Zefir

About Zefir

Zefir is a French proptech company operating an AI-powered real estate marketplace designed to accelerate property transactions for sellers, buyers, and agents. Founded in 2020 by childhood friends Remy Fabre (CEO) and Louis Lambert (CTO), the company was established to simplify the complex and lengthy process of buying and selling homes in Europe. The inspiration came from Fabre witnessing his parents' frustrating year-long struggle to coordinate selling a house to buy a new one. Before Zefir, the co-founders, who studied computer science, had previously launched a crypto investment micro-fund and a company called Metabrain, which focused on non-invasive brain interfaces.

Initially, Zefir operated on an iBuying model, directly purchasing properties to provide sellers with a quick and certain sale. The company has since evolved its business model. Today, Zefir functions as a collective sales platform that connects homeowners with a network of real estate agents to expedite sales. For sellers, the platform aggregates buyers from multiple partner agents, aiming to sell homes in an average of 58 days, nearly twice as fast as the French market average. This model provides homeowners with access to a broader pool of qualified buyers while a designated lead agent manages the process, including viewings.

For real estate agents, Zefir acts as a partner, providing qualified leads and tools to close deals faster, with a reported potential to increase their annual income significantly. The company's business model involves a take rate, which is a percentage of the home's sale price, similar to a traditional brokerage fee. In recent developments, Zefir launched ZIA, an AI-powered home-search assistant for buyers, extending its AI integration to the buy-side of transactions. The platform uses AI to automate operational tasks for brokers, such as listing creation and customer support, allowing them to focus on high-value client interactions.

Zefir has raised approximately €57 million in total funding over four rounds from investors including Sequoia Capital, Zigg Capital, Heartcore Capital, and FinTech Collective. Headquartered in Paris, the company primarily operates in the largest cities across France and plans to expand its geographic footprint. Having achieved over €600 million in annualized home sales, Zefir aims to grow significantly by enhancing its AI capabilities and expanding its team.