ComFree

ComFree
Formerly
 ByTheOwner
Private Company
Industry Real estate
Founded Canada (2009)
Area served
 Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan
Key people
 Marco Dodier (President & CEO), Jean-Bruno Lessard (Sr VP), Lukas Lhotsky (VP Corporate Development & Operational Strategy), Marie-Christine Blain (VP Legal Affairs & Compliance)
Services online home listings, customer support, marketing materials, mere postings in Alberta and Ontario
Number of employees
 400[1]
Parent Purplebricks
Website comfree.com

ComFree is a Canadian real estate broker platform.[2][3]

History

ByTheOwner, composed of PrivateRealEstate in Ontario, ComFree in Alberta, ComFree in Manitoba, and Skhomes4sale in Saskatchewan,[4] was acquired by DuProprio in 2009.[5] After the acquisition, the company was rebranded as the ComFree network.[6]

In January 2012, the two ComFree Commonsense Network brokerages were launched in Ontario and Alberta.[7]

In July 2013, WeList.com joined the ComFree network.[8]

In 2015, DuProprio (the site's parent company) was purchased by Yellow Pages Group for $50 million.[9]

In 2018, the company was purchased by Purplebricks, a United Kingdom company also offering commission-free real estate services, for $51 million.[10]

Services

The ComFree network offers different flat-fee service packages to help homeowners sell their homes. Basic packages include exposure on ComFree.com, lawn signs, and a personalized consultation with a sales rep (depending on location). The more premium packages offer additional advertising support. Depending on location, a competitive market analysis may also be available.[11] In Alberta and Ontario, the ComFree Commonsense Network brokerages enable homeowners to list their homes on REALTOR.ca through a board's MLS system, and allow them to access owner-directed services such as advice on appraisals, and legal and administrative aspects of the home sale in addition to marketing support.[4]

In Saskatchewan, ComFree provides flat-fee services via a "for-sale-by-owner" model[11] to homeowners who want to sell without a real estate agent.[12] In Alberta and Ontario, the services to homeowners are provided by ComFree Commonsense Network brokerage, a brokerage duly registered in each of those two provinces under the applicable real estate/brokerage act.[4] In Manitoba, the services to homeowners are provided by ComFree Commonsense Network broker, a brokerage duly registered in this province under the applicable real estate/brokerage act.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". comfree.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Shmuel, John. "Commission-free real estate network launches in Canada". financialpost.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "ComFree converts to licensed real estate broker". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  4. 1 2 3 "Canada's largest commission-free real estate network launched". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  5. ↑ "DuProprio.com élargit ses horizons". Radio-Canada.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "Duproprio.com change de couleurs". LesAffaires.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "Canada's largest commission-free real estate network launched". newswire.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Stephenson, Amanda. "Calgary's WeList.com sold to ComFree real estate network". calgaryherald.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Yellow Pages to buy DuProprio real-estate network for $50M". CBC News. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
  10. ↑ "Yellow Pages sells ComFree/DuProprio to Purplebricks for $51 million". Montreal Gazette. 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  11. 1 2 "For Sale by Owner". ratesupermarket.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Perkins, Tara. "How Canada's housing downturn threatens to shake up real estate commissions". theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "ComFree earns Manitoba real-estate broker licence". cbc.ca. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
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