The industry will convene in Chicago for the sixth annual iOi Summit, the two-day conference on August 28th and 29th, where NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, will present the Pitch Battle competition. Each entrant will conduct a live, 4-minute pitch on their product or service, followed by a 4-minute rapid-fire question-and-answer session from a panel of judges. The 12 participating startups were announced this morning. Overview of the participating companies: Azure builds sustainable and affordable housing using 3D printing technology. Faura provides loss control ..read more

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of GEM Diamond. Today’s showcase: Scout] Scout helps real estate professionals connect with their ideal customers (including homeowners) using AI. It offers features including one-click AI list building, pre-templated and industry-specific marketing journeys, improved email deliverability, and automated follow-up. Customers can also get referral commissions through their partner program and Scout offers a money-back guarantee if efficiency goals still need to be met. What we like: Drawing from a database o ..read more

The RETAs recognize innovative and impactful real estate technologies. Apply for free to showcase your solutions and gain global recognition within the CREtech Community. Why Apply? Global Recognition and Awareness: Winners will be celebrated in front of the entire CREtech Community, gaining unparalleled exposure and credibility. Live Pitch Opportunity at CREtech New York: For the first time 5 Category Winners will have the exclusive chance to participate in the Pitch Competition LIVE at CREtech New York on November 14. Award Categories: Emerging Startups Mid Market Growth Mature Growt ..read more

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of GEM Diamond. Today’s showcase: Circular] Circular, a new real estate company, is developing an ecosystem of sustainability-driven projects across agriculture, hospitality and housing that capitalizes on the unique economic and environmental benefits of an ecosystem-centered approach to sustainable development. Their first projects include the Livingston Farm, a pioneering agritourism resort community that cultivated food for Wren of the Woods, an eco-conscious farm-to-table zero-waste restaurant and bar ..read more

[Editor’s note: Originally published on Proptech Consulting.] In recent years, drones have revolutionized the commercial real estate sector, transforming how properties are marketed and managed. Originally linked to military and recreational uses, unmanned aerial vehicles now provide a suite of benefits that traditional methods can’t match. High-resolution aerial views capture properties and their surroundings in stunning detail, offering potential buyers a comprehensive perspective. Image generator: DALL-E. Prompt: show drones flying over commercial office buildings being shot at with cannon ..read more

In the face of rising rates over the past couple years, RealKey aims to reignite the fintech and proptech communities in San Francisco by hosting a series of exclusive networking events across the city. One of which will be the Fintech/Proptech Symposium coming up on July 24th hosted by Christopher Hussain, CEO of RealKey, and Murray Newlands, Founder of the Open Future Forum. During this event there will be networking opportunities, a keynote panel, fireside chat, and 5 pitches given. Startups participating must have $1M+ in ARR or $2M+ in funds raised to date. Vendor attendance is limited to ..read more

In the GEM Diamond community, we go deep on relationship building. A great example of this is adding our first international excursion to the calendar… GEM Walks the Camino, a seven-day journey starting in Sarria, Spain and ending at the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela. Taking place in May 2025, it’s a collaboration between Heather Harmon and myself after the realization that we had the same hidden dream to go. We view the trip as the next iteration of deep community building we began at the Proptech Getaway a few months back. We are both foodies, so expect delicious ..read more

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of GEM Diamond. Today’s showcase: Purlin] Purlin offers a suite of AI tools that improves efficiency in real estate transactions by facilitating communication and collaboration among real estate agents, clients, and settlement providers. They have also built an FHA compliance system for the real estate industry to combat concerns about AI tools. Their suite of products includes: RealAITM is an AI for agent’s websites that can have natural language conversations with visitors and clients about the real esta ..read more

ReHome is a marketplace platform that helps resettled refugees by accelerating successful matches with secure rental homes. They help landlords and resettlement agencies bridge the gaps in their communications and clearly align timelines. They are currently raising funds to expand their mission to power the refugee-welcoming rental market across the United States. They exist for impact, not investment returns and rely on support to make their vision possible. Their first paid service, ReHome Matching Services (RMS), charges resettlement providers a success-based service fee of $500 when thei ..read more

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of GEM Diamond. Today’s showcase: Trackxi] Trackxi is a real estate deal management software platform for real estate agents and teams. It simplifies deal management and task tracking with the following offerings: Transaction dashboards provide visual overviews of all transactions for agents to monitor progress and address issues promptly. Task Calendars to facilitate planning and management of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. Real estate-specialized prospect management to manage the client journey from ..read more