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Localize's press

Localize, a NYC-based real estate technology company, is on a mission to make homebuying better for everyone. To that end, Localize has been selected as a finalist for the Inman Innovator Awards’ best real estate technology – presented at Inman Connect Las Vegas on Friday, August 5.

The submission centered on Hunter by Localize™, the company’s cutting-edge technology that equips real estate professionals and consumers with helpful advantages to get a leg up on the cutthroat housing market.

For agents working with Localize, Hunter converts fresh leads into closed transactions at up to 3x to 4x the NAR industry standard of 0.5-1%.

Through a savvy combo of artificial and human intelligence, Hunter supports partner agents by engaging with every buyer lead in a meaningful way via 24/7 support. Hunter communicates with these leads instantly over text message, providing accurate insights about the most relevant properties.

“By utilizing state-of-the-art technology, we are able nurture and qualify leads on an unprecedented scale while still maintaining a human feel when interacting with clients,” said Localize CPO, Ilan Fraiman.

Hunter’s smart-matching capabilities use machine-learning technology to understand buyer feedback and improve its responses over time, creating an effective feedback loop.

“I’m proud of our exceptional team’s tireless effort to develop this cutting-edge technology, and then place it in agents’ hands to power their day-to-day businesses,” said Localize CEO, Omer Granot. “We look forward to hearing the award winners as well as attending the conference and connecting with agents in person.”

Localize also employs a robust homebuying advisor team that complements Hunter’s tech. This team uses their market expertise and logistical support to streamline essential communication and meetings between buyers and agents.  
While the technology supports both buyers and agents, real estate professionals who partner with Localize find that Hunter frees their time by taking on the buyer communication legwork. This allows agents to focus their time on late-stage buyers who are serious about touring properties and most likely to transact.

Agents can leverage this technology via the LocalizeHQ mobile app and LocalizeHQ.com, a desktop command and control center for leads in real-time.

“We look forward to expanding to more markets in the U.S. and bringing our unique approach and product to more agents in order to maximize their potential,” Fraiman said.

To learn more about Localize or sign up for Hunter, visit [LocalizeHQ.com](https://localizehq.com/)

To connect with Localize at Inman, select a time at [https://calendly.com/localizeatinman](https://calendly.com/localizeatinman)

#### About Localize

Localize is revolutionizing real estate to benefit buyers and agents alike. Founded in Tel Aviv in 2012, Localize now has 150 employees across offices in Tel Aviv and NYC.

Localize is the brainchild of Founder, President and CTO Asaf Rubin, a founding member of Taboola, a $1B unicorn; CEO Omer Granot, formerly VP of Growth at Via, a $2B unicorn; and CPO Ilan Fraiman, formerly from Trusteer that was acquired by IBM for $700M.



Real estate tech startup secures spot as one of seven technology category finalists in the 2022 awards to be presented at Inman Connect Las Vegas.

Localize, a NYC-based real estate technology company, is on a mission to make homebuying better for everyone. To that end, Localize has been selected as a finalist for the Inman Innovator Awards’ best real estate technology

Localize Selected as a Finalist for the Inman Innovator Awards

Engaging with leads is a time-consuming task that agents would rather delegate to an assistant.

Enter Localize—the real estate tech startup that not only qualifies leads, but also increases conversion rates for partner agents. Since launching their all-in-one solution Hunter by Localize™ in 2021, the NYC-based company has grown rapidly, culminating in hundreds of sign-ups in Q1 2022. 

Localize supports agents and brokers through a high-tech and high-touch solution. Hunter engages agent leads and nurtures them into qualified buyers. Through precise and responsive text messaging, Hunter keeps leads engaged until they’re qualified and ready to see properties in person.


Expert homebuying advisors on staff then reintroduce the buyer back to the same agent who uploaded it to the platform—LocalizeHQ. For buyers, Localize sends smart-matched listings based on their preferences. This motivates them to attend showings that result in increased agent closings. 

“We work with everyone—from individual agents to team leads to entire brokerages—with the same goal in mind: let Hunter do the legwork and agents will never lose another deal,” said Omer Granot, Localize’s CEO. “We like to say that Hunter maximizes revenue and minimizes hustle. That’s because we recognize the intense effort it takes for agents to work leads. We created a tech solution to solve that problem so agents can instead focus on closing deals. As we enhance the Hunter product, we look forward to partnering with even more agents and in cities beyond New York.”

