Shackprices.com was launched today. Partners Galen Ward and Doug Cole have created a cool ajax real estate search site for consumers in the state of Washington. The site is fast, clean and easy to use. They seem to have a referral based business model that allows consumers to call or email them directly about a particular property. It seems to be sort of a personalized match making service.
From their FAQ’S:
Will you guess the value of my house?
We don’t guess the actual value of a house. We’ll give you a list of comparable nearby properties that have sold recently to help you determine its value. If you want a better appraisal, click here to contact us and we’ll put you in touch with someone who can do it for you.
Are you trying to replace real estate agents?
Absolutely not. Buying and selling houses is a difficult and time consuming process; a good agent can make buying or selling a house much easier. Most people only buy a few homes in their entire lifetime - having someone with the experience of hundreds of transactions working on your behalf is an incredible advantage. A good real estate agent can give advice like “1950s homes in this area tend to have plumbing problems” or “these people have remodeled the kitchen and living room using cheap materials.” We believe that good agents provide (and will continue to provide) services that are not replicable by a computer.
It seems they understand what a computer can and can’t do and grasp that real estate agents are needed to decipher a property’s unzillowables. Best of luck to you guys!
Visit Galen’s blog for more info.
I went and looked at this site a couple of hours ago. I like it, I am unfamiliar with the area yet was able to glean usefull information from the site. I thnk these folks are headed in the right direction.
Man, All the newest trends seem to be emerging on the Northwest coast. Isn’t it ironic that Washington State has a plethora of recent real estate developments and NYC barely has an MLS?
It has some potential. I’m just not blown away with the usability or the interface. Feels a little old to me. The technology is interesting, but again, seen it, done it, have the T-shirt. I’m still waiting for something NEW, INNOVATIVE, MIND BLOWING.