As the housing market continues to rebound, real estate agents and house hunters will have a powerful tool in the search for fresh properties, thanks to a new app called
400 Doors.
Created by real estate agent Bill Pauling, designer Nils Hansen, and programmer Robert Nelson, the app allows buyers to get a glimpse of properties potentially coming onto the market before they're formally listed, providing a crystal ball into new listings. Sellers are able to use the app to gauge what sort of price they can get for a property, as a way to determine if the timing is right for them.
"Right now, a lot of buyers are frustrated because there's very little inventory on the market, so when something good does get listed, it's very competitive," says Pauling. "From a seller's standpoint, they want to know if they can get the price they want before they list."
The idea came to Pauling when he was sitting in a weekly meeting at his agency and chatting about pre-listings. This is common practice at every real estate firm, he says, but it's done on such an informal basis that the information isn't captured in any useful way for those who can't make the meeting. Some systems have been created at certain agencies, but they're in-house and agency-specific, so they don't benefit the entire real estate community.
The app's name is a nod toward all the doors that open as a result of getting a deal done, Pauling says. Funded by sponsors like plumbers and electricians, who pay to get their names to users, 400 Doors is free for agents. Launched in February, the app is taking off already, with agents from over 20 brokerages signing up, and more new members every day.
"This model should work anywhere, and the feedback so far has been outstanding," says Pauling. "We try to be modest in our goals, but once we perfect it here, there's no reason we can't go nationwide with the system."
Source: Bill Pauling, 400 Doors
Writer: Elizabeth Millard