In our latest real estate tech entrepreneur interview, we’re speaking with Teris Pantazes from EFynch.

Without further ado…

What do you do?

I am the Co-Founder of EFynch.com, a Baltimore based Homeowner and Handyman Communication System.

What problem does your product/service solve?

Even with all the current home improvement websites and offerings, homeowners still complain and never know the best way to find a handyman or contractor. Frankly, the national websites are pretty expensive and often take up to 39% for a simple introductions. But, we found it’s not the actual introduction that is the issue, it is determining which information is valid and knowing which options are available. Between social media recommendations and paid advertising, there is tons of conflicting and (often) biased information to sift through.

EFynch takes the same hiring processes and evaluation tools that professional property managers use, but it is designed for the regular homeowner. With EFynch, a homeowner need not even request for a plumber, they would post a picture and information on the problem to obtain actual solutions, from the accountable contractors who are agreeing to fix it. All of this is done in our proprietary competitive bidding system (think rfp).
We still help them get recommendations from friends, but you don’t have to post to your entire neighborhood or high school classmates that your toilet is backed up- – that whole idea is absurd and is often “oversharing”.

We don’t charge for most of this. In fact, if a homeowner just wants introduction or a contractor wants to see available jobs and place bids- it is entirely free. EFynch makes money from adding value to the transaction like escrow services, payment processing, and our unique algorithm which uses AI to learn your preferences and ultimately will be able to recommend hiring in a way more refined than simply pushing who pays the most advertising.

Simply put, we want to give every homeowner their own personal property manager, or a “digital uncle”- the kind of resource that always knows the right guy to fix a problem.

What are you most excited about right now?

iOT. Essentially, with the right system (which will be EFynch) and a qualified professional, the future will never put homeowners in a situation of having to explain a problem they don’t understand or hire someone for a service they are not sure whether or not they need. I believe iOT can take the uncertainty out of hiring.

What’s next for you?

We are working to learn the “individual”. Using AI to study buying preferences and perceptions when it comes to quality of work, budgetary restrictions, sense of urgency, etc- this is the next frontier. In the VERY near future, without the homeowner saying anything more than “I need a Handyman”, we will be able to competitively bid the project and highlight your best options for that particular job and in real time. This will take into consideration whether or not you like to hire side workers who have lower hourly rates, or if you prefer a skilled craftsmen who might be more expensive than a K Street Attorney- it’s entirely up to you- we are just learning a better way to help you find what you need. . . and it’s not just another advertisement.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

I am an avid conservationist. I come from a land development and construction background but most are surprised to see how they can go hand in hand with conservation. I get excited seeing old turned into new. There is nothing better than a craftsman home or old paper mill that has solar panels, R60 insulation, and native vegetation.

Meet The RE Tech EntrepreneurThanks to Teris for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop me a line (drew @ geekestatelabs dot com).