SA prop-tech startup Flow is expanding into Australia

Flow, a South African prop-tech startup that allows real estate agents and developers to seamlessly advertise properties on social media, has announced its expansion into Australia, following strong growth in its home market.

Flow, founded in 2019 by Daniel Levy and Gil Sperling, goes directly to the source of the world’s largest social platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn – to match people with property. Its API platform connects social media users with property by automating rental and seller listings and directing pre-qualified leads to estate agents and landlords.

In August, Disrupt Africa reported that the startup was reporting impressive growth figures as it prepared to take on additional investment to accelerate its development. International expansion is one of its ambitious plans for the future, which has now begun with its Australian launch.

Australia, with 90,000 agents and a housing market worth US$9 trillion, Flow believes, offers a latent opportunity. Flow has achieved consistent 30 percent MoM growth since launch and received US$2.4 million in funding from CRE Venture Capital, Kalon Venture Partners, and Vunani Capital in 2018 and 2019. It is currently used by 4,500 South African estate agents, accounting for 10% of the country’s agents.

In the last year, Flow reached out to nine million South African buyers and tenants about agency brands and property listings, accounting for 40% of all Facebook and Instagram users in the country. Flow’s proprietary data shows a 10x increase in the use of social media to sell property over the last 12 months, and the company is aiming to capitalize on this trend while developing a global solution for a global opportunity within a relatively unscathed property industry.

“Surprisingly for such a progressive economy, Australia’s real estate industry suffers from the same dynamics and transformations that are occurring in real estate markets such as South Africa,” Sperling said.

“By introducing Flow in Australia, we are grabbing the collar of an industry that is dragging its heels in order to propel it into the twenty-first century.” Because so many people use social media in some form or another, real estate agents and property developers can’t afford to miss out on reaching that audience directly and efficiently.”

Before committing to the expansion, Flow conducted “huge amounts” of research, according to Levy, and saw positive results during a testing period.

“Our technology has always been designed for savvy agents and developers who are experts in their respective fields, whether in Africa or elsewhere around the world.” “We’re launching in Australia with a distribution partner and are actively looking at other markets where we can take a similar approach,” he explained.

Integrations with Australian real estate CRMs AgentBox and Box+Dice, as well as a partnership with real estate management prop-tech MRI Software, will provide Flow access to 6,300 Australian estate agent offices as the company expands its global footprint.