Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the real estate industry has been kept active via the introduction of the new KEEZ real estate platform.

The technology, which was conceptualised over a year ago by Ajani Harris-Williams, chief executive officer (CEO), and Marvin Whitfield, chief technical officer, co-founders of parent company SiFi Studios Jamaica, was developed with the hope of becoming the flagship real estate platform that will reinvent how real estate is done locally.

“Everyone needs shelter, a safe haven, somewhere to call home,” shared Harris- Williams while noting real estate as one of the best investment anyone can make.

Whitfield added that with the current challenges in the industry being tied to the inability of getting things done physically, “prospective buyers through this new app can now easily search, find, discover and compare homes, with a great level of detail.”

Through the KEEZ app or website ( getkeez.com]) potential buyers locally or overseas can become ‘pre-approved’ for a mortgage online from either National Commercial Bank, Victoria Mutual Building Society or Sagicor without having to make in-branch stops after they have identified a property they like on KEEZ.

With the advent of the social distancing protocols brought on by the pandemic, the developers are optimistic that KEEZ will bring about a great shift in convenience for the future, one that will link users to a wide number of reputable brokers across the island. Users will also be able to see the interest rates and offerings from each of the lending institutions.

“We feel fortunate that the service we have created has added value to the nation in a time like this, which is something we didn’t anticipate. KEEZ being vital to the public good was a belief we shared but never saw it as an essential service in a time of crisis and as a tool to help keep a part of the economy open— on full throttle, where other parts of the economy buckled,” Harris- Williams stated.

In outlining the success of the app to date, the CEO said that KEEZ has been delivering value to its partners.

“The volume of users requesting viewings increased three-fold in March and [was maintained for April to May]. Additionally, the number of people accessing the platform, whether via its mobile app or website has leapt from 35,000 in March to 75,000 in May, which the company estimates is as high as 20 per cent of all the traffic looking for real estate in Jamaica,” he said.

The founders, along with the company’s board, are elated with the services provided that have been helping people to secure homeownership in a convenient and efficient way.

“It is [our] hope to further digitise more of the industry to ensure not only are there greater conveniences for the public and benefits for the industry stakeholders, but increased safety, preparedness and resilience to better handle future shocks while simultaneously protecting the livelihood and businesses of [our] partners,” the co-founders said.