The global real estate world is constantly evolving with new tech players vying to get a slice of the real estate pie. Here are two interesting developments from Asia and the UK that may not have an immediate impact on the local market but might go in the “ones to watch” basket.
Carousell
TechCrunch reports that Carousell is rumoured to have closed a Series C round of between $70-80 million. The Singapore-based startup was started in 2012 and prior to this round of funding raised $41 million.
The listings service allows people to sell their secondhand goods and services in Australia, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The service also allows users to list property, rentals, office space, commercial space, parking and storage space.
Carousell has elected for a business model through which it only monetizes selected verticals. These include automotive, jobs, property and services.
With an estimated 3.8 million people coming online for the first time each month — mostly via mobile devices — the region, which houses over 600 million consumers, is seen as one that could grow to become important alongside China and India.
TechCrunch reports that Carousell’s annual GMV — gross merchandise volume, which indicates the total value of goods sold across a platform — is at $5 billion.
The number of listings on the service has more than doubled from 45 million last year to 95 million today.
Love2move
Estate Agent Today reports that a handful of agencies in the UK are signing up to an online platform that allows them to offer customers a fixed-fee listing service for £895 ($1550AUD).
Love2move launched in February and now has 11 agencies on board. Developed by estate agency MovingWorks, based in north-west England, the platform sits alongside an agent’s existing traditional offering.
MovingWorks says the style of the website draws functional inspiration from Tinder and allows users to swipe and select on a smartphone or tablet. They can then communicate directly with the seller through an instant online chat function.
The company says the advantage for sellers over existing online agencies is that they have the reassurance that their property value has been “verified by an experienced local agent who will advise on the price that will generate maximum return and a speedy sale”.
