What Realm does

Realm (Realm Living, Inc.) is a New York-headquartered, Delaware-incorporated home renovation platform that mediates between residential homeowners and a curated network of vetted contractors across California, Washington, and Oregon. The company operates a two-sided marketplace in which homeowners self-onboard through realmhome.com or a native iOS app (id 1589251076), are paired with a dedicated Renovation Advisor who scopes the project, sources and negotiates three competing bids, and supports the homeowner through construction. The contractor side is gated through an invite-only vendor portal (partner.realmhome.com) with background checks, license verification, reference calls, and ongoing quality control; less than 10% of applicants are accepted and some contractors derive up to 65% of their business from Realm. The technical stack combines a Webflow-based website, a custom project-tracking iOS app, and what Realm describes as the largest proprietary database of real-world renovation bids in the U.S., powering pricing estimates, timelines, ROI projections, and a neighborhood-insights interactive map.

Realm's business model is free for homeowners — monetization occurs on the contractor side via referral fees that replace the contractor's traditional sales and marketing spend, supplemented by small refundable homeowner deposits ($299-$1,499) that are credited toward the first project. Tiered Plans (Finish What You Started, Get It Done, New Build with Focus, New Build Full Visuals) segment Renovations/ADU versus full New Build customers, while a free Post-Disaster Rebuild plan supports wildfire-affected California homeowners — a segment in which Realm has 37 active projects worth approximately $36M in construction value as of January 2026. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, content- and SEO-led (a large blog library targeting renovation/ADU/permitting queries), advisor-led inside sales supported by a 4.7-star mobile app, and event-driven community outreach around LA wildfire recovery.

The company has raised approximately $29.7M+ in disclosed funding across a seed, a $12M July 2021 Series A led by GGV Capital with Notable Capital, and subsequent SEC Form D exempt offerings, and has been recognized as a TIME Best Inventions 2021 honoree and a Fast Company Most Innovative Company. With 11-50 employees, 4,000+ homeowners served, $900M+ in cumulative project GTV, and 100+ vetted contractor partners, Realm positions itself as a vertically-integrated renovation concierge differentiated by data-driven pricing transparency, contractual service protections (2-year warranty, milestone payments, price-change safeguards), and curated marketplace economics.

Name

Realm

Legal name

REALM LIVING, INC.

Website

https://realmhome.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Renovation Services

NAICS

Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Home renovation platform
• Contractor matching service
• Renovation planning tools
• Residential home improvement
• Property renovation marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Contractor Referral / Marketplace Fee: Realm is free for homeowners and earns revenue by charging contractors a modest fee that replaces their usual sales and marketing costs. This fee is never added to the homeowner's price. Realm drives significant volume (up to 65% of contractors' business in some cases), giving it leverage on contractor monetization.
2. Refundable Project Deposits & Plan Fees: Homeowners pay a refundable deposit or plan fee that is credited toward their first renovation project: $299 for Renovations/ADUs (with existing plans), $499 for full Renovations/ADU support, $999 New Build with focus (3 floor plans), $1,499 New Build with full visuals (3D renderings), and Free for post-disaster rebuilds. Additional service fees may apply for design and add-on services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Realm is an all-in-one home renovation platform that pairs residential homeowners with a dedicated Renovation Advisor and an invite-only network of vetted contractors (top 10%). The platform combines a proprietary database of real-world renovation bids, bid comparison and negotiation tools, project tracking via mobile app, and embedded protections (2-year warranty, milestone payments, escalation support) to guide homeowners through budgeting, contractor selection, and project management. Realm is free for homeowners and monetizes via referral fees from contractor partners and refundable deposit-based service plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Realm Home Renovation Platform All-in-one home renovation platform that simplifies budgeting, contractor selection, and project management for residential homeowners. Combines a dedicated Renovation Advisor, a vetted Top 10% contractor network, and a proprietary data and tooling layer powered by the largest U.S. database of real-world renovation bids.
• Realm Renovation Advisor Service One-on-one dedicated Advisor service that scopes projects, manages budgets, creates custom plans with renderings, negotiates and compares contractor bids on the homeowner's behalf, and provides escalation support throughout the build. Advisors have supported over 3,500 projects.
• Realm Vetted Contractor Network Invite-only network of 100+ background-checked, licensed, top-tier contractors across California, Oregon, and Washington. Less than 10% of applicants are accepted. Realm drives up to 65% of contractors' business, enabling VIP treatment for matched homeowners.
• Realm Mobile App iOS mobile app for homeowners (App Store id1589251076) that provides project price estimates, home value tracking, neighborhood insights via interactive maps, home equity information, financing options, and project progress tracking for active renovations. Available nationwide; full Advisor service currently limited to California and Washington (Seattle area).
• Realm Rebuild (LA Wildfire Recovery) Free, dedicated end-to-end rebuild service for LA homeowners impacted by wildfires, providing design and build support, cost estimates, lending options, contractor matching and negotiation, construction support, and group/community-coordinated rebuilds to leverage bulk pricing. Currently managing 37 wildfire rebuild projects representing approximately $36M in construction value.
• Realm Partner Portal (Vendor Portal) Dedicated web portal (partner.realmhome.com) where vetted contractor vendors receive matched homeowner leads, manage projects, and access the Realm vendor network. Onboarding via realmhome.com/vendor-signup is open to licensed contractors in California, Oregon, and Washington.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-25% lower project costs for homeowners
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor (program referral), core (payment infrastructure) and core (analytics).

