How is Curbio Different than Other Concierge Solutions?

With the complexities of real estate, a helping hand is often welcome for real estate agents and brokers alike. Real estate concierge services connect agents with service providers to ease the processes surrounding real estate transactions, house moves, and home improvement.  

In the last few years, there has been a growing number of companies making waves in the pre-listing update space. Because making home updates before selling can be such a headache, these solutions strive to alleviate this pain and make the process easier.

But with so many options, how do you know which company to choose? 

At Curbio, we take the hassle out of pre-listing updates as your go-to contractor for projects big and small, while deferring 100% of project costs until closing for sellers. Here’s how Curbio stacks up against the competition:

Differentiator #1: General Contractor Relationship

One stark difference between Curbio and other real estate concierge services is our relationship with general contractors.

Most Concierge Companies: Most concierge companies utilize contracted workers instead of employing a licensed general contractor themselves. Many will also use home improvement networks to find these general contractors for their projects. This approach often leaves the hassle of vetting the contractors on the agents and their clients. If multiple contractors are hired, agents can find themselves wasting time and energy managing schedules and communicating with sellers about what updates contractors are completing.

Curbio: At Curbio, we are the licensed and insured general contractor on every one of our projects. Our team of dedicated Project Managers oversees every project, saving agents time and hassle. Our Project Managers’ existing relationships with contractors and our 5-star vendor vetting process ensures we have reliable tradespeople working on all of our projects.

Differentiator #2: White-Labeled Brokerage Services

Often, large brokerages offer concierge services to meet the needs of their clients and mitigate the stress of home improvement projects. This service can be in-house, but many brokerages white label services (i.e., stand up an already existing vendor of these services under their own brand name) to save on time, expenses, and other resources. 

Most Concierge Companies: Agents who use a brokerage concierge service (whether white-labeled or truly in-house) may take on additional responsibilities and sacrifice hours managing projects. Furthermore, each concierge has its own set of limitations and inefficiencies. These pervasive challenges hinder the success and bandwidth of both brokerages and agents. 
Curbio: We customize white-labeled services to meet the needs of large brokerages. This approach enables brokerages to offer authentic, branded concierge services without all of the added responsibilities.

Differentiator #4: Payment

When comparing Curbio versus other real estate concierge services, it is important to consider payment. While making updates before putting a home on the market can be a good strategy to boost return on investment, many homeowners do not have the cash to spend on these projects up front. Because financing can be a big barrier, many homeowners will opt to sell as-is or will skip big pre-listing update projects altogether.

Most Concierge Companies: While deferred payment options are common with concierge programs, there are often catches. Some concierge companies charge an additional fee or will add interest. Other companies may require a credit check before taking on a new client. These practices can limit who can afford their services.  

Curbio: To make our services as accessible to sellers as possible, we do not require seller credit checks, and we offer 100% deferred payment for every project. Sellers simply pay Curbio at the closing table for the work completed. The total available project budget is determined based on the available equity in the home (80% of the After Renovation Value minus any liens or mortgages on the property). This means sellers never need to go out of pocket to update their homes, making pre-listing updates an option for any seller, so long as the equity calculation shows that the home qualifies.

Differentiator #5: Efficiency

Time is money. To keep business moving and to meet homeowners’ timeline goals, timeliness and efficiency are critical. 

Most Concierge Companies: Because other concierge companies use unvetted, contracted workers, there is often no main point of contact. Instead, real estate agents may find themselves acting as project managers and wasting time trying to keep projects on track.  

Curbio: Reliability, efficiency, and transparency are at the core of every Curbio project. Our Project Managers keep each project running smoothly, with the goal of delivering an on-time move-in-ready listing every time. Curbio Project Managers communicate real-time updates to agents and sellers through the Curbio Project Dashboard, allowing all parties to stay up-to-date on progress and to check in on the project without being on-site.   

Sources:  

 1. Forbes (2019). 3 Reasons Home Improvement Is The Fastest-Growing Retail Category, And What To Watch For 

2.  Curbio (2022). Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report