company was set up by Matt Poll, a former MoreThan executive with automation expert Krystian Zajac. It offers home owners real-time updates about their property on their smartphone as well as access to a 24-7 emergency assistance team. “In a fantastic move for Neos that will guarantee our major growth over the next year,” says Matt (pictured, left). “The new investment will let us not only develop our connected home systems but also grow our underwriting capacity, through an MGA agreement with Munich Re.” Lineker was also part of an initial round of angel investors in the company in October 2016 and has made several successful previous investments in other insurance-based start-ups. Strategic investment In November last year Neos announced that ZPG had made a ‘strategic investment’ in the company, which offers an app-based home insurance service coupled to home monitoring and fire and water leak prevention hardware, including home sensors and HD cameras. ZPG, which made its investment…
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UKPA launch will support PropTech businesses
The UK PropTech Association (UKPA) will support businesses and individuals working within the PropTech industry.
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Website that enables tenants to rate landlords and agents goes live
A Bristol-based website that claims to be a TripAdvisor for tenants by enabling them to rate landlords, letting agents and property has gone live with ambitions to launch in the US, Australia and New Zealand. The site, MarksOutOfTenancy.com, asks tenants to rate their landlord, property and area and also leave brief details about their experiences. It asks tenants to rate the heating, décor and furniture, utilities, structural qualities, soundproofing and heating system, each out of ten. Marks out of Tenancy then publishes summary pages for each property and names both the tenant and how long they have rented the property, and the landlord. Rate letting agents The site also enables tenants to separately rate letting agents, marking them out of ten for communication, speed, quality of repairs, value for money, attitude and check in/check out abilities. Both landlords and agents will be able to respond to their reviews, whether good or bad, the site says. Marks Out Of Tenancy has been under development for two years and was founded by Bristol-based Ben Yarrow (picture right, top) and Tom Dickinson (below), who say the idea came to them after a “negative experience” with a local landlord. The pair found that while they…
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Proptech student rental app wins £185k funding in 24 hours
A new app that claims to “revolutionise” the way students find and choose homes to rent has raised £185,827 for its proptech developer within 24 hours of launching on a crowdfunding site. SPCE, which describes itself as the Airbnb of student accommodation but within the longer-term rental market, has raised the money via platform Seedrs. The seven-month-old company says it is well on its way to raise the total of £215,000 it has asked for in return for a 17.99% equity in it shared among the 68 people who have invested so far. Landlords and students SPCE says it will bring landlords and students together on one platform and enable them to “rent out or search and pay for university-specific student rental properties based near campuses, without using estate agents” it says. Founder and CEO Leon Ifayemi (pictured, left), says: “I got the idea for SPCE when I was at university and I had a job which involved me taking students to view properties near the campus. “Getting the backing of early investors feels like a ringing endorsement of the app and what we are trying to achieve. It comforts us in the belief that SPCE fills a gap in the…
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