HomeLight has recently won the 2020 Timmy Award for the Best Tech Startup in San Francisco. HomeLight San Francisco is a business dedicated to connecting people with their ideal real estate agent by simplifying the search process, using both web and mobile user-friendly platforms.
About the Timmy Awards
The Timmy Awards were created in 2015 by Tech in Motion. They celebrate the best tech companies, both regionally and nationally, based on their excellence in different categories such as tech startups, managers and workplace diversity, among others.
About HomeLight San Francisco
Finding the right real estate agent can be a daunting task, as there are many factors to take into consideration, from experience and location to credentials and transaction history. HomeLight San Franicsco was born with this in mind and it “…aims to provide a solution by becoming a sort of Match.com for homebuyers and real estate agents. Using its proprietary algorithms, the platform creates personalized recommendations for both buyers and sellers by analyzing transactional data and licensing records of more than two million real estate agents” (Source: TechCrunch).
The solution entails a web-based real estate search engine, which focuses on matching potential buyers or sellers with the right agent for them. To do this, the buyer or seller can add different filters to aid their search. HomeLight also offers an app for agents, so they can manage listings, referrals, offers and escrow properties, among other services, much more efficiently on the go.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company boasts a human capital of over 200 employees and $164.5 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. It has gone through 7 rounds of funding since 2012, with a total of 23 investors and 8 years of activity.
Let’s take a look at some of the company’s key features and figures:
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Data and objective-driven
40M transactions and 1.2M agents analyzed
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Unparalleled network
118,000 agents and 150+ cash buyers
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Operating at scale
Over 746,000+ happy clients and counting
Even though it’s based in San Francisco, the company has worked in a variety of markets from the very beginning, including LA, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Boston.
The people behind HomeLight San Francisco
Growing a real estate business in today’s climate can be challenging, which is why the company runs a weekly podcast called The Walkthrough in which members of the team conduct interviews that provide vital information. In their words: “On The Walkthrough, you’ll learn what’s working right now to grow your real estate business. Every episode delivers critical information to help agents like you take your business from good to great to amazing.”
Caroline Feeney, Managing Editor at HomeLight, oversees the Seller Resource Center and writes relevant articles for their blog. She often features in the podcast where she conducts interviews, answers questions, and discusses topics of interest.
Not only does HomeLight run a podcast and blog, they also occasionally livestream talks and interviews. Recently, Sumant Sridharan, the COO of HomeLight, appeared on a Facebook livestream to discuss “what agents need to know to advise their clients heading into 2021.”
Other members of the team include CEO Drew Uher, who was named one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders by Inman News. With an MBA from Stanford University, Uher worked as an Investment Analyst and as an Associate at Morgan Stanley and he co-founded Gameyola (a distribution and monetization platform for Flash games). Currently, he is also an Angel Investor and Venture Partner in 1984 Ventures.
VP of Engineering Mike Abner (previously Senior Engineer at Giftly, an electronic gift card startup) has worked as a Software Developer since 2001. After climbing through the ranks in different companies he became HomeLight’s VP thanks to his drive and experience.
VP of Growth John Van Slyke who previously worked at Amazon has vast experience in the marketing sector. This gave him the tools to lead the team responsible for customer acquisition and retention.
HomeLight digital platform
HomeLight San Francisco was born to provide a solution. The digitalization of businesses is essential in today’s tech-driven world, especially given the recent global pandemic which has brought on even more hurdles for the real estate business. Therefore, by using both web and mobile app platforms as the main link between agents and buyers/sellers, the company has stayed relevant and has managed to adapt to all its clients’ needs.
The HomeLight digital platform includes many services such as loans, closing services, cash offers, market trends, listing management, trade-ins, a down payment calculator, and a commissions calculator.
Final Thoughts on Homelight San Francisco
This real estate startup in San Francisco winner has definitely shown it has a lot to offer. You can take a look at some of the other Timmy Awards winners here.
