Higa

As a homeowner who has been on both sides of buying and selling multiple homes, I knew there had to be a better way. I have experienced both the pain of listing a home, and the ease of an off-market transaction. I wanted to control my home transaction without the stress of listing on the MLS and mandatory 6% in agent commissions. As a buyer, I didn't want to compete in a bidding war thanks to limited listings. I started Higa so everyone could have control of their home transaction. Then, a bombshell dropped in the real estate industry with the recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement, set to reform commission structures. This change will primarily shift the responsibility of covering agent commissions from sellers to buyers. Consequently, more buyers will opt to forgo using an agent, and sellers may negotiate lower commissions with their agent or sell on their own. Yet, existing real estate listing sites are built to keep the current system in place—relying on revenue from preferred realtors and lenders, and requiring consumers to use a third party to list their home or make an offer. No one has created a solution for a buyer and seller to connect directly. That's where Higa comes in. Providing every homeowner (or future homeowner) the ability to test the market for their home, control their own listing, have access to “pocket” listings (aka off-market), and save on both buyer and seller commissions are what drove us to build Higa, the first peer-to-peer housing marketplace. Since this is an off-market platform, it empowers anyone to claim their home, browse all homes (not just active listings) and connect directly—on their own terms. *Currently available only in Utah. More states coming soon!* What do you think? Are you interested in browsing off-market homes? Would you use Higa to create a "soft listing" and gather feedback about your home? Would you try an off-market transaction to save tens of thousands of dollars (or more) on realtor commission if you were buying or selling a home?

When my husband and I bought our second home we were convinced that we wanted to be landlords and just rent out our townhome. Two years in, the reality of being one didn't match the dream. Selling traditionally felt overwhelming, so we explored off-market options, which saved us a ton of time and money. As we continued to talk through the features Higa would need, it dawned on us: wouldn't it be great to follow dream homes and connect directly with sellers? What if buying and selling weren't rushed processes, but personal connections? What if you could build a wishlist way before you were ready to move? Turns out, we weren't alone. The more we talked to friends and family, the more we learned about similar frustrations they shared. Fast forward, Higa is here to change the game!