America’s political divide is likely to get even wider thanks to a new real-estate platform that lets potential buyers see the political affiliations of their future neighbors, as well as other social data and local demographics.
Oyssey, a tech startup launching this month in south Florida and New York City, allows buyers access neighborhood political affiliations based on election results and campaign contributions.
“We’re the advantage platform for homebuyers at a time when buyers have never needed an advantage more,” Huw Nierenberg, CEO of Oyssey, said.
The new tech startup designed its platform around the belief that social data, such as age, education, and income demographics is more influential to prospective homebuyers than the layout or physical conditions of a home.
A recent survey from Realtor.com showed that about a quarter of Americans are highly influenced by local and national politics in their decision to buy real estate.
Oyssey is attempting to simplify how homebuyers work with agents across the real estate industry. Not only has the company developed a website that allows users to search for homes, but it has also developed a tool that streamlines contract negotiations.
The platform aims to more or less provide everything a homebuyer needs to make and solidify their decision, all while integrating political and consumer block-by-block data.
Though the service is marketed as a subscription model, buyers can reportedly use the platform for free by invitation from their agents.
Oyssey aims to capitalize on a recent restructuring in the world of real estate. A recent class-action lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors now requires buyers to sign contracts with agents and negotiate commission fees upfront.
The platform sets out to simplify the process of homebuying for agents and buyers. Nierenberg described it as a win-win for both parties, where buyers can access exclusive data and agents can negotiate higher commissions.
