Tech Bytes: MetroList adds voice-powered listing management + more news 

Editor's note: Technology is a driving force in real estate. From startups to established players, tech companies are constantly innovating, growing and forging partnerships. Here we highlight some of the latest news about the companies that help power the industry. 

Voice-powered listing management comes to MetroList

MetroList, Northern California's largest MLS, this week unveiled its voice-activated property add/edit feature, which allows agents to speak listings into existence.

"This new Add-Edit feature is important for the industry to radically modernize the day-to-day business of real estate professionals," said MetroList President and CEO Dave Howe. "We are thrilled to continue partnering with Lundy and Rapattoni to set new real estate standards."

MetroList is the first MLS in the country to offer this capability, the MLS said in a statement. It will allow agents to add new listings and edit property deals by speaking the information. And they can do it on the go, even describing a home as they walk through it.

RateMyAgent seals the deal with Curated Social

RateMyAgent has reached an agreement to purchase Curated Social — a social media marketing platform for real estate professionals — as it looks to expand beyond reviews and into a broader marketing arena. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

"By combining RateMyAgent's robust reputation management capabilities with Curated Social's extensive real estate content library, we are poised to offer an industry-leading solution that keeps agents top of mind and significantly boosts their ability to win listings," says Jim Crisera, CEO of RateMyAgent.

The move comes just six months after Crisera moved into the CEO role at the company, which operates in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Final Offer expands to Sotheby's International Realty affiliate

William Pitt - Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty has equipped its agents in Connecticut, New York and Berkshire County, Mass., with the Final Offer platform, which is designed to add transparency — and urgency — to the homebuying and selling process.

Final Offer allows sellers to set their terms and agents to handle negotiations via a platform that can provide real-time alerts to agents and their clients. And agents with the William Pitt - Julia B. Fee Sotheby's affiliate have already started using it to manage bidding wars and to lock down deals, Final Offer noted in a news release, highlighting recent successes.

"Once buyers could see that we had an offer submitted, it started their internal clocks. They could see there was real competition and didn't have to guess," said Jared Kuehner, an agent based in New Canaan, Conn. "This platform provides a much more transparent way for buyers and sellers to agree on the value of real estate."

Relevate inks partnerships for upcoming product launch

Relevate, a provider of real estate management software, has secured multiple reservation agreements for its newest product, the company recently announced.

Relevate One combines an association management system with a single sign-on dashboard; the multi-function platform is designed to provide a more streamlined user experience and reduce time spent on routine tasks.

CEO Mark Richburg said the positive market response to the new product "affirms our commitment to exceeding the needs of REALTOR associations and MLSs. Relevate One is more than software; it's an all-in-one solution that will drive efficiency and grow member engagement and loyalty."

The company expects to launch beta versions of the platform early next year.