For the first time ever, REALTOR.ca is opening up its data sets for a non-stop, 48-hour hackathon in Ottawa, Ontario. Developers, UX designers, entrepreneurs, start-ups and tech companies will be challenged to design a real-world solution that provides simpler, smarter and faster ways for buyers to find the right home, all while fostering more meaningful connections between REALTORS® and consumers.
“As Canada’s No. 1 real estate website, we are committed to pushing the envelope of innovation. We can’t wait to see what the community creates, as well as continue fostering our growing ecosystem of partners surrounding REALTOR.ca,” said Patrick Pichette, our Vice-President of REALTOR.ca.
Hackathons have helped boost the productivity and success of countless start-ups and established businesses. Take Local Logic™, for example. If it wasn’t for a hackathon, the thriving, Montreal-based technology start-up might not be where it is today.
In 2016, Montreal hosted Défi Vélo Montréal in hopes of solving the city’s issues around urban biking. One of the teams participating—made up of three urban planning graduates from McGill University—had developed a product, Local Logic™, but wanted to see if it could become a legitimate business.
“What we built during that weekend was a measure of how easy it is to get around using a bike at different points of the city,” said Vincent-Charles Hodder, the company’s co-founder and CEO.
Local Logic™ would go on to win the hackathon and earned a chance to build a partnership with bike-sharing company BIXI Montreal.
“We were applying urban planning theory and urban planning skillsets to the real estate industry using a totally different perspective,” Hodder said. “Hackathons are so important because they’re essentially a way for people like us to get access to information about problems that need to be solved.”
Fast forward to 2018, Local Logic™ continues to expand and recently partnered with REALTOR.ca to offer property-specific neighbourhood data.
“Real estate is facing a difficult challenge where there’s so many things going on. I think technology has the potential to have a great impact on the industry,” Hodder said, adding REALTORS® should be excited because REALTOR.ca, a leading brand and website in Canada, is advocating for their best interests and looking for solutions to day-to-day problems faced by their clients.
“The REALTOR.ca Hackathon is a great way to drive innovation, to be a thought-leader and not be reactive to technology that already exists or will come in,” he said. “Hopefully a lot of innovation comes out of this or it will be the starting point for a lot of innovation.”
If you or someone you know is interested in taking part in the REALTOR.ca Hackathon, the deadline to register is Friday, September 28 at 5 p.m. If you have any further questions, please contact marketing@crea.ca.
