TAGUIG-based startup firm ZipMatch.com released a platform known as “Explore” that can be accessed with from their personal computer, laptop or mobile phone.
Chow Paredes, a co-founder of ZipMatch, said the company plans to roll out more platforms for other major cities and municipalities over the coming years after earlier releasing the “Explore Taguig” and “Explore Makati” platforms.
ZipMatch was founded in 2012 by Paredes and John Dang. Paredes, a longtime real estate broker and currently serving as the startup’s Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), believes “the value of ‘Explore’ is having all of the right information people need so they can be confident in buying a home.”
“Finding a home in the Philippines is very challenging. Before, you had to scramble all over the Internet to find out everything that you want to know about a property. And even then, you aren’t sure if the information is reliable,” Paredes said. He added: “’Explore’ is our attempt to address this problem. By collating everything a home buyer would possibly need to know about a property into a single location and vetting its accuracy through our scout team, we are providing the tools Filipinos need to make smart and confident choices.”
The “Explore” platform has several key features that provide home buyers the information they need to know about a particular property.
These include: property overview, reviews, virtual tour, unit listings and location overview and developer profile, among others. Users can read about the property’s key details, such as what amenities it has and what policies the building implements, Paredes explained.
Users can also read reviews written by ZipMatch’s scout team members as well as those left by other reviewers, he added.
“Users can also add their own reviews about the property.”
Paredes said “Explore” also encourages users, especially former tenants or visitors, to provide information that is normally not available on real estate ads or brochures. “We want to begin a conversation. As such, current residents, sales agents, brokers, potential buyers can create the most accurate picture of a property in the form of property reviews.”
The startup, which is backed by investment firms IMJ Fenox, 500Startups, Ideaspace Foundation and Hatchd Digital, is made up of a team of experts in IT and software engineering, sales, and business development, to SEO, 360 photography, and digital content marketing. Paredes said ZipMatch aims introduce convenient steps to home—from scouting, home loan financing to closing—in the Philippines “easier and smarter.”
Rizal Raoul Reyes