LIEB BLOG

Legal Analysts

Showing posts with label Real Estate Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Estate Technology. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Real Estate Brokerage Law: Is AirBnB engaging in the unauthorized practice of real estate brokerage?

There has been a lot said about AirBnB these days. It's been called a disruptive technology (a compliment in the technology world) as a result of its leveraging the international sharing culture in real estate, by Gigaom, Fastcompany, and Techcrunch, among others. Yet, it has also been labeled as an illegal hotel site, which doesn't sufficiently warn its customers that their participation may be illegal as a violation of local transient laws. The latter appears to be the sentiments of New York State, as evidenced by the recent subpoena issued by the state's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, seeking data on AirBnB's hosts. In response, AirBnB seems to be crafting a public relations campaign defending its business model by proposing that legislation be introduced at the state level requiring its users to pay taxes incident to their rentals. 

However, taxes and labels are neither here nor there. The real question is if AirBnB's business model is legal in the first instance, as their practice is quite similar to that of a licensed real estate brokerage in the state of New York, but without AirBnB having such licensing, according to the eAccessNY Occupational Licensing Management System......

See full published article by Andrew Lieb, Esq., MPH at the New York Real Estate Journal:  http://nyrej.com/66975#sthash.hltxB4mB.dpuf

Monday, October 14, 2013

Crowdfunding in Real Estate is Alive - Welcome GroundBreaker

On May 14, 2012 we predicted that crowdfunding would be implemented to create the next real estate tycoon.

Now, GroundBreaker has launched and the future is now. As the site states "Our real estate fundraising platform is now available to entrepreneurs of all sizes. We make it possible for you to efficiently fundraise from your extended network or the world".

So, entrepreneurs, its time to leverage the digital world to make brick and mortar rise!

Saturday, October 05, 2013

The Internet of Things goes to your Lightswitch

Check out the future of light switches, bRight Switch system.

Here is what the company has to say about their product on the site:

"What if your lighting system could automatically learn what you want, turning on the lights without you having to lift a finger?

What if you could make the switch in the kitchen also turn on the light in the living room, and you didn’t have to call an electrician?

What if, wherever you are, you could plug in your phone without first hunting down the charger?

What if, instead of a wall switch, there was a full-color touch screen smart device packed that could be color coordinated with your room, provide security, intercom, wake up alarm, Internet phone and more?"

Here is a Gadgetreview article on the switch.

Remember, housing utilizing the internet of things sells.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Eating Hot - Now that's delicious

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Smart Housing - Its the Key

In our recent push for real estate professionals to know what is out there in smart technology for the house, we direct your attention to a door lock that uses bluetooth "to let you unlock your door by touching it".

Check out a great article on NFC-powered door locks and open a door into the future.