Plunk in the news
Want a faster renovation? Artificial intelligence can speed up the design process and save you money
Even simple renovations in New York City can take an extravagant amount of time, effort, and money to pull off. For more complicated makeovers that involve opening up kitchens, adding a bathroom, or gutting the entire space, the design process alone can take several months and requires countless decisions.
Enter innovative companies like... Plunk... that use artificial intelligence to take off much (or all!) of that upfront load. Indeed, using AI can help owners speed up the planning stages of a renovation.... This means owners can more quickly grasp the potential in, for example, a dated apartment or brownstone—and land on the best update for a specific space and budget.
Taking a page from challenger banks’ playbook, traditional banks and credit unions are focusing on niches to stand out in a mass of competitors.
Portage Bank, a $40.6 million-asset institution headquartered in Ceylon, Minnesota, underwrote home renovation loans in partnership with the app Plunk as part of a test that ended in September 2021. Plunk helps homeowners figure out the valuation of their home in real time, discern which remodeling projects will deliver the greatest returns and connect with local contractors. In July 2021, it announced its home renovation loan, which lets homeowners borrow up to 75% of their home’s future remodeled value in an all-digital environment. Portage funded the loans while Plunk walked users through remodeling.
Plunk, the first real-time analytics platform for residential real estate, today announced key appointments to its Advisory Board: Rich Hughes, Head of Data Science at RealPage; Justin Lajoie, former Vice President of Product and Engineering at Zillow; Chris Heiden, former Head of Customer Science at Wells Fargo and senior director at Zillow Group; and Neal Oman, Senior Technical Advisor for Data Science and Analytics at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories.
Plunk was recently featured on “Industry Relations with Rob Hahn and Greg Robertson.” Through the podcast, Rob and Greg discuss “organized real estate in a disorganized manner” with industry leaders and visionaries. In this episode, the hosts explore how Plunk is building the “Bloomberg of Real Estate” with David Bluhm, the Co-founder and President of Plunk. This lively discussion breaks down the current state of the industry as it relates to the topics of home valuation; how Plunk is bringing next-generation, real-time analytics to residential real estate; and what Plunk’s technology enables for the entire ecosystem.
Plunk comes across as a much more mature app than its tenure in the App Store may suggest. It’s polished, engaging and is able to distill vast amounts of property intelligence to help its users arrive as close as possible to what a home may go for on the open market.
Plunk is somewhat different from a home inventory management app, as its intent is to help homeowners and agents analyze costs and ROI on renovations and upgrades. Along the way though, you’ll plug in materials, finishes and home data to power the analysis.
It has also partnered with Restb.ai, an image metadata tool that can automatically recognize and categorize items within pictures. The companies will work in unison on Plunk’s new Dynamic Valuation Model™, developed to eventually analyze and value-track nearly every home in America.
The pandemic may have ushered in technology overload as more aspects of a real estate transaction became remote. Keeping up with the growing choices in proptech has become a pain point for real estate firms. Forty-one percent of more than 6,000 executives and senior management at real estate firms recently surveyed say one of their biggest challenges over the next two years is keeping up with technology, according to the 2021 Real Estate in a Digital Age report produced by the National Association of REALTORS®.
AI has gained some attention recently for its potential to leverage image metadata for more detailed property searches. The home renovation analytics app Plunk, which uses real estate market data to help homeowners and real estate agents decide the value of various home renovation projects, recently partnered with the image data company Restb.ai.
The pandemic may have ushered in technology overload as more aspects of a real estate transaction became remote. Keeping up with the growing choices in proptech has become a pain point for real estate firms. Forty-one percent of more than 6,000 executives and senior management at real estate firms recently surveyed say one of their biggest challenges over the next two years is keeping up with technology, according to the 2021 Real Estate in a Digital Age report produced by the National Association of REALTORS®.
AI has gained some attention recently for its potential to leverage image metadata for more detailed property searches. The home renovation analytics app Plunk, which uses real estate market data to help homeowners and real estate agents decide the value of various home renovation projects, recently partnered with the image data company Restb.ai.
Two proptech apps, Plunk and Restb.ai, partner to better leverage how homesellers and agents analyze value in home renovations
They will work in unison on Plunk’s new Dynamic Valuation Model, developed to eventually analyze and value-track nearly every home in America.
Plunk, the company bringing advanced analytics to residential real estate, today announced a partnership with Restb.ai, one of the industry leaders in advanced image analysis. Restb.ai will analyze, score, and tag over 400 million images from over 53 million homes in the US and will be used by Plunk’s new AI-driven Dynamic Valuation Model™.
BELLEVUE, Wash.--Plunk, the company bringing advanced analytics to residential real estate, today released its inaugural Plunkonomics Report at the National Association of REALTORS® annual iOi Summit in Dallas. A first of its kind, the report reveals opportunities to increase a home’s value through renovation and introduces a new metric, Plunk Value™, which is the forecasted value of a home if it were fully renovated. The analysis was performed on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis across 1.1 million homes in the greater Seattle area.
