California Startup Looking To Fill the Big Shoes Left By Struggling iBuyer Giants


March 5, 2023
California startup
The real estate industry has seen the rise and fall of the ibuyer giants, leaving a gap that needs to be filled. While these companies have done a great job of educating the agent community and sellers about the benefits of instant offers and quick closings, they have also highlighted the limitations of relying solely on machines to make decisions about local real estate markets. Companies like Zillow, which used their own Zestimate to quickly buy and sell properties, learned the hard way that there is no substitute for local knowledge.

One of the main challenges that ibuyers face is the need for brick-and-mortar operations to buy, fix, and sell properties at scale. Flipping properties on a large scale is a daunting task, particularly with thin margins and unpredictable markets. However, there is still a significant market for distressed sellers and local investors willing to pay cash for the right deals. The real estate industry has been trying to scale an online marketplace for sales for the last two decades, but previous attempts have been unsuccessful. One reason for this is that these attempts were developed either by real estate experts with limited technical expertise or technical experts with limited real estate expertise. Additionally, many of these platforms were self-serving, focusing solely on making a profit for each deal.

Enter FairClose, a startup from California that aims to fill the shoes of the fallen ibuyers. FairClose was founded by industry veteran Jim Saccacio, who previously ran RealtyTrac, and his partner Tony Diaz a real estate veteran wtih over 1100 flips along with proptech veteran John Hensley. Fairclose promises to be the first online marketplace for off-market residential real estate with verified sellers, validated properties, and certified buyers.

One of the ways that FairClose differentiates itself from other platforms is by offering a transparent, efficient, and trustworthy marketplace. FairClose democratizes real estate transactions through proprietary technology and market expertise, creating a simple and accessible platform for all. The team behind FairClose has almost 30 years of big data experience and has developed a new technology that allows them to cross-reference multiple data sources and identify active buyers, investor-friendly agents, and service providers within their sphere of influence.

FairClose operates as an invitation-only marketplace for real investors and sellers. The platform ensures that all properties are real deals and that all buyers are held accountable by their FairCloseRating. This creates trust and transparency for both sellers and buyers and allows both parties to make informed decisions about who they wish to do business with. The platform offers a simple yet powerful way for sellers to post properties and negotiate with certified competing buyers all through the app.

One of the unique ways that FairClose is different is by allowing agents to add their buyers to the platform. When an ibuyer buys a property, they take over the transaction, and the agent gets pushed to the side. With FairClose, members maintain 100% of the control. Unlike most ibuyers, FairClose buyers are happy to purchase wholesale properties, which provides more options. FairClose buyers are retail cash buyers, national REITs, and everything in between. They have a diverse buybox that brings additional and different buyers to the table.

Most national ibuyers lack the experience and market knowledge that a local operator has. FairClose buyers are local and know the market, giving them a unique advantage. The platform recently launched as a beta version and is only working with Southern California agents, wholesalers, and buyers. FairClose is also working with one of the largest hard money lenders in the nation and a mortgage company to quickly expand its buyer network.

FairClose has no barrier to entry, and Jim Saccaio is confident that it is just a matter of time before the platform goes viral. Several large investors, along with California's largest residential flip investor, have started posting properties on FairClose. Jim said that they have a long way to go, but their buyers and sellers love the platform, and the fact that they only pay if FairClose brings value to them. He also revealed that later this year, FairClose is planning to add more tools to empower the agent community, providing partnerships with agents instead of displacing them like the ibuyers and Zillow tried to do.

Jim is confident that all platforms and auction marketplaces, including free websites, lack the key components that make FairClose different and unique. He was proud to show his comparison chart, which reveals that FairClose's success fees are less than other platforms, and free websites are riddled with time-wasting properties and fake buyers.

The real estate industry is evolving rapidly, and it is essential to embrace new technologies and innovative solutions. FairClose offers a fresh perspective on the traditional real estate marketplace and aims to create a more transparent, efficient, and trustworthy platform for all. The platform's unique features, such as verified sellers, validated properties, and certified buyers, create a level of trust and transparency that is unmatched by other marketplaces.

The success of FairClose depends on its ability to attract a critical mass of buyers and sellers to the platform. With its focus on transparency, efficiency, and trust, FairClose is well-positioned to succeed in the crowded real estate marketplace. Its emphasis on empowering agents rather than displacing them is also likely to win over many real estate professionals who have been skeptical of ibuyers and large real estate platforms like Zillow in the past.

In conclusion, the real estate industry is undergoing a significant transformation, and FairClose is poised to fill the shoes of the fallen ibuyer giants. With its unique features, including verified sellers, validated properties, and certified buyers, the platform promises to revolutionize the real estate industry by democratizing real estate transactions through proprietary technology and market expertise. FairClose's commitment to transparency, efficiency, and trust makes it a game-changer in the real estate marketplace and an exciting platform to watch in the years to come.
FairClose Founder & CPO - Tony Diaz
Tony Diaz
Founder & CPO
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Leveling the Playing Field

How FairClose's A.I. and Technology Empower Smaller Investors to Compete with Large National Investor

March 5, 2023
FairClose A.I. and Technology
Real estate investing has traditionally been dominated by large institutional investors with access to vast resources and technology. However, with the emergence of new AI and technology tools, smaller investors are starting to level the playing field. One such tool is ChatGPT, a powerful AI language model that can process vast amounts of data and provide valuable insights to real estate investors.

But it's not just about AI tools. The key to success in today's market is connectivity and integration between different tools and platforms. That's where FlipXL and FairClose come in. These platforms provide investors, agents, and wholesalers with a one-stop-shop for all their real estate needs, from finding deals to closing transactions.

FlipXL is a powerful real estate sourcing tool that helps investors find deals quickly and easily. With access to a vast network of properties and data, FlipXL helps investors identify opportunities that they may have missed otherwise. What's more, FlipXL integrates with other tools and platforms, including ChatGPT and FairClose, to provide investors with a seamless, end-to-end solution for real estate investing.

One of the biggest challenges for investors today is finding deals in a highly competitive market. FairClose addresses this challenge by utilizing data to identify investor-friendly agents and connecting them with a network of cash buyers. This helps unearth a hidden market by providing a no-cost marketplace that helps agents and wholesalers who may only come across one deal every five years. Additionally, FairClose provides an opportunity for investors who don't wholesale to make buying decisions off the wisdom of the crowd by getting offers on deals that they may have otherwise had to close on to monetize.

But it's not just about finding deals. FairClose also provides investors with a powerful platform for closing transactions efficiently and at a lower cost. By integrating with other tools and platforms, including FlipXL and ChatGPT, FairClose helps investors streamline the closing process, reducing the time and costs associated with traditional real estate transactions.

The integration of AI tools like ChatGPT and the connectivity of platforms like FlipXL and FairClose is revolutionizing the real estate industry. Smaller investors and operators now have access to the same resources and technology as large institutional investors, allowing them to compete on a level playing field. What's more, these tools are making real estate investing more efficient and cost-effective, reducing the time and resources required to find and close deals.

In conclusion, the real estate industry is changing rapidly, and investors who fail to adapt risk being left behind. By leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT, sourcing technology like FlipXL, and utilizing community marketplaces like FairClose, investors can stay ahead of the curve and lead the market. The future of real estate investing is here, and it's all about connectivity, integration, and efficiency.
FairClose Founder & CPO - Tony Diaz
Tony Diaz
Founder & CPO
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