Question and Answer with Du of Agorafy: A broker's best friend

Every day new real estate professionals are entering the N.Y. real estate industry, the most competitive in the world. Inevitably some will find long lasting success while others will struggle. Agorafy wants to be the tool that real estate professionals can rely on to tilt the odds in their favor, and be a partner in their success. Richard Du recently sat down with the NYREJ for a Q&A to express his thoughts on what sets Agorafy apart as a platform and resource for real estate professionals. Q: Why do brokers and agents want to work with Agorafy? A: Most importantly we give them complete control in managing their exclusive listings and providing their direct contact information to potential leads and property owners. Brokers also have the ability to manage their on-line presence when they create a "Professional Profile." It's this public presence that facilitates buyers, tenants, and even property owners reaching out to them directly. So not only do their exclusives get maximum exposure but they are able to connect directly and build relationships. Q: How does Agorafy help new professionals find success in the industry? A: Commercial and residential professionals first and foremost need to know the market, and in order to do that they need access to inventory. Our platform has an unprecedented amount of accuracy and transparency. Continuously verified data and published asking prices save new professionals a tremendous amount of time learning the market. They don't have to spend precious time going out and getting this information themselves, this allows them to focus on generating leads and closing deals. Q: How does Agorafy facilitate relationships between property owners and brokers? How do property owners unlock the value of Agorafy? A: From the beginning our mindset has been to track every property in N.Y. Each asset is a focal point of professional interaction and potential transactions. Just as professionals need an on-line presence so does every asset, each building needs exposure and we have built our platform so property owners can manage the profile of their building. We want property owners to take control and submit interior and exterior pictures, floor plans, and direct contact information for themselves, managing agents, and even on-site management. This creates an environment where property owners can be contacted directly by brokers and potential tenants to view available space and greases the wheels of the deal making process; this is the strength of transparency. Q: What makes Agorafy so unique? A: We are the first real estate technology platform that accommodates both commercial and residential markets. We track every property; each building becomes its own website with increased exposure. We believe that transparency above all creates value for brokers and property owners. So much opportunity is out there waiting to be discovered, we want to bring it out in the open. Professionals want to fish in an ocean, not a pond. Q: With established competitors like CoStar, Zillow, and PropertyShark, as well as new competitors like 42Floors, Retail MLS and Urban Compass, why do professionals choose Agorafy? What sets Agorafy apart? A: We believe the more competitors, the better. If nobody is competing in your space, there is a very good chance the market you're going into is very small. We know this is not the case, the market is huge, it also proves the real estate market needs a unique approach to solve the intricate problem of data. Agorafy is not just a listing service technology; we are here to elevate brokers by providing them with accurate and verified information at their fingertips. Our platform gives them one location to get maximum exposure, research the market and individual properties as well as build relationships. The approach is all encompassing, quite frankly no one has tried to capture the entire real estate industry ecosystem on one platform. We are the first. Richard Du is the founder and CEO of Agorafy, New York, N.Y.