PFM provider Planwise has launched a new service called Planwise Connect, Bank Innovation has learned.
The new service promises to help real estate agents and mortgage brokers form a tighter relationship with potential buyers. Using the service, real estate professionals can provide buyers with the Planwise affordability calculator, which can be used on any major home search site to keep buyers connected to them and their preferred agents, according to Planwise.
The calculator displays automatically on sites relevant to the buyer’s search, and maintains contact with the real estate professional that provided it. It currently works on Chrome and Firefox, with Safari and Internet Explorer extensions coming soon.
The original Planwise platform offers software that facilitates budgeting toward goals, particularly the ultimate financial goal for many Americans — owning a home. The transition to Planwise Connect, therefore, is a natural one.
Planwise CEO Vince Turner tells Bank Innovation that the service will cost $99 a year and will allow the nation’s approximately 1 million real estate agents to extend the service to as many of their customers as they like.
Turner is also known for running one of the country’s vibrant FinTech meetup groups, in San Francisco.
A common worry of real estate agents and mortgage brokers, according to Turner, is that buyers will be lured into another service while browsing online on sites such as Zillow and Trulia. Planwise Connect is designed to mitigate that risk. For real estate brokers, Planwise hopes Connect will generate leads, while, for lenders, it provides a strong connection to qualified buyers. Using the tool, buyers will be able to easily communicate with their agent on any major real estate site.
Planwise’s timing is good — the residential real estate market looks primed to take off, with stabilizing prices and a drop in foreclosures to start 2015.
Founded in 2011, Planwise has raised $860,000 of venture funding to date, according to Crunchbase.
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