Remodeling one’s home is no easy feat—especially if the ultimate goal is to list the home for sale. Sure, there are tools to help give a rough assessment on what the home is currently worth, but there aren’t any that can answer questions about whether the kitchen counters need updating, whether solid wood is superior to engineered wood floors, or whether converting a spare bedroom into a home theater is worth it.
Plunk, a Bellevue-based real estate startup, allows homeowners to ask these “what-if” questions and figure out what projects could affect the home’s value. Through artificial intelligence (AI), image analysis, and computer vision, Plunk’s app is able to assess the home’s current value in real-time and recommend specified remodel projects that can equal a higher listing price.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make your home value reach its highest potential, you’re in luck! Plunk—the first-ever home renovation app relying on artificial intelligence, is there to help you figure out the steps to this goal.
This app can simultaneously process home value forecasts and remodeling projects, and all this in real-time. Although the pandemic-induced home improvement craze seems over, apps like Plunk can help us keep up with the real estate market by making profitable decisions.
Indeed, unlike other home maintenance trackers, this AI-backed app has a better aptitude for analyzing the live-market database. In other words, it can be a perfect tool for both homeowners and real estate agents. Given that over 62% of most US homeowners’ net worth lies in their home value, Plunk can help one reach better informed financial decisions.
Kitchens are a big factor when it comes to a home’s resale value, and a well-designed kitchen can help your home stand out to prospective buyers when it comes time to sell. In particular, a minor kitchen remodel—which includes repainting your walls, trims, and ceiling—tends to translate into better return on investment compared to a major, more costly kitchen remodel, according to Remodeling’s annual Cost vs. Value Report.
David Bluhm is the Co-founder and President of Plunk, an app that aims to help homeowners grow their home equity, as well an alum of Realtor.com. When it comes to any aspect of painting your kitchen, Bluhm recommends sticking with colors that will resonate with a wide array of buyers.
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"Everyone's ideas of what they want and like—in colors, moods, and energy—are very different," explains David Bluhm, co-founder of Plunk, an app that helps homeowners increase their home equity through improvements. "So the more bold color choices you make, the more you invite risk that you'll only appeal to a smaller audience of potential buyers," says Bluhm.
A new app called Plunk, with a reputable pedigree of industry knowledge behind it, has launched to help homeowners better evaluate the return on home improvement
Plunk is an iOS (iPhone) mobile app that allows homeowners and real estate agents better assign value to home renovation projects and updates. It uses live market data to analyze how homes with similar finishes and amenities are selling. Agents at any level who work with investors or have a client wanting to update a home before listing would have a reason to download Plunk.
“The market is just crazy right now, it’s very competitive and there are a number of new products out there helping improve the process, create transparency and support the American dream of homeownership.”
Weisman also explains that NAR has its own accelerator and venture firm working on similar start-ups. NAR’s REACH scale-up program—run by NAR’s wholly-owned subsidiary/venture arm Second Century Ventures—has backed such companies as Knock, which is similar to Reali, Updater, which helps people streamline the moving process, and Plunk, a site that helps grow home equity.
Plunk announces breakthrough lending program designed specifically for home improvement
An industry first, Plunk's Home Renovation Loan lets homeowners borrow up to 75% of their home's future remodeled value
BELLEVUE, Wash.-Funding home improvement just got easier and a lot more cost effective. Plunk, the first mobile app using AI and machine learning to help homeowners make smarter decisions about their largest and most important investment, today announced its new home renovation loan, designed specifically for financing major home improvements.
New funding: Seattle real estate startup Plunk has closed a $6.5 million seed round led by Unlock Ventures.
The tech: Plunk helps homeowners play “what if” scenarios to figure out what might drive the value of their home up or down. The app uses image processing, AI, and machine learning to assess the condition of a home and recommend specific remodeling projects that can increase its value—also known as the “Plunk Value.”
In some ways, Plunk is similar to home valuation tools such as Zillow’s Zestimate, but goes a step further with tailored recommendations fueled by various data sources. It’s less focused on buying or selling transactions, and more on the entire homeowner journey.
On Tuesday, Bellevue-based property tech startup Plunk announced that it raised $6.5 million in its seed funding round. Unlock Ventures led the round with participation from Plug and Play Ventures, the Sony Innovation Fund, Second Century Ventures, among others. This seed funding includes the $2 million that Built In previously reported on.
For many people, their home is the most valuable asset that they own. That’s why Plunk believes the home should be treated like any other investment in order to maximize its value.
Plunk, a Bellevue, Wash.-based mobile app helping homeowners make decisions to increase their home’s value, raised $6.5 million in seed funding. Unlock Ventures led the round and was joined by investors including Sony Innovation Fund, Plug and Play Ventures, Vectr Fintech Partners, and Second Century Ventures.