Localize has already launched multiple initiatives this year, including an [iPhone app](https://apps.apple.com/tm/app/localizehq/id1605943977) and [referral program](https://www.localize.city/agents/referral/) for active clients. With the LocalizeHQ app, agents access their dashboard and can manage leads on-the-go, or let Hunter do the legwork. Real-time insights show each lead’s recent activity so agents always feel in control.

Localize is also a sponsor of Inman Connect New York from April 19-21. Attendees are invited to demo Hunter and meet the Localize team at their homey booth.

Agents eager to boost their bottom line can learn more at [https://localizehq.com](https://localizehq.com/) and sign up to partner with Hunter. For more information, please contact the Localize team by sending a message to help@localize.city.

#### About Localize

With a mission to make homebuying better for everyone, Localize is a data-first company that has raised $70M. About 140 employees work across their Manhattan headquarters and Tel Aviv offices. Their game-changing product Hunter by Localize™ benefits agents as an all-in-one lead cultivation solution to maximize revenue and save time. Localize is the brainchild of President and CTO Asaf Rubin, a founding member of Taboola ($1B unicorn); CEO Omer Granot, formerly VP of Growth at Via ($2B unicorn); and CPO Ilan Fraiman, formerly at Trusteer (acquired by IBM for $700M).


Real estate tech startup Localize enrolled nearly 600 paying agents to their lead qualification platform in Q1.

Enter Localize—the real estate tech startup that not only qualifies leads, but also increases conversion rates for partner agents. Since launching their all-in-one solution Hunter by Localize™ in 2021, the NYC-based company has grown rapidly

Homebuyer Lead Conversion Solution Grows Client Base by More Than 580% in 2022

Sunlight is an important factor to many New Yorkers who are in the market for a new home. In fact, homebuyers consistently use the sunlight search filter on the Localize website to search for new property. 

According to Localize’s recent [Market Report](https://blogmedia.localize.city/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020-2021-Localize-Market-Report.pdf), 71% of searchers were looking for access to natural light. To help buyers make more informed decisions, Localize continues to evolve its sunlight tool to not only show how sunlight affects a home today, but also how new development will affect that same property in the future.

#### New Development is Changing Sunlight Access in NYC

To help better understand how sunlight impacts homes in the city, Localize recently [took a look at new development in NYC](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GYgK_SYPiX6Z166UoaxRyPUnLf43KWan7d7n4armbEw/edit#gid=0) and found that a number of new buildings are being built and planned for in the coming months. While these buildings bring new opportunities for homebuyers, they will also impact existing residents who may lose sunlight and access to city views.

The data revealed some interesting findings: Brooklyn was revealed as the borough with the most new development in the works, with 173 approved permits. Brooklyn was also the borough with the highest number of buildings that will lose sunlight once these new projects are completed, at 1,821 buildings experiencing sunlight loss. These Brooklyn-based buildings are set to lose a total of 4,452 hours of sunlight. 

#### How Localize’s Sunlight Data Works

Localize has been analyzing and providing sunlight data to buyers for several years, offering a viewpoint into the way the construction of the city impacts homes on a street and building level. By using LiDAR airborne sensors and available data on city structures, Localize is able to generate shadow maps and create three-dimensional models of each building across NYC. These maps help calculate how much sunlight is blocked from surrounding buildings and allow Localize to calculate the arc of horizon of each outward-facing facade in the city. This analysis results in the total amount of direct sunlight exposure that exists for various points on a map of the boroughs. 

When a buyer then visits the Localize site and searches for the address of a building, the search results will describe the sunlight on each side of the building and how those sunlight totals change throughout the year. Additional insights on Localize’s sunlight analysis and data [can be found here](https://www.localize.city/nyc/for-sale/new-york-ny?filters=_5400000-_________8500-_).

#### Localize Sunlight Data Continues to Evolve

As the city changes, so does Localize’s sunlight data. Localize continues to tap into both proprietary and public data, including future construction projects and tree growth rates, to help show how a home’s access to sunlight will be today and into the future. 

