20 Things You Didn’t Know about Aalto
Buying and selling a home can be one of the most stressful things you will ever do. The idea of selling your home and beginning a new chapter in your life should be an exciting prospect. So should buying a new home. However, that is rarely the case. In fact, buying or selling a home these days is so stressful that a lot of people would prefer to avoid the experience at all costs, if possible. That means that a lot of people are staying in their homes when they would actually rather leave. It also means that a number of would-be homeowners are still renting, all so they can avoid the stress and experience associated with the real estate market. That is where Aalto comes in. They are a real estate marketplace like none other, and they are turning the real estate world on its ear. Do you want to know more? Here are 20 of the most interesting things about this unique company that may be the answer to all of your home ownership problems.
1. They use technology to do things differently
They have made the most out of the modern-day technology that is available in order to create something that is completely new. They don’t operate in the same way that a realtor would have operated 20 years ago. In fact, the availability of technology is the central thing that allows them to operate in any capacity. Without it, the company would cease to exist, at least in its current state. Fortunately, they are making great strides with their progress. In fact, they are essentially the first real estate company to operate in this manner, allowing them to take full advantage of all that the internet has to offer.
2. They are not your standard realtor
There is no doubt about it, they do not do business the same way that a standard realtor would. In fact, there are very few similarities between them and your standard realtor, with the exception that buying and selling homes is their business. If you’ve ever dealt with a typical real estate company, you know that you hardly ever know the full story up front, there are always hidden expenses that practically dollar you to death, and you often get a lot of unpleasant surprises at the last minute. Fortunately, this company takes all of those things out of the equation and gives you an experience that puts you in charge as opposed to making you feel like you’re on a roller coaster straight out of your nightmares.
3. They connect buyers and sellers of all types
They genuinely do bring buyers and sellers together in a way that no other type of system ever has. In fact, they give both buyers and sellers an opportunity to connect with each other in a much more customized fashion than has ever even been thought of in the past. Potential buyers can plug into the site the types of houses that they’re interested in buying in order to get a customized experience. By the same token, sellers can see a list of pre-qualified buyers and know exactly who they are selling to before any money ever exchanges hands.
4. They are always there to provide expert guidance
Just because they serve as a marketplace that connects sellers with buyers, it doesn’t mean that they just leave you hanging. In fact, they have experts in the real estate market that are always there to provide guidance whenever you need it. The one thing you never have to worry about with them is being left hanging or making a major mistake because you don’t know what to do. They will guide you every step of the way.
5. They allow interested parties to communicate directly with one another
One of the truly unique things about them is that interested parties can communicate directly. You don’t have to use a middleman. You’re never forced to go through a realtor in order to talk to someone. Instead, you can use real estate experts that work at the company in order to gain your footing and then when you’re ready, speak directly to someone who is interested in buying your home. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to talk directly to sellers as a home buyer. You can ask them any questions you want to ask and get straight answers directly from them, not from a realtor that talks you in circles.
6. You can list your home yourself in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea
Chances are, you have never thought that it would be possible to list a home in five minutes or less but with this company, it is possible to do exactly that. That’s right, you can easily list your home online in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea and you don’t have to speak to anyone in order to do it. If you’re just thinking about selling your home, yet you haven’t fully committed to the idea yet, you can list it and start seeing what kind of offers you get without any obligation whatsoever.
7. It’s more cost-effective to use Aalto than a standard realtor
Using a traditional realtor costs a lot of money. With this particular company, it’s possible to make roughly 40,000 more dollars off of selling your home. Typically, the company only charges a 1% transaction fee and a possible 2.5% commission fee based on the final selling price of your home. That’s a lot less than the standard 13% that most realtors charge.
8. You can list your home without committing to anything
As previously mentioned, you have the opportunity to list your home without forcing yourself into any type of commitment. This provides a great deal of peace of mind. Not everyone is completely committed to the idea of selling their home, yet they still want to know if they could get what they’re asking for it. Sometimes the asking price makes the decision for them. Having the opportunity to list your home without commitment is reason enough to use the service, even without considering any of the other potential benefits.
9. They don’t show your address publicly
One of the best things about the services is that they do not show your address publicly. Even once your home is listed, you are in charge of the information provided. No one will know the address of your home until you start speaking directly with potential sellers who are genuinely interested and ready to provide an offer.
10. You can remove your listing at any time, with no financial penalties
As previously mentioned, there is no commitment when it comes to listing your home. You can remove that listing at any time without any financial repercussions. There are no penalties associated with removing your home at any stage during the process. Of course, sellers also have the right to stop on any offers without penalties as well.
11. They walk you through every aspect of listing your home
Even though you are directly in the driver’s seat when it comes to buying and selling a home with this company, they will walk you through every aspect of listing your home, thanks to their qualified agents. If you want to list your home without any help whatsoever, that is your choice. However, not everyone is so sure of themselves. If you need help, you always have the option of speaking with an agent who will guide you through every step of the process with ease.
12. You can see every prospective buyer in real time
You have the opportunity to see exactly how many people have viewed your listing, when they viewed it and whether or not they have chosen it as one of their favorites. You can even see all of the offers that are coming in, in real time, including how much each person is offering to purchase your home.
13. They’ll help you show your home, too
You have the option of showing your home in a number of different ways. If you so choose, your open house can be virtual, only progressing to anything more for the most serious of potential buyers. Of course, you can also choose to do a traditional open house. The qualified agents at the company will help you decide which is best for you and then guide you through the process.
14. You can even close the deal digitally, all with their help
Have you ever heard of being able to close a deal on a house digitally? Imagine what it would be like to be able to close on a house without having to visit some stuffy office and sign an entire stack of papers over and over again. The process has really been streamlined here, allowing you to do the entire process from start to finish digitally, without the need to ever set foot out of your current home if you so choose.
15. They make buying a home more streamlined
As you can see, they genuinely streamline the process of buying and selling a home in order to make it as fast and as painless as possible. When you know everything up front and you can cut directly to the chase, it makes something that is so complicated that people intentionally avoid it so easy that it’s a miracle somebody hasn’t been doing business this way for years now.
16. Buying is also more transparent
There is nothing more frustrating than buying a home, thinking that you have everything settled, and then receiving a call at the last minute telling you that you can’t purchase the home for one reason or another. It happens all the time with traditional realtors, but it’s far less likely to happen when everything is transparent from the beginning.
17. They went public less than a month ago and have already raised more than $13 million
The company just put itself out there, less than a month ago to be exact. They have already raised more than 13 million dollars from Sequoia and other supporters. That’s saying quite a lot. It goes to show that the company knows what it’s doing and they aren’t afraid to mix it up with those who have been in the real estate business for decades.
18. They add to their list of homes for sale on a daily basis
Currently, they have about two dozen homes available for sale. Furthermore, they are always adding to the number of homes available for sale on their site. Interested buyers can always find something that interests them because there is always something new popping up.
19. They’ve amassed a list of more than 30,000 potential buyers
They also have a huge waitlist of potential buyers, to the tune of more than 30,000 people. As you can see, there is definitely no shortage of people who want to see the homes listed on this site. That’s good news for people who want to sell their homes at a premium price without taking forever to do so. It also gives sellers the option of choosing the buyer who is best suited for their needs, whether it involves buying with cash or getting pre-approved. It’s all about bringing the buyer and the seller together so that the entire process goes more smoothly.
20. The homes for sale with them aren’t publicly available
It’s important to remember that the homes available for sale on the site aren’t on Trulia or any other website. In fact, they aren’t listed anywhere else. This gives buyers a chance to get their hands on the home of their dreams before anyone else even knows that the home is available for sale.