RealSure — the iBuyer joint venture formed by Realogy Holdings Corp. and Home Partners of America — has named entrepreneur Katie Finnegan as the company’s first chief executive officer.
Already live in 24 major U.S. cities in 11 states, RealSure lets homeowners apply for a cash offer, and work with a local, Realogy-affiliated real estate agent to list their home and see if they can get a better offer. If they don’t get a better offer, and still want to sell to RealSure, the company lets them stay for 30 days after closing. RealSure charges a minimum service fee of 2.5 percent to help cover the cost of buying, holding, and re-selling homes.
Katie Finnegan
Finnegan, who has co-founded and launched six startups, will be responsible for developing and marketing RealSure’s transaction solutions, with a stated goal of “simplifying the consumer experience without removing the personal relationship with an agent,” the company said.
Launched in 2019 and briefly paused during the pandemic, RealSure is back in growth mode. The company currently lists 25 job openings, and is available through more than 30,000 real estate agents affiliated with Realogy brands Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran, ERA and Sotheby’s International Realty.
Ryan Schneider
“Realogy continues to invest in RealSure as a strategic growth priority and competitive advantage, helping us win more listings and drive incremental business for affiliated agents and franchise owners,” said Realogy CEO Ryan Schneider, in a statement.
“We believe Katie’s dynamic leadership, deep understanding of today’s consumer, and impressive track record of developing and scaling transformative businesses will help accelerate growth for RealSure as we work together with expert agents to bring a differentiated home selling and buying experience to more consumers.”
Finnegan was the founder of Store No. 8, Walmart’s business incubation arm, having joined Walmart as a “key employee” in the company’s $3.3 billion acquisition of Jet.com, where she headed up corporate development, strategy and investor relations. Finnegan joined Jet in 2014 when the company acquired the retail tech start-up she cofounded, Hukkster.
Bill Young
“Home Partners of America’s fundamental mission is to make home ownership accessible for more people,” said Home Partners of America CEO Bill Young, in a statement. “The consumer solutions that RealSure provides are an excellent way to build on that goal.”
Launched in 2012, Chicago-based Home Partners of America purchases single-family homes and rents them out. It offers a Lease Purchase Program that it touts as “a new path to homeownership.”