Stay tuned for new information on sunlight data, including additional levels of detail that will be available to buyers on the Localize site in the near future.

NYC New Development Surges, Affecting Sunlight Access Across the Boroughs.

Sunlight is an important factor to many New Yorkers who are in the market for a new home. In fact, homebuyers consistently use the sunlight search filter on the Localize website to search for new property. 

Localize Offers Sunlight Analysis as a Way for Buyers to Take a Look into the Future

New York, NY – August 4, 2021 – [Localize](https://www.localize.city/nyc/for-sale/new-york-ny?filters=_5400000-_________8500-_&utm_source=localize_blog&utm_campaign=blog_article&utm_term=internal_link&utm_content=localize-raises-25-million-to-reinvent-house-hunting-for-buyers-and-brokers), a pioneer in AI-powered real estate technologies, today announced a $25 million Series C financing round led by Pitango Growth, with additional participation from Mizrahi-Tefahot and existing investors. Company funding to date totals $70 million. Chemi Peres, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Pitango, is joining Localize’s Board of Directors. 

Homebuying is often the single largest financial decision people make. However, many people make this purchase with little transparency into the overall buying process, as well as limited information on specifics of the home, building and neighborhood they are considering. This lack of information has resulted in 40 percent of homebuyers reporting some level of regret with their completed home purchase. Additionally, many real estate brokers find it time consuming and costly to help buyers in a personalized way, leading to brokers losing meaningful leads during the process.

Localize has developed a data and AI-driven platform, combined with human expertise, to assist buyers and brokers in remedying their existing pain points related to the real estate market. Localize works by collating information from billions of data points into hundreds of selectable attributes, including proximity to popular stores – for example, Trader Joe’s, future construction, high ceilings, building violations, complaints and pests, and a proprietary natural light insight. Homebuyers can easily tailor their searches with these attributes through a homebuying advisor called Hunter, the company’s hybrid human-AI concierge service. This service enables buyers to tap into Localize’s robust data by receiving personalized, daily curated listings that are further refined based on user responses to suggested listings.

“The homebuying process is complex and the real estate industry as a whole has been slow to embrace technological change to address these issues. Most of the data available in the market today is too fragmented for buyers to effectively use,” said Omer Granot, President and COO of Localize. “We have developed products that are shifting the paradigm to empower prospective buyers and brokers to really fill in those information gaps and receive the assistance they need throughout the entire process, making us a partner from their initial search to receiving keys in hand for their new home. We’re excited to have secured this funding from our investors who believe in what we’re building and are helping us grow into the premier comprehensive real estate technology platform in the market.”

In addition to helping homebuyers navigate the often complex stages of purchasing a home, Hunter also solves a unique challenge that brokers face: while brokers continuously work to find leads, these potential homebuyers are often at varying stages in the buying process and need personalized service. For many brokers, this is often too costly and time consuming, resulting in lost leads. Hunter serves as a virtual assistant for brokers that helps qualify leads by cultivating lead lists and then reintroducing the leads back to agents when buyers are ready to see properties in person.

“Buying a home is one of the most important financial and life decisions many people make,” said Chemi Peres, founding partner of Pitango, who is  joining the Localize board. “Localize enables people to find and buy the house of their dreams in a short time, using the advanced AI tools it developed. The ability to use tools that automate and digitalize this process, combined with insights that are produced using algorithms which run on massive amounts of data, makes the results quick, accurate, and fully fitted to the client’s needs.”

In addition to successfully closing the funding round, Localize has shown record growth in the NYC marketplace despite the impact of the pandemic on the real estate industry there. The newly raised funds will be directed toward the further development of its existing services, as well as the creation of complementary services to support the Localize ecosystem. Funding will also be used to support R&D and further develop the company’s sales and marketing operations. 

#### About Localize

Localize, which now serves New York City, was founded in Israel in 2012 and has 130 employees. It is managed by CEO and founder Asaf Rubin, alumni of the Technion excellence program, COO and President Omer Granot, alumni of the MIT Sloan School of Management MBA track, and CTO Ilan Fraiman. Localize is revolutionizing the real estate industry by harnessing the power of AI and cutting-edge technology. For buyers, Localize democratizes data and streamlines the house-hunting journey to find a place they’ll love long after moving day. For agents, Localize cultivates leads and reintroduces them as qualified buyers at exactly the right time. Together, the company mission is to make homebuying better for everyone. The management team brings deep experience in developing and leading some of the most prominent high tech companies, including the development of Taboola’s recommendation engine (Rubin), as the New York General Manager and Global VP of Growth for the ride-sharing giant Via (Granot), and heading the research and development activities of Trusteer (Fraiman).

