We've spotted a nice set of features and launches this week. Our personal favourite? One portal is highlighting 'green' properties that are applicable for cheaper mortgages. Let's take a closer look...
The French challenger portal DoorInsider has launched a suite of products as it continues its mission to take on the likes of SeLoger and Leboncoin.
Over the last few months, the portal and agent tech hub has rolled out a 'Creative Studio' where agents can order marketing materials such as floor plans and picture editing, its own virtual tour technology, a virtual staging tool and a finance tool and an automated valuation tool for French properties.
In addition, DoorInsider has launched its own credit and insurance brokerage offering. The portal completed all the regulatory requirements to operate as a licensed broker in France and is now fully registered accordingly.
Co-founder Riccardo Falconi told online Marketplaces that his ambition for DoorInsider is to emulate the experience that Zillow users get.
"Our aim is to embody the next generation of real estate marketplaces: user-centric, experience-driven and characterized by an all-in-one approach, allowing both users and agents to benefit from synergies pretty much at each step of a real estate project.
"While we believe that Zillow somehow embodies this approach in the US, we are humbly building something similar for Europe with DoorInsider."
Russian real estate vertical Domclick has incorporated green mortgages into its platform, whereby favourable rates will be offered to buyers of eco-friendly properties.
Domclick is owned by one of Russia's biggest banks—Sber—which has started accepting loan applications for mortgages, with up to a 0.3% discount if the property achieves an efficiency rating of A, A+ or A++.
Houses that qualify for green mortgages are highlighted on Domclick's portal search results, and the discount will be applicable for the entire mortgage term.
Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy chairman of the Board at Sberbank, said:
"One of our priorities is to develop solutions and products that meet the modern needs of society. [The Green Mortgage] program is designed to help combat unsustainable consumption and allow customers to contribute to a healthier environment.
"Green Mortgage represents another step by the company towards creating an environmentally sustainable urban environment."
Zoopla has integrated material information solution Moverly into its proprietary lettings platform Alto.
Moverly provides agents with material information for National Trading Standards, including legal ownership, title deeds, EPC ratings, and council tax bands.
The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) introduced changes to material information guidance in November that added 'Parts B & C' to last year's Part A in February 2022.
Agents have been obliged to show more information on property listings than ever before, and Zoopla agents will benefit from Moverly's so-called "two click" solution to satisfy the new Trading Standards requirements.
Gemma Young, CEO at Moverly, said:
"This partnership with Alto is a significant step towards achieving a digital transformation in property transactions, making life easier for estate agents and home movers."
Riccardo Dawson, Chief Operating Officer of Software at Alto and Houseful, said:
"Partnering with Moverly allows us to provide estate agents with an innovative and efficient tool that addresses the challenges posed by new trading standards. Moverly’s solution seamlessly integrates into our ecosystem, providing immediate benefits to our users."
AI-powered UK challenger portal Jitty is now available in Central London.
Following its recent launch across major cities in the South West of England, Jitty has added homes in Hackney, Camden, Islington, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea to its platform.
Graham Paterson, CEO at Jitty, said:
"London is the heart of the UK property market, and since launching Jitty we’ve been inundated with requests to launch in the capital. We wanted to take the extra time to build the app that London really needs.
"That includes, for example, letting people choose which floor they want to live on, and telling users how long is left on the lease, and the ground rent and service charges. We’ve asked a lot of Londoners about the property app they want to see, so it’s an honour to be able to bring it to them.
"We’re launching today in central London and we’ll be rapidly expanding throughout the city. Members of our team have all lived in London at various times, and it’s where the co-founders worked together, so it has a special place in our hearts.”
Swiss portal NewHome has revitalised its website, from embracing a new-look colour scheme to significantly boosting its load times.
NewHome says the change was made primarily to improve user experience and make the app easier to use on mobile.
Sabrina Schmid, senior UX manager at NewHome, said:
"For the new NewHome experience, we focused entirely on improving the user-friendliness of the site.
"The focus on the core elements of the website makes it easier to find your way around, while the uncluttered design provides greater clarity and simplifies navigation."
"We have focused heavily on improving the use of mobile devices, as the majority of our site visitors access our portal via smartphone," said Silvio Frei, head of marketing and communications at New Home.
Australian challenger Urban.com.au has added a search-by-developer option on its real estate platform.
In a video posted on LinkedIn, CEO Mike Bird gave a digital tour of the new feature, including the option to follow developers they want to get updates from.
Urban.com.au is Australia's number one destination for off-plan real estate and is well-known as an industry-friendly player that is in close contact with Australia's real estate development industry.
Urban.com.au recently acquired Homeshelf to help improve the quality of new housing supply—the company's third acquisition in five years.
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