On the Move: inHere Brings Real Estate Process to the Digital World

2 months ago
On the Move: inHere Brings Real Estate Process to the Digital World Image

Real estate transactions are akin to a game of Jenga but with high stakes and life-changing decisions. Multiple agents, buyers and sellers, lawyers, financial professionals, and inspectors, each with specific needs and responsibilities, work together simultaneously—and on a relatively short timeline. One missed email or delayed report can send the transaction tumbling.

Fidelity National Financial (FNF) is a monolith in real estate finance, with a decades-long history of serving home buyers and sellers through 52 disparate brands. FNF leadership understood the inherent chaos of the real estate transaction process and knew there was a better way—one that simplified the process for buyers, sellers, and professionals.

With the expert support of InspiringApps—a renowned app development company celebrated for crafting stunning and functional digital experiences—the inHere platform is redefining transparency, user-friendliness, and security standards.

Digital Solutions With a Personal Touch

Residential real estate is a personal transaction in a relatively small circle. Real estate agents find clients through word of mouth, referring other parties to professionals in their circle. An escrow agent may work closely with a specific title person who knows a lender who works with the same lawyer during each transaction. The process is local, personal, and intimate, which can be challenging to duplicate in the digital space.

“What’s unique about the real estate industry and what’s unique about inHere is it’s not a simple two-party transaction. It’s not, “I order something online on Amazon, and I get it.” It’s not, “I order my pizza, and I track it, and I get it,” Jason Nadeau, Chief Digital Officer and Chief AI Officer at FNF, explains.

The FNF and InspiringApps teams approached the project by answering this question: “How do we build more transparency and mitigate risk while maintaining a personal touch?” 

Building software at scale for all these transactions, and software that can help facilitate these transactions more transparently, has to capture that friendly or familiar relationship you’re used to. That person-to-person relationship has to carry over to the technology. At the same time, technology must simplify complex processes and catch fraud, an increasingly common problem in real estate transactions.



Building the Future of Real Estate

Despite their drive to innovate, FNF is still, at the core, a real estate company. 

“In [searching for a partner for the inHere experience platform], we sought somebody with extensive experience outside the real estate industry. Someone who could bring us ideas and innovation from other industries that we may not have considered,” Jason said.

InspiringApps was crucial in developing the inHere platform, bringing fresh perspectives and asking critical questions that enhanced the user experience. InspiringApps developers and designers are known for their up-to-date knowledge of UI and UX best practices. This expertise was instrumental in creating a platform that meets and exceeds FNF’s and its users’ high standards.

A collaborative development process marked the partnership between Fidelity and InspiringApps. This synergy ensured that the platform was built to meet the exacting standards of both companies and the needs of real estate transaction stakeholders, from “Your offer has been submitted” to “Congrats—here are the keys to your new home!” The result is a robust, user-friendly platform that addresses the unique challenges of real estate transactions while providing a seamless digital experience.

Fast Company's 2023 Innovation by Design awards honor the inHere app for its outstanding design.

An Award Winning Partnership

The inHere platform was rolled out to title partners within FNF, touching millions of transactions and mitigating early-stage risks. Its successful implementation is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of keeping the project focused on end users. 

The tech industry also took notice.

In August 2023, Fast Company awarded the inHere app an honorable mention in the Security category of their Innovation by Design Awards, one of the most sought-after awards in the design industry. inHere joined an impressive roster of peers—including Adobe, PepsiCo, and Canva—in a celebration of functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, and business influence.  

“If you’d asked me when we started this journey if this software would be award-winning, I would have never believed you. I thought we built great, fit-for-purpose software, but it was not award-winning compared to other cool things. But frankly, I can see why it did,” Jason explains.

Fidelity and InspiringApps continue their commitment to innovation and excellence by continually refining and improving the platform.

Designing Digital Futures

Transforming real estate transactions from a local, personal, in-person process to a seamless digital destination has been both challenging and rewarding. The development of the inHere platform, supported by InspiringApps, showcases how advanced technology can transform complex business processes. By focusing on end users’ needs and leveraging a trusted partner’s expertise, Fidelity has set a new standard for the real estate industry.

As we look to the future, the inHere platform will continue to evolve, driving efficiency, transparency, and security in real estate transactions. This case study is a powerful example of how digital solutions can revolutionize traditional business practices.

Are you ready to join the digital revolution? Partner with InspiringApps to transform your business processes and achieve new heights of efficiency and innovation.

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