Product Roundup: Zillow, Bayut and Wikicasa

Product launches are coming thick and fast—here are three we spotted this week...

Wikicasa - Property Valuations

Wikicasa has launched an automated valuation tool that runs on images.

Homeowners will be able to get a free valuation of their property by taking photos of rooms and uploading them to Wikicasa's app, alongside details like square footage and location.

The app will respond with an estimated property value within sixty seconds, at which points users will be given an option to request a more accurate valuation from an agent.

Pietro Pillizzari, CEO at Wikicasa said:

"The task of a portal, in fact, is no longer just to accompany the user in the real estate search, but rather to support them in the buying and selling decision-making process.

"Our portal is powered by the main Italian real estate groups and many independent agents throughout the country who see the portal not only as a tool but as a partner to increase the quality of the service offered to the end user." [Translated from Italian]

Bayut - SmartShare

Bayut has launched SmartShare, a suite of features that the company says will improve lead conversion, support real-time interaction with house hunters over recommended properties, and help identify homes by commute time.

In a video posted on the company's LinkedIn page, Bayut said SmartShare is "the new and improved way to share property recommendations with property seekers."

SmartShare lets real estate agents across the UAE  instantly share property recommendations from multiple inventories through an interactive catalogue of clients, who can send feedback to agents in a few clicks.

Agents using SmartShare are sent property listings via interactive links along with a WhatsApp message or SMS from leads. Agents can then filter listings based on customers' preferences, and filter listings fitting the customers' chosen criteria.

Agents can send selected properties to house hunters with an offer to arrange a viewing, who can click on "interesed/not interested" options as a reply.

Zillow - Look Around

Zillow's app has integrated with Apple Maps to introduce "Look Around", which lets users navigate through streets with 360-degree 3D images on iPhone and iPad.

Zillow says the new experience provides buyers with a smoother and more intuitive way to explore neighbourhoods and points of interest around properties they're interested in.

David Beitel, Chief Technology Officer at Zillow said:

"With Look Around, shoppers can act more quickly and confidently, whether they’re searching in their own neighbourhood or hundreds or thousands of miles away. We’re pushing the boundaries of what home buyers and renters can expect when shopping for a home online."

Zillow is a strong supporter of integrating 3D technology on its platform. According to figures published on Zillow's website, listings that had a 3D Home Tour got an average of 68% more views on Zillow than listings without and were saved by buyers 36% more than homes without.