TRADE ASSOCIATIONS JOIN TO EXPAND SUPPLIER DIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES

Seven real estate trade associations have forged a first-of-its-kind alliance to foster supplier diversity in the real estate industry. The Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier (CREDS) Consortium aims to expand economic opportunity for minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and further diversify industry supply chains.

CREDS Consortium associations include The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network, ICSC, Mortgage Bankers Association, NAIOP, Nareit and The Real Estate Roundtable.

Architecture, interior design and planning firm FCA has been awarded the City of Hoboken’s Public Arts Master Plan, part of the city’s broader redevelopment initiatives. The firm will assist in developing a cohesive identity, defining the unique character and purpose of art in Hoboken while redefining the mission, vision,

RE/MAX MARKETPLACE ADDS 11 VENDORS TO NETWORK

Re/Max LLC has added 11 companies to the Re/Max Approved Supplier Program. Services and materials are available for purchase – often at Re/Max negotiated rates – through the ReMax Marketplace, the online portal exclusively available to agents.

The new members are: DO AdioTours, an audio tool; Formations, a financial management platform; Home Warranty of America, a national warranty company; Listing Alert, a communication platform; RESAAS, a global referral platform; Sold.com, a matching algorithm; Tongo, which allows agents to immediately access their commission once a transaction is pending and goals and guiding principles for the Public Arts Commission’s public art program.

FCA’s urban planning team will work closely with city officials and a wide variety of stakeholders, developing guidelines for inclusion of public art in public improvement projects.

Virtudesk, a virtual assistant service provider.

The new members in Canada are: The AML Shop, an anti-financial crime consultancy; Axis Insurance Managers, providers of risk management and insurance services and telecommunications company Telus Communications.

Bank Shot Launches Digital Disbursement Solution

Bank Shot, an app built for speed and security in sending earnest money, has added digital disbursements to its payment options, becoming an all-in-one real estate payments solution, the company said. This new feature will allow title closing teams to send disbursements as digital checks through the Bank Shot portal.

Historically, sending disbursements has required physical mailing or the hand-delivering of checks, accompanied by mailing fees and a two-to three-day waiting period for agents to receive commission. The process creates new time savings, and initial returns show it can also have a huge impact on the bottom line.

Gparency Launches Credits Data Crowdsourcing Program

Gparency, a national commercial real estate prop-tech platform providing competitive tools for finding and financing transactions, has launched CREdits, a program designed to issue monetized credits that discount membership fees in exchange for property data submitted to the company’s Digital Marketplace directory.

Zillow Adds Natural Language Search

Data includes new listings, updates and corrections.

The goal is to put property owners back in control of their own data, the company said. Property owners can now discount Gparency’s annual membership fee and enjoy full access to the Digital Marketplace.

Zillow has launched an AI-powered feature that lets shoppers search for homes in the same way they would talk to their friends and family.

Home shoppers can enter phrases like “$700K homes in Charlotte with a backyard” or “open house near me with four bedrooms” directly into the Zillow search bar, rather than starting with a location and filtering their way to the homes they want. They can also save their searches and have Zillow notify them when qualifying listings come online. The feature is now live on the Zillow app for iOS users and is coming soon to Android devices and zillow.com.