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REA Group acquires $67 million stake in Indian real estate platform PropTiger
REA Group, operator of property platform realestate.com.au, has announced it’s acquiring a 14.7% take in Indian platform PropTiger for US$50 million.
Topic
Sydney fintech startup LoanDolphin exceeds $100 million in home loan auctions through its platform
Sydney’s leading loan bidding platform LoanDolphin has reached a significant milestone and has announced it has exceeded $100 million in home loan auctions. The fintech startup has already seen customers save over $130,000 on a $500,000 home loan over 30 years.
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RateMyAgent closes $5 million funding round ahead of international expansion
Melbourne real estate agent review platform RateMyAgent has secured $5 million in funding at a $20 million valuation, which will be used to consolidate the startup’s position in the market and expand internationally.
Advice
Sydney startup JAGONAL helps users finds office space for rent using 3D virtual tours
Sydney startup JAGONAL brings in the next generation of office space search engines. The startup finds the perfect office space for rent or sale through 3D virtual tours from every window in the city that is enhanced with a Google streetview style.
Advice
Sydney startup Followit helps real estate agents deliver real-time information to property watchers
It’s long been a stereotype, but Sydneysiders young and old truly are obsessed with property. To help fuel those endless conversations about property prices and how millennials will never be able to afford to buy comes Followit, a communications platform connecting consumers with real estate agents.
Advice
Melbourne startup Rundl streamlines property transactions by getting each party to collaborate online
In their top ten trendiest suburbs listicles, real estate news websites never talk about the mountains of paperwork that come both before and after the auction is won, and for good reason – it’s painful. Buyers and sellers have to liaise with half a dozen different service providers to get a deal done, with each chasing the other up for document after document and signature after signature. Melbourne startup Rundl has created an online platform that aims to streamline the process.
Topic
Real estate agent review platform RateMyAgent aims to compete through a monthly subscription model rather than commissions
Comparative sites in Australia are booming – whether you want to compare insurance companies, hotels, tours, or even people, there’s a site. To be noticed in the already cluttered cloud, real estate agent comparison platform RateMyAgent has decided to waive the commission fee and place consumers at the forefront of their business.
Advice
Realestate.com.au partners with 3D visualisation startup Scann3d to transform the online property ecosystem
Australia’s biggest property portal, realestate.com.au, has joined forces with Melbourne based 3D visualisation startup Scann3d as well as property developer BPM, to transform the online property ecosystem. As a result, rather than house hunters and property investors having to rely on two-dimensional floor plans to assess the value of an investment, they can walk through an interactive virtual world and explore developments before they exist in the physical world.
Advice
Hutbitat is taking on two of the biggest companies in Australia; and based in Singapore, that’s going to be pretty hard
Some may think it would be crazy to think that Real Estate and Domain, both disruptors themselves could ever fall to their knees. However, that doesn’t stop startups from launching something similar with an “individual twist” on the concept that hopefully gives them a unique selling point from the two industry heavyweights.
Advice
Open Agent: The “Trip Advisor” of the real estate industry
Selecting the right real estate is critical in the process of selling your property. But many property owners make that choice blindly, often pulling a name out of the hat due to the overwhelming number of agents to choose from. Australian startup OpenAgent.com.au makes that process easier. Clients visit the site, provide basic details about the property they’d like to sell, and the platform provides real-time real estate agent rankings and recommendations for them.
