Billing itself as the “next generation real estate brokerage,ˮ Redfin has announced the debut of its services in Brooklyn.
The company, which provides web-based real estate database and brokerage services, Redfin already operates in Queens, the Bronx, Westchester, Long Island and New Jersey.
It has hired local agent Jonathan Makolondra to launch and grow the brokerage in Brooklyn.
A Colorado native, Makolondra has been in New York real estate for the past four years, having worked at Tungsten Properties and Rutenberg Realty before joining Redfin. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“We are excited to expand our local footprint into New York’s largest and fastest-growing borough,” said J.D. Pulice, Redfin principal broker in New York.
“As a proud New Yorker and Redfinnian, I’ve already seen how Redfin’s West Coast creativity and technology focus have endeared us to the New York City area real estate community and to people who want an easier way to buy and sell homes in our often complicated market.
“Redfin has been growing rapidly over the past two years and expanding our brokerage in the largest real estate market in the country is a key milestone for us.”
In addition to working with local, Redfin-employed real estate agents, people can search Redfin.com and the Redfin iOS and Android apps for all the agent-listed homes for sale in Brooklyn.
For buyers, Redfin refunds part of the buyer’s agent commission. For example, someone buying a $700,000 home in Brooklyn with a Redfin agent would receive a refund of over $4,000 at closing.
For sellers, Redfin agents charge a 1.5 percent listing fee rather than the typical two to three percent while providing the complete home-selling service, including pricing and staging advice as well as free professional photography and marketing.
Someone selling a $700,000 home with a Redfin agent would save up to $10,500 in fees.
To date, Redfin said it has saved its buying and selling customers more than $200 million in real estate fees.
Redfin began in Seattle in 2006 with the mission to reinvent real estate to benefit consumers.
It has steadily expanded to more than 75 major U.S. cities.
The Redfin model is different from traditional brokerages in how it combines its technology with full-service agents who are paid a salary, receive benefits and earn bonuses based on customer satisfaction.
All reviews for every Redfin agent are published on their online profiles.
