With tools like Zillow and Redfin, the web has become integral to the real estate hunt for many Americans. It's only natural that a company would eventually take almost the entire process -- booking an agent, setting up a home viewing, securing a mortgage -- online. Today saw the launch of Bellevue-based Xome, a new company which purports to do just that.
Beyond rendering nearly the entire process electronic, Xome has other ideas to differentiate it from the sector's established players. For one, it purports to feature a more agent-friendly approach. Though agents will have to fork over at least 1 percent of their commission, Xome claims it will send them better-vetted referrals, and let them keep money on the leads they generate. Buyers, on the flip side of the coin, will be given at least 1 percent back of their purchase price. Whether these differentiations will make a dent against its competition remains to be seen, but with more companies continuing to jump into this space (San Fran-based OpenDoor launched last week) it's clear the market isn't settled quite yet.
