Market Update: U.S. PropTech Q1 2021

Q1 2021 was the most active quarter in growth capital and M&A activity in the Proptech market since GCA began tracking the space in 2017.

CoStar to buy Homes.com for $156M

The data giant announced Wednesday it had reached an agreement to buy residential listing platform Homes.com for $156 million in cash. Homes.com platform claims to have more than 1.8 million listings with feeds from 90 percent of the Multiple Listing Services across the country.

Former Head Of Global Real Estate At CBRE Joins Proptech Firm Density

A proptech firm with a product tailored to the prevailing office real estate question of the day has made a splashy hire. Peter Van Emburgh has joined Density as head of industry strategy, the company announced in a letter on its website from CEO and co-founder Andrew Farah published on Tuesday. Van Emburgh had been CBRE’s global head of corporate real estate, managing the commercial real estate services firm’s own office footprint….

This startup wants to use technology to help solve Austin’s housing shortage problem

Homebound has raised about $73 million over the years from the likes of Google Ventures, Fifth Wall, Khosla, Sound Ventures, Atomic and Thrive Capital. It raised a $35 million Series B last April and then closed on a $20 million convertible note late last year. CEO Nikki Pechet and Atomic managing partner Jack Abraham founded the company in 2017 after Abraham lost his home to wildfires. …

Amenify announces $4.8 million capital raise for expansion

DENVER, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Amenify Corporation, the leading technology for powering in-home services within multifamily residential properties, announced the closing of a $4.8 million financing to enable activation of approximately 320,000 units of Class A multifamily properties – which will include approximately 15 new markets for the company. Dana Zeff, the founder of LeaseLabs, joined Amenify’s Board of Directors in connection with the financing. Her focus will be to help the …

Reverse Migration: Moving to Cities While Others Flee

Kelly Shoul and Alex White spent years trying to get out of their house in York, Pa., only to be told repeatedly by real estate brokers that their only option was to sell at a loss. But when Covid-19 hit and upended the market, they were able to not just sell their home, they could make $30,000 in the process.

Standards-based solution seeks to accelerate smart city applications

Hudson Yards and Beyond: Creating Infrastructure to Support Innovation, Part 2

Scott Evans, Chief Digital Officer at Related Companies reveals how Related is better positioned today as a result of incorporating technology into the early stages of their developments, and what areas he’s focusing on in his technology roadmap.

The Zebra Becomes A Unicorn With $150M Series D

The Austin-based company, which operates an insurance comparison site, raised $150 million in Series D funding, led by an unnamed investor. Joining the round were a group of investors, including Weatherford Capital, as well as Accel, which led the company’s $38.5 million Series C last year. The investment brings The Zebra’s total raised to $251.5 million since its 2012 inception, as well as values the company at more than $1 billion, CEO Keith Melnick told Crunchbase News….

Brookfield Secures WELL Health-Safety Rating For 200M SF Portfolio In Bid To Bring Back Workers, Shoppers

The office portfolio includes almost 100 buildings totaling more than 75M SF, which Brookfield says is the largest office portfolio ever to achieve the rating. The company’s retail portfolio includes 114 shopping centers totaling about 125M SF. “The WELL rating is a perfect way for us to communicate to the larger public,” Brookfield Properties Managing Partner Bill Powell told Bisnow. “Anyone who is a guest at one of our properties will be able to see that we subscribe to the highest level of he…