Users can leverage a mix of comprehensive data, AI technology and professional support to receive highly tailored information and assistance, while providing transparency throughout the entire real estate journey.

Localize Raises $25 Million to Reinvent House Hunting for Buyers and Brokers

For those interested in real estate in NYC, Localize’s newly released Trends Report offers insight into current search trends on the Localize site. This report offers not only a detailed look at the marketplace today, but provides inspiration on areas NYC buyers might want to consider in 2021 based on search preferences that might interest them.

The following insights are some of the trends gleaned from the data. To see the full report, visit:

[2020-2021-Localize-Market-Report](https://blogmedia.localize.city/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020-2021-Localize-Market-Report.pdf)

#### What does 2021 have in store? Localize predicts a strong focus on outdoor space

Localize’s data revealed most buyers showed a strong interest in homes that provided access to outdoor space, as well as listings that offered sustained sunlight. As the pandemic changed the activities NYers could participate in, the desire for homes that offer the ability to enjoy outdoor space became more popular. This is a trend that will persist into 2021, making homes with private outdoor space increasingly popular.

Localize found that buyers were most interested in the following search parameters:

-   Natural light: 71% of home searches requested natural light as a feature.
-   Private outdoor space: 23% of home searches requested a private place to get outside in their new home.
-   Access to parks: 32% of home searches requested park access near a potential new home.

#### Buyers who want access to the outdoors may have a specific area in mind, but they could miss out on other parts of the city that may meet their needs.

Localize’s data uncovered specific neighborhoods buyers who are interested in private outdoor spaces can consider, including:

-   Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx;
-   Williamsburg and Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn;
-   The Lower East Side and Hudson Square in Manhattan; and
-   Long Island City and Glen Oaks in Queens.

Additionally, for those interested in parks specifically, the following boroughs offer the best chance of finding a home nearby a public outdoor space:

-   In Manhattan, 33% of active listings have a park nearby.
-   In Brooklyn, 19% of active listings have a park nearby.

When it comes to neighborhoods, Dumbo, Greenwich Village and the Flatiron District were the best neighborhoods to meet the homebuying checklist item of nearby parks.

#### 2020 in NYC brought changes to preferences, but also steady prices.

For anyone doubting New York City’s resilience, the Localize review of 2020 proved the opposite: NYC is here to stay. In fact, it never really left. While there were downward trends in Manhattan due to the pandemic, the overall trends in all other boroughs showed that median prices held steady and even rose in most.

For buyers and investors looking to have a piece of the NYC market in 2021, there is a still lot of opportunity. There may also be continued preference adjustments as people consider new areas of the city that fit best with lifestyle changes that have occurred over the past year. [Localize](https://www.localize.city/how-it-works/?utm_source=localize_blog&utm_campaign=blog_article&utm_term=internal_link&utm_content=localize-trends-report-looks-forward-to-what-buyers-can-expect-in-the-new-year) can help buyer’s navigate this marketplace to pinpoint the best boroughs, neighborhoods and listings that best meet their needs.

To access the full recap, learn more about how Localize uses data to make homebuying suggestions, and see all of Localize’s 2021 recommendations, [download the Report](https://blogmedia.localize.city/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020-2021-Localize-Market-Report.pdf).

Data Shows What NYers are Interested in When Searching for a New Home.

Localize's press

Press releases

Localize Selected as a Finalist for the Inman Innovator Awards

Homebuyer Lead Conversion Solution Grows Client Base by More Than 580% in 2022

Localize Offers Sunlight Analysis as a Way for Buyers to Take a Look into the Future

Localize Raises $25 Million to Reinvent House Hunting for Buyers and Brokers

Localize Trends Report Looks Forward to What Buyers Can Expect in the New Year

Localize Selected as a Finalist for the Inman Innovator Awards

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