• CalHFA (California Housing Finance Agency)minor (program referral)OthersRealm Advisors refer California homeowners to CalHFA programs and guide them through grant applications — e.g., helped customer Dan & Kristen secure a $40,000 CalHFA grant for their ADU build. Not a formal commercial partnership; rather a programmatic referral relationship.
• Stripe, Inc.core (payment infrastructure)Technology or IntegrationListed in the Privacy Policy as a current payment processing service provider for collecting and processing Payment Data (payment card type, last 4 digits, billing address, phone, email).
• Square, Inc. and Square Capital, LLCcore (payment infrastructure)Technology or IntegrationListed in the Privacy Policy as a current payment processing service provider alongside Stripe and Braintree.
• Braintree (offered by PayPal, Inc.)core (payment infrastructure)Technology or IntegrationListed in the Privacy Policy as a payment processing service provider. The Terms of Use additionally mention PayPal, Inc. as the current Payment Processor for Paid Services.
• Google Analytics (Google Inc.)core (analytics)Technology or IntegrationPrivacy Policy discloses use of Google Analytics, Segment, and similar tools for performance/analytical cookies to understand visitor behavior and improve the Services.
• Segment

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sweeten: Sweeten is a tech-enabled general contractor marketplace that matches homeowners with vetted renovation contractors, primarily in the New York metro. Directly comparable to Realm in its two-sided marketplace model, contractor vetting approach, and free-to-homeowner monetization.
• BuildZoom: BuildZoom operates a marketplace connecting homeowners with licensed contractors, using permit and licensing data to vet professionals. Directly comparable to Realm in its contractor matching model and data-driven vetting, though BuildZoom leans more heavily on public permit data than proprietary bid data.

Broad incumbents

• Angi (formerly Angie's List): Angi is a leading U.S. home services marketplace connecting homeowners with local service professionals across dozens of categories. A broad incumbent with overlapping contractor-matching capabilities and a much larger network, though it does not offer Realm's dedicated advisor-led project management or renovation-specific bid leveling.
• Houzz: Houzz is a major home design and renovation platform combining inspiration content, a professional directory, and marketplace functionality. Comparable to Realm in serving the renovation customer journey, but operating at much greater scale and with a broader, less curated professional network.
• Porch Group: Porch operates a home services marketplace and software platform for contractors, with deep insurance adjacency. Comparable to Realm in connecting homeowners with home service professionals and in the strategic interest in insurance/financing integrations, though Porch is publicly listed and operates at significantly greater scale.
• Frontdoor: Frontdoor is a home warranty and services company that connects homeowners with vetted contractors for repair and maintenance. Comparable to Realm in its emphasis on contractor vetting, warranty-backed service guarantees, and homeowner trust, though Frontdoor is primarily focused on maintenance/repair rather than renovation.
• Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a large U.S. marketplace connecting consumers with local professionals across many home service categories. Comparable to Realm in two-sided marketplace mechanics and homeowner demand generation, though Thumbtack is far broader in category scope and lacks renovation-specific advisor service or bid-leveling functionality.

Emerging players

• HomeLight: HomeLight is a real estate technology platform that connects buyers and sellers with top agents and offers home trade-in and renovation financing products. Comparable to Realm in the renovation-adjacent homeowner financial workflow and use of data to match homeowners with service providers.
• Block (Blockr): Block is a renovation marketplace that pairs homeowners with vetted contractors for residential projects. Directly comparable to Realm's core marketplace model, though typically focused on the New York metro and at an earlier stage of geographic expansion.

Others

• Dwell: Dwell is a media and e-commerce brand focused on modern home design, with a curated directory of architects, builders, and designers. Comparable to Realm as a content-and-discovery funnel for renovation-oriented homeowners, with brand overlap in the same premium homeowner demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/realmhome
• Facebookfacebook.com/realmhome
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/realmhome
• Instagraminstagram.com/realm

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Realm