Brian Lent, CEO and Co-Founder of Plunk, joins Cheddar to discuss how Plunk’s platform helps homeowners pursue profitable home renovations and build equity in their homes.
Two Amazon Alums have created a new app that quickly appraises a home’s value and pinpoints which renovation projects will bring the highest rate of return. Brian Lent and David Bluhm launched their Bellevue-based startup, Plunk, in March. The app uses artificial intelligence, image analysis, and computer vision to give homeowners accurate, real-time valuations.
“The idea of empowering homeowners to know more about their most valuable asset seemed like an obvious disruptive move and nobody had ever done it,” Bluhm says. “Our recommendations will be very specific.”
Pete Lisoskie chats with Plunk co-founder and president David Bluhm about the revolutionary app helping you maximize your home's equity.
Home Matters is a home improvement and lifestyle show that covers everything having to do with your home: treating your deck, winterizing your home, keeping your electric bill down, and how to pair your food and wine.
A new app gives you the lowdown on resale.
Our homes are our largest and most important financial asset—but do you know what yours is worth? There are hundreds of sites out there that will give you a rough number based on your street address, but none of them take a deeper look inside or, more important, tell you what kinds of updates you need to make to yield the best returns. Now you can get all the answers you require from your phone.
“Using Plunk’s interface, homeowners can find out which reno projects would improve the house’s overall value before getting started. This way you know exactly what projects will deliver the most bang for your buck!”
In the shift to a more technologically minded industry, some professionals might wonder if open houses are still a necessary part of the process, especially with social distancing still in place. "Open houses humanize housing," states Plunk's managing director, Mike Shapiro.
Inman was provided an early look at the Plunk app, which is member of NAR’s Reach Accelerator Class of 2021. The funding will be used to further hone the app’s first national iteration.
Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors®, announced today the selection of eight technology companies for the 2021 REACH scale-up program. SCV, which is the most active global venture fund in real estate technology, operates the award-winning REACH growth program in five major, international markets. The 2021 REACH cohort will focus on scaling high-growth potential technology companies in and beyond the residential real estate sector.
If you want to increase the value of your home, remodeling is usually a good way to do it. But without doing the research, it's hard to know exactly what to remodel and how much money to put into it.
Plunk is a new app that helps homeowners figure out which home renovation projects will yield the best returns.
“Once you sign up, you'll be asked to enter your address. From there, you can add details about your home, as well as photos, to get the most accurate home value and Plunk value. The app will walk you through exactly what you need to do, making the steps as easy and straight-forward as possible.”
– Jill Layton, Techwalla
BELLEVUE, Wash.--Plunk, the first mobile app using AI, machine learning, and computer vision to help homeowners increase their home’s value, announced its launch today. Led by tech, data science, and real estate industry veterans Brian Lent, David Bluhm, and Mike Shapiro, Plunk helps homeowners make smarter financial decisions that grow their home’s value, project by project.
For many homeowners, their net worth is largely tied to their home. And while a home is first and foremost a place to live, it’s also an investment, and therefore should be treated like one. Stealthy Bellevue startup Plunk wants to help homeowners learn more about the value of their home, and point them to the home improvement projects that are worth investing in to drive that value up.
Will that bathroom remodel increase your home’s value by more than $20,000? What about replacing the floors or adding a garage? How about the bad traffic that’s getting worse around your neighborhood?
A stealthy Seattle-area startup wants to help answer these questions and more. Plunk is revealing more details about its app that helps homeowners play “what if” scenarios to figure out what might drive the value of their home up or down. The app uses image processing, AI, and machine learning to assess the condition of a home and recommend specific remodeling projects that can increase its value.
Some people only have one employable skills, but today’s guest has done a lot: Mike Shapiro has been an entrepreneur, investor, corporate coach and author. Mike talks about why he approaches life and work with a commitment to joy: the joy he finds in helping others and the joy they experience when they realize that success is achievable.
About Mike Shapiro:
Mike is an entrepreneur, investor, corporate coach and Forbes book author whose risk-inclined and results-oriented methods help individuals and organizations leverage insights for stellar results, including building his multi-billion-dollar business. He is also a co-founder, and managing director with plunkTM, a Seattle-based real estate, financial services technology startup.
Brian Lent and David Bluhm are teaming up again on another startup.
The veteran Seattle entrepreneurs who previously sold Medio Systems to Nokia in 2014 are back it again with a stealthy advanced analytics startup called Lamda.
Lent and Bluhm, who have two other unnamed co-founders, have raised $1 million as part of a larger seed round from investors including Unlock Venture Partners, a new early-stage firm in Seattle co-led by Andy Liu, and have assembled a team of eight employees.
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Plunk, Inc.
1100 Bellevue Way NE
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T: 425.620.3998