SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Redfin (www.redfin.com), the next-generation real estate brokerage, today announced the debut of its home-buying and selling services in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to working with local, Redfin-employed real estate agents, people can search Redfin.com and the Redfin iOS and Android apps for all the agent-listed homes for sale in Brooklyn. For service in other parts of the tri-state area, Redfin already operates in Queens, the Bronx, Westchester, Long Island and New Jersey.
“We are excited to expand our local footprint into New York’s largest and fastest-growing borough,” said J.D. Pulice, Redfin principal broker in New York. “As a proud New Yorker and Redfinnian, I’ve already seen how Redfin’s West Coast creativity and technology focus have endeared us to the New York City area real estate community and to people who want an easier way to buy and sell homes in our often complicated market. Redfin has been growing rapidly over the past two years and expanding our brokerage in the largest real estate market in the country is a key milestone for us.”
Redfin hired local agent Jonathan Makolondra to launch and grow the brokerage in Brooklyn. A Colorado native, Makolondra has been in New York real estate for the past four years, having worked at Tungsten Properties and Rutenberg Realty before joining Redfin. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“I’m so excited to launch Redfin in my neighborhood and bring Brooklynites a new, better, easier way to buy or sell a home,” said Makolondra. “Buying or selling your home is a huge decision. As a Redfin agent, I get to be an advocate for each of my customers, helping them navigate the sometimes challenging home-buying and selling processes and make them better through great service and state-of-the-art technology.”
Redfin began in Seattle in 2006 with the mission to reinvent real estate to benefit consumers. It has steadily expanded to more than 75 major U.S. cities. The Redfin model is different from traditional brokerages in how it combines its advanced technology with full-service agents who are paid a salary, receive benefits and earn bonuses based on customer satisfaction. All reviews for every Redfin agent are published on their online profiles.
Because most of Redfin’s customers discover the company through its website, Redfin agents spend all their time working with existing clients and zero time looking for new business. As a result, Redfin operates very efficiently, and can pass along savings to its clients.
For buyers, Redfin refunds part of the buyer’s agent commission. For example, someone buying a $700,000 home in Brooklyn with a Redfin agent would receive a refund of over $4,000 at closing. For sellers, Redfin agents charge a 1.5 percent listing fee rather than the typical 2 to 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 $700,000 home with a Redfin agent would save up to $10,500 in fees. To date, Redfin has saved its buying and selling customers more than $200 million in real estate fees.
With the arrival of Redfin comes a host of technology features that benefit both website users and brokerage clients:
- Book It Now: Ability to instantly schedule a home tour with a Redfin agent with a single click from a browser, iPhone, iPad or Android app.
- Redfin 3D Walkthrough: High-resolution, interactive views from every angle inside homes listed with a Redfin agent. (coming soon)
- 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 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: A resource for buyers and sellers, that includes reviews of lenders, inspectors, title companies, handypeople and stagers, as well as 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
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Google+
LinkedIn
Blog
Download
the Redfin mobile app
About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a next-generation real estate brokerage that represents people buying and selling homes. Founded by technologists, Redfin employs a team of experienced, full-service real estate agents who are advocates, not salespeople, earning customer-satisfaction bonuses, not just 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, built by its own software engineers, 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.
