A New York-based home-finding business from former tech developers at Waze, Via and Taboola has launched in Chicago as it aims to help locals find homes to rent and buy.
Called Localize, the online platform allows users to find homes based on very specific criteria. Users can browse home listings by school proximity, nearby dog parks and other detailed preferences.
Once users begin searching for homes on Localize, the platform uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to tailor recommendations to users. The upside of more tailored home recommendations means real estate agents are able to close deals more quickly, the company said.
“In the same way technology has changed how people find and consume media and goods, Localize is changing how people find homes,” said Asaf Rubin, co-founder and CEO of Localize, in a statement.
Rubin, the former head of algorithm developments at Taboola, founded Localize in 2017 aside Amir Winstok, who previously worked at Waze. Additionally, Localize's Chief Operating Officer Omer Granot was previously the vice president of growth at ride-sharing company Via.
The startup said in a statement that it employs a team of 140 data scientists, engineers, urban planners, GIS experts and cartographers, and has raised more than $30 million from investors.
Chicago is Localize’s second market behind New York. Localize lists homes on its platform in nearly every Chicago neighborhood, from Rogers Park to Humboldt Park to Pullman.
“Chicago is an incredible city, it contains multitudes in ways that few other cities in the world compare, and that’s exactly why we’re betting on Chicago with this launch,” Granot said in a statement. “Given the current state of the market, and complexities in simply visiting your future home, Localize helps home hunters remove the doubt out of what is typically one’s largest financial decision.”
