Curated daily by our industry experts. Stay informed on how tech is shaping the real estate industry with these important headlines.
Axios
The huge, decked-out corner office for executives was already dying. The pandemic may have delivered a final blow. The big picture: As hybrid and remote work become more common, the office is transforming from a place for focused work to a destination for collaboration. Meeting rooms and open plan café-like seating areas are replacing offices — and where you sit and work no longer denotes your place in the hierarchy.
Geekwire
The news: Seattle-based real estate startup Aloft raised $20 million to grow its software platform used for home appraisals. The gist: Founded less than a year ago, Aloft aims to make the appraisal process more efficient and accurate with the help of technology. It gives appraisal quotes in two minutes, and facilitates the actual home inspection, which is done by its appraisers.
TechCrunch
Less than six months after raising $8 million in seed funding, Chilean proptech startup Houm has raised $35 million in a Series A round led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Goodwater Capital.
TechCrunch
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be required for all new homes and businesses in the UK starting in 2022, the government announced today. The new measure aims to boost EV adoption in the nation by adding up to 145,000 extra charging points each year.
Bisnow
Zillow’s exit from the house-flipping business created an opening for investors bullish on the single-family rental market, with an inventory of 9,800 houses nationwide up for sale. Single-family rentals are still a relatively small part of the U.S. residential market, but investors are now betting on surging demand for such properties in the wake of rising house prices exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic….
Axios
Starting today, drones shaped like miniature airplanes will drop packages of 4 pounds or less in customers’ yards when they order from a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Northwest Arkansas, Worth Sparkman of Axios NW Arkansas reports. Why it matters: The era of ubiquitous delivery by drone is inching forward, with scattered pilot programs involving pizzas and other light shipments — and the imprimatur of Walmart on this service is a big deal….
CREtech
Chirag Chotalia, Parter at Threshold, highlights the importance of sticking to your core values as a founder, and an investor, while also adopting a beginners mind.
Bizjournals
Seattle-based real estate appraisal startup Aloft has raised a $20 million Series A round. Fifth Wall led the round, which was announced Thursday, while Silicon Valley heavyweight Andreessen Horowitz participated. Other investors included Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff and Built CEO Chase Gilbert. According to Aloft, the company has already raised a total of $25 million after being founded this year….
The Real Deal
Compass shares fell to a new low, dropping below $10 for the first time on Monday. The stock opened at $10.39 before dropping to $9.58 by 2 p.m. It’s the lowest the brokerage has traded and is 52 percent below the company’s debut price on April 1 on the New York Stock Exchange after its initial public offering.
Bisnow
If you own an office property in London or are thinking about buying one, it is almost certain that you’ve got something on your mind: How do I make sure this building will meet coming government sustainability regulations?
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR EUROPE 2030: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE BUILT WORLD IN LONDON ON JULY 1, 2025