SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Redfin (www.redfin.com), the customer-first real estate brokerage, today announced the debut of its home-buying and selling services in Southern Maine. People can now work with Redfin agents to buy and sell homes in Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Kennebunk, Biddeford, Augusta and the lakes region area. Additionally, the award-winning Redfin website and mobile apps now include all agent-listed homes for sale in those areas.
“Redfin continues to expand our brokerage services along the Northeast coast and we are proud to announce that we are setting up shop in Maine,” said Redfin Market Manager Alex Coon. “The Northeast has a rich history and lots of opportunity for growth, and Maine is a prime example. We are excited to put roots down in the southern coastal cities where local industries and a culture friendly to small businesses have created strong real estate markets. We plan to grow our business north from there.”
Redfin was founded in 2006 with the mission to make home buying and selling better for consumers, and has steadily expanded from Seattle to more than 50 major U.S. cities. The Redfin model combines advanced technology with full-service local agents who are paid salaries rather than commissions, receive benefits and earn bonuses based on customer satisfaction. All reviews for every Redfin agent are published on their online profiles.
Redfin technology lets it operate more efficiently, and the company passes savings on to its clients. To date, Redfin has saved its customers more than $200 million in real estate fees. For buyers, Redfin refunds part of the buyer’s agent commission. For example, someone buying a $400,000 home with a Redfin agent in Portland would receive a refund of over $3,000 at closing. For sellers, Redfin agents charge a 1.5 percent listing fee rather than the typical 3 percent while providing the complete home-selling service, including pricing and staging advice as well as free professional photography and marketing. Someone selling a $400,000 home with a Redfin agent would save $6,000.
Redfin hired Julie Davis to grow the Redfin business in Southern Maine. She started her career in the banking industry as a customer service representative helping answer customer questions about home loans, among other things. Talking to people about their homes and mortgage options made Davis realize she wanted to work in real estate. She has since worked as an appraiser, a commercial real estate agent, a sales manager for a local builder and most recently as a residential agent with RE/MAX. Her experience in various areas of real estate has given her the skills and expertise to help her clients make better decisions about home buying and selling.
“Helping people find their next home and move on from the one their family has grown out of is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done and I’m lucky to get to do it every day,” said Davis. “Redfin’s technology and business model that’s centered around making each client happy enable me to be even more efficient and have more fun when doing my job. The people of Maine are going to love using the Redfin website and apps to search for homes and working with our agents to find the right one.”
With the arrival of Redfin comes a host of technology features that benefit both website users and brokerage clients:
- Instant Tour Scheduling: Ability to instantly schedule a home tour with a Redfin agent with a single click from a browser, iPhone, iPad or Android app.
- Instant Updates: Smartphone or email notifications when new homes are listed or when prices drop.
- Redfin Hot Homes: Proprietary algorithm that indicates which homes for sale are likely to sell within two weeks.
- Redfin Home Value Tool: A more accurate way to find out what your home is worth using self-selected comparable homes for sale in your market.
- Search by School: Shows all the homes for sale served by a certain school with one easy search.
- Tour and Offer Insights: Real-time statistics and notes from Redfin agents about thousands of homes and offers.
- Redfin 3D Walkthrough: High-resolution, interactive views from every angle inside homes listed with a Redfin agent. (coming soon)
- Redfin Matchmaker: Software that recommends unexpected listings to Redfin clients.
- Deal Room: A real-time guide through the closing process, including milestones, deadlines and tasks.
- Redfin Open Book: Reviews of lenders, inspectors and title companies for buyers and handymen, stagers and more with feedback from Redfin agents.
To find or sell a house and to connect with a local agent, please visit redfin.com. To learn more about working at Redfin and to apply for open positions, please visit redfin.com/jobs.
Connect with Redfin
Download the Redfin mobile app
About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a customer-first real estate brokerage that represents people buying and selling homes. Founded and run by technologists, Redfin has a team of experienced, full-service real estate agents who are advocates, not salespeople, earning customer-satisfaction bonuses, not commissions. Redfin.com features all the broker-listed homes for sale, as well as for-sale-by-owner properties that don’t pay brokers a commission. Redfin also offers online tools that make the entire process of buying or selling a home easier and more fun. The company serves major markets across the U.S. and has closed nearly $20 billion in home sales. In 2012, Redfin was named one of The DIGITAL 100: World’s Most Valuable Private Tech Companies by Business Insider.
