Tech Bytes: A new look (and board) for Lone Wolf; KW sues Inside RE 

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. 

Lone Wolf gets a facelift — and an advisory board

Lone Wolf Technologies unveiled a new brand logo and color scheme this week. The motivation behind the change, the company said in a blog post, was to underscore the company's longstanding commitment to innovation while evoking a sense of both "stability and progress."

"This transformation goes beyond aesthetics. It represents our renewed focus on creating technology that enhances rather than complicates the real estate journey," Lone Wolf said.

The 35-year-old residential software company also announced it has formed a 28-member Proptech Advisory Board to help guide innovations. The board brings together a geographically diverse group of real estate leaders from across the industry. 

Among the brokerage leaders named to the board are Vanessa Bergmark, CEO of Red Oak Realty, an independent firm; Kendall Bonner, an eXp team leader and VP of industry relations; and Nikki Beauchamp, a real estate influencer and associate broker at Sotheby's International Real Estate.

MLSs and associations are also represented on the board by members Mike Barnett, VP and COO of Texas Realtors; Joe Rogers, CEO of MLS United in Mississippi; and Erika Almstead, SVP of MLS operations and outreach at Central Virginia MLS. 

"Real innovation comes from understanding real challenges," Jimmy Kelly, Lone Wolf CEO, said in the announcement. "By bringing together this extraordinary group of industry leaders, we're making active listening a cornerstone of our strategy," Kelly added, noting that the board will help Lone Wolf "identify genuine market gaps and develop solutions that streamline the business of real estate."

KW sues Inside Real Estate over BoldTrail brand

Keller Williams has sued Inside Real Estate, a major player in the real estate technology space, over its use of the BoldTrail name for its portfolio of products and unified platform pulling together kvCORE, BoomTown, Brokermint, AmpStats and more.

"Since 2009, KWRI's BOLD and BOLD LEADERSHIP offerings have been distinctive and well-known and connected to industry leading services in real estate consulting and real estate professional education," a Keller Williams rep said. "Inside Real Estate has since copied our industry-leading offerings with the rebranding of similar offerings."

Inside RE's use of BoldTrail began last summer when the company announced a rebrand and enhanced experience for its products, which have more than half a million users, the company said.

RealReports introduces AI inspection tool

A pair of proptech companies have partnered to launch a home inspection tool that gives agents and homebuyers an instant look at a property's repair costs.

RealReports, an AI-powered property advisory company, developed the tool with Clear Estimates, a residential construction software firm. It integrates Clear Estimate's "Pricing Intelligence API" database of repair costs with RealReport's comprehensive local property data to offer agents an "instant project list," including cost estimates, based on an inspection report.

With that data in hand, buyer agents can better assist their clients in budgeting for costs beyond the home price, and they can also bring the information to the listing agent during negotiations. 

"Speed and accuracy are requisite to success in real estate, and the traditional process of gathering estimates lacks in both categories," RealReports CEO James Rogers said in a news release.  

"After an inspection, agents have to vet the report, categorize the projects, and schedule multiple service providers to review and quote each. With RealReports, all an agent has to do is upload an inspection report. From there, our AI parses out each project from the document, automatically categorizes them by necessity, and delivers contractor-level estimates for each broken down by materials, parts, and labor costs sourced from your local area — all in a few seconds."

The company says the reports are "1/10th the average cost" of other estimates.

Block Renovation appoints new CEO 

AI-powered home renovation platform Block Renovation has promoted former COO Julie Kheyfets to the company's top leadership position. 

Kheyfets steps into the CEO role as Koda Wang, who previously led Block for seven years as CEO and co-founder, moves to the board of directors where he will serve as executive chair.

During her two years as COO, Kheyfets oversaw operations as Block "evolved our offering from a one-stop shop for renovations to an AI-first marketplace platform," the company said in a LinkedIn post announcing the transition. She is now taking the helm as Blocks prepares for its next chapter of growth.

The company connects homeowners with contractors, offering AI-enabled "personalized guidance" and a platform where owners can view and compare proposals, according to the company. The technology helps "democratize access to professional renovation support — to put an AI architect in every homeowner's pocket, empowering them to make the right choices for their home and to easily hire the right contractors," Kheyfets said.