Proptech columnist Craig Rowe reviews virtual staging solution HomeKynd, an app that enables users to integrate their tools with listing pages, among other benefits.
HomeKynd is a virtual staging solution.
platform:Web; fully mobile responsive
very suitable: Listing and Buyer Agents; Property Managers
Hot selling points:
• Broker list page embed
• Selected furniture for interior design
• In-app purchases
• MLS Compliant
• Consumer-oriented user experience
Top concerns:
It’s just that most virtual staging products are part of a larger visual merchandising and photo enhancement system.
what you should know
If you’re not yet a virtual stage convert or are just skeptical, I don’t think HomeKynd or any of its competitors will put you off. You just keep faxing these offers and ignoring the NAR settlement.
However, if you’re familiar with the benefits of virtual staging—no need to buy furniture packages, added burden of placement/removal for sellers, lower risk of home damage, and fewer days on the market—then you probably already know how to use HomeKynd. The interface for self-staging environments is very similar as opposed to services that do this for you. This is a good thing. This means there is room for competition in this area, such as CRM or transaction management applications.
I hope readers will notice HomeKynd’s enterprise-grade services and listing page integration. The former allows entire brokerages to set up accounts and best practices for temporary rooms in vacant homes. For example, because HomeKynd is available in many different styles, team leaders and marketing teams can ensure agents aren’t going door to door with the same items. They can also better report which homes are selling faster because they are staged, and even which furniture brands are getting the best results. Remember, staging is a marketing asset; use what it gives you.
The latter, the listing page integration, is a super smart way to get buyers directly involved in the listing and even suggests that when listing a home, leave some rooms vacant to entice homebuyers to start designing. It’s all about allowing them to imagine themselves in the space.
I’ve long had a problem with staging. Granted, I see it as a tool for less-than-stellar sales professionals. This may come from a time when you were selling an investment property, where bad carpeting and cabinets hanging from a single hinge didn’t matter. So maybe I’m not as good at sales as I thought; maybe it’s the revenue stream that does the heavy lifting. I digress.
Kate Ritter, founder and lead designer of HomeKynd, reminded me during the webinar that it’s hard for people to imagine what a home could look like, especially when the canvas is blank. That’s why interior designers exist and why contractors draw up plans and show us flooring samples. Her comments were well received.
Buyer’s agents can also use HomeKynd. Buyers who are choosing between several homes can use it to see which room might look better suited to their desired layout. The software allows you to export and send still images with just a few clicks, so other interested parties can have a say in the finished project.
The software makes it easy to upload captured rooms, but it would be cool to see an option to pull images from MLS IDs. Items can be placed, rotated and scaled as desired, and with 22 major brands on board, the selection is quite extensive.
Later this year, HomeKynd will launch a fully implemented consumer version of its app that includes an artificial intelligence engine to speed up room design and removal of existing items.
The before and after swatches I’ve seen look fantastic. And, because HomeKynd is relatively new to the real estate world, it has a lot of potential to grow, especially for independent brokerages and teams.
Do you have a tech product you’d like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe
Craig C. Rowe got involved in commercial real estate at the dawn of the dot-com bubble, helping a range of commercial real estate companies strengthen their online presence and analyze internal software decisions. He now helps agencies with technology decisions and marketing by reviewing Inman’s software and technology.
