Homie Announces $4.5M Seed Round

The market is ready for a massive change in the way homes are bought and sold and we’re building the platform to enable that change.

In November 2015, Homie was just unfurling their banners when I sat down with co-founders Johnny Hanna and Matt Thorne to discuss their beginning and how excited they were to take on the real estate industry. We talked about many things, but a main talking point was pounded home again and again — for Homie, opportunity is virtually endless.

Part of that opportunity comes in the form of today’s announcement, the closing of a $4.5 million seed round led by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures with participation from Peak Ventures, Epic Ventures, and KPCBedge. If opportunity costs, $4.5 million should serve quite nicely as a buyer’s entry.

“We’re excited to be backed by great investors who believe in what we are creating,” said Hanna. “The reception from consumers has been amazing. Everyone we talk to gets it and asks where we were three months ago when they bought a home. No one wants to pay huge commissions. The market is ready for a massive change in the way homes are bought and sold and we’re building the platform to enable that change.”

As you know, funding poetry has recently become a thing at Beehive Startups (and presumably everywhere). I mean, I could write multiple paragraphs about how Homie is looking to completely transform the real estate industry, putting tools in the hands of people that allow them to bypass real estate agents, in turn saving those lucky souls large amounts of money on the process of buying and selling a house. I could write about how, using simple math as an ally, we can reasonably determine that eliminating a 6% real estate agent fee from the equation is going to save someone a decent chunk of change.

But why would I when I could just write a poem?

There Are Two Ways To Find A Homie

There are two ways to find a homie 
and both I know.

Down one road, a journey with a friend, a homie 
that backs through thick and thin 
a homie that places loyalty above all else.

Down another road, a voyage towards owning a home 
guided by Homie that places commissions and fees 
six feet beneath the unforgiving ground.

Trusting a homie means believing in someone 
who gives to those closest
 trusting Homie means believing that things 
don’t always have to stay the same.

As life closes in and 
the middleman tries to take everything you ever owned 
a homie, Homie, will be waiting 
a homie, Homie, will guide you home.

Published 6/3/2016