redfin got its start inventing map-based search. everyone told us the easy money was in running ads for traditional brokers, but we couldn’t stop thinking about how different real estate would be if it were designed from the ground up, using technology and totally different values, to put customers first. so we joined forces with agents who wanted to be customer advocates, not salesmen. since these were our own agents, we could survey each customer on our service and pay a bonus based on the review. we deepened our technology beyond the initial search to make the home tour, the listing debut, the escrow process, the whole process, faster, easier and worry-free. and we gave customers more value, not just by saving each thousands in fees, but by investing in every home we sell, by measuring our performance and improving constantly. this is how real estate would be if it were designed just for consumers, because, well, it was.