Desjardins combines DuProprio, real estate agents on same platform
Posted September 12, 2023 11:18 am.
In the works since the acquisition of DuProprio and RénoAssistance in 2020, the Desjardins Movement officially launched Tuesday a digital “ecosystem,” the EspaceProprio platform, which aims to be a reference point for everything related to real estate.
“It was very clear to us that ultimately, we wanted to create an ecosystem,” said president and CEO of Desjardins, Guy Cormier. “The primary need expressed by our members and clients is: ‘Can will you help me in the management of my property? Can you help me with the purchase of my property?’”
In addition to DuProprio and RénoAssistance, EspaceProprio includes the new Confia service, which provides a list of recommended real estate agents. The idea was for EspaceProprio to offer a neutral space in relation to the decision of whether or not to go through a real estate broker, explained Cormier.
If DuProprio (home sales without an agent) and RénoAssistance (search for a construction contractor) have differentiated services, the question remains whether Confia can stand out compared to large brands like RE/MAX or ViaCapital.
Confia is still little known, but its grouping with EspaceProprio could increase its popularity as owners visit the platform for different reasons.
“At a given moment the reflex will be as soon as I think about my property, I go to EspaceProprio,” estimated Cormier.
The idea is not to compete with RE/MAX or ViaCapital, which display their signs in the residential streets of Quebec, because the platform already recommends agents belonging to the main brands.
The general director of EspaceProprio, Sylvain Trottier, is satisfied with the progress of Confia, launched in pre-deployment in May in Estrie and which is now extending to several sectors of Quebec.
“We currently have 250 agents integrated into the platform,” he said.
The site also includes informative content, such as articles or podcasts.
Other services could potentially be offered on the platform.
—This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
