Updater

By Jiordan Castle

Published Mar 15, 2017

Updated Dec 22, 2023

Redefy is a tech-forward brokerage changing the real estate experience for clients. As America’s #1 flat fee, full-service brokerage, Redefy prides itself on powerhouse agents and progressive technology — for both their team and their clients. We spoke with Chris Rediger, Redefy’s President and CTO, about the role of technology in the future of the real estate industry, Redefy’s partnership with Updater, and their exciting new Amazon offering.

What makes Redefy and their agents unique

Where the average agent may do 5 deals a year, Redefy’s agents are essentially required to do four deals a month. As Chris says, “We look for agents who can handle the volume.” While the average real estate agent is 58 years old, that particular age group is also training new agents in the real estate space. Chris says, “If you can get over the fact that it’s not about bus benches and open houses, then… We want those agents. We’re selective. We’ve got the persona nailed down.” That go-getter imperative is just one of the reasons why a Redefy agent typically makes 3x what the average full-time agent makes.

Of course, that kind of volume is impossible without a good deal of support from Redefy. As such, Redefy has 140 agents in total and 20 agents at its Denver office, all of whom fit the bill, the culture, and put the time and effort in to see results. Such is the case at Updater too, as Chris tells us, “It seems to me that Updater really vets and makes sure that the employees fit the culture and the image of what Updater is and is trying to do, and that can be difficult in real estate. Our having 20 agents per office goes to show that it’s more so a really selective approach, as opposed to getting a lot of bodies in the door.”

How Redefy sees technology changing the real estate industry in 2017

Redefy may be a brokerage, but they operate differently than your traditional broker. As Chris says, “Agents are the consumers of technology in real estate, not the clients. For instance, DocuSign makes agents’ lives easier, and it just happens to make clients’ lives easier too. Tech-centric brokers that have the correct business structure are going to start using more integrations with solutions that let clients choose their own adventure. Redefy works to provide a full-service experience that lets them be the driver.”

Updater keeps the client-agent relationship going strong

Redefy partnered with Updater to provide a value-add to their clients. Chris says, “Since we have a unique business structure, we can hold our agents to a higher standard than you would contractors. Updater is a digital value-add that’s no more taxing on the brokerage or the agent than shooting off an email.” And because the process of selling a home can be a cumbersome or trying one, Chris says, “Clients can get a bad taste in their mouth. It doesn’t matter whose ‘fault’ it is; it’s still a bad taste. Updater is that ray of sunshine that comes in and helps a consumer get a leg up during a tumultuous time. Updater helps you look better, which gets you more referrals and helps the transaction happen.” Chris tells us that Redefy has even had a client they couldn’t service (because they weren’t licensed in that area) that wanted access to Updater. “Of course,” Chris says. “It’s an automated concierge service.”

Redefy + Alexa Skills: Real Estate Home Valuation

Redefy is developing a customer platform (to be released in June) that lets the customer choose the way in which they’d like to list their house. Chris says that when they were building the portal, they thought, How cool would it be if there were other ways to talk to Redefy? What if people could ask Alexa? He says, “So we limited our Alexa release to that one question: ‘What’s the value of my house?’ We put it through Amazon’s approval process, and we came out with this basic Alexa Skill that evaluated people’s homes for them. What was originally a mind exercise for our development team has since skyrocketed. And no one else does it.” Come June, you’ll even be able to ask Alexa what your closing date is, when the appraisal is, and more along those lines.

The Redefy team is especially good at taking calculated risks, creating intuitive experiences for clients, and incorporating the kind of technology clients most want during a stressful time. And with the introduction of the Redefy Real Estate Home Valuation Alexa Skill, they’ve taken a tech-savvy step forward for the greater real estate community.

Jiordan Castle

Jiordan is Updater’s former Digital Content Manager. Here content specialties are renters and homeowners insurance, cloud technology, and all things moving! She eats pizza every Friday and never buys a new iPhone until her current one breaks.