Blogs

The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® was named a 2016 Innovation Leader by the Tampa Bay WaVE, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that supports tech startups and entrepreneurs.

Media Contact:
Christine Edwards
Communications Director
Christine.edwards@Space321.com

April 11th, 2017 - Merritt Island, FL - The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® was honored when Tampa Bay WaVE announced that the Association had been nominated for and named a 2016 Innovation Leader by Tampa Bay WaVE. The award is presented annually to companies that do business with Florida-based technology startups and are making significant impacts on the region and the state by helping them to reach their grow in a competitive marketplace.

"We are truly honored to have been named a 2016 Innovation Leader," said Lynn Jones, president of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®. "Our partnership with SavvyCard has been successful because they share our passion for forward thinking. In the year since we launched SavvyCard, we've also launched other products and all of them are aimed at improving the resources used by our members today, tomorrow and in the future."

Partnering with tech startups provides immense benefits, not just to the growing tech company, but to the community as well. According to Tampa Bay WaVE, new startups create the most jobs and have significant long-term impacts on their local communities. For every 10 tech jobs created, 43 indirect jobs are created in the surrounding community, per Tampa Bay WaVE. Supporting tech startups helps to ensure that Florida's economy will remain competitive in the tech sphere for generations to come.

The Innovation Leader nomination was submitted by SavvyCard®, a mobile software company based out of St. Petersburg, Florida that the Association partnered with to provide a digital solution for its REALTOR® members. In the spring of 2016, the solution came in the form of an app that allows REALTORS® to streamline a variety of services they provide, recommend home service providers and stay top of mind with buyers and sellers.

SavvyCard is similar to a digital business card and helps REALTOR® members enhance their branding, exposure and the services they can provide quickly via their smartphones and tablets. To date, nearly 1,000 of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® members have claimed their SavvyCard accounts or have become active users. In October of 2016, the SavvyCard product was upgraded with the launch of Find Services, a digital directory that aids community members in finding vetted home service providers, such as plumbers, electricians or general contractors in their local area.

"SavvyCard® has been thrilled with our partnership with Space Coast Association of REALTORS®," said David Etheredge, Co-Founder/CEO of SavvyCard. "The leadership team at Space Coast has proven to be some of the most forward thinking and innovative people we've encountered in the real estate industry and when Tampa Bay WaVE approached us about nominations for an Innovation Award, we immediately thought of them."

The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® also works with other tech companies to provide products and services for its REALTOR® members, including Homesnap, a company that developed an app that allows users to snap a photo of a listed home and learn more about it, and Virtual Tour Cafe, a product that helps REALTORS® develop virtual tours of homes for sale.


About the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®
The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® is a professional trade association servicing Brevard County, Florida and has been providing services to the local REALTOR® community since 1959. Our membership of more than 3,900 REALTORS® and Business Partner members adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in working with one another and the general public. When you work with one of our members, you have selected a professional that has pledged to uphold a commitment to the highest standards of ethics and practice. Selecting a REALTOR® member of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® brings peace of mind for the most important transactions of your life. For more information, visit space321.com.
 
About SavvyCard®
SavvyCard® is a SaaS platform that enables organizations and individuals to rapidly and inexpensively deploy mobile engagement tools and systems. SavvyCard's® proprietary platform enables the creation of branded mobile web apps so every brand, person, product, service and cause can engage with consumers through smartphones and tablets - effectively, quickly and inexpensively. With SavvyCard, users can readily share and refer people, products, places, events and services they love, and businesses can build and own direct relationships with their customers. For more information, visit our mobile web app at www.SavvyCard.com/SavvyCard, our desktop website at SavvyCard.com, or call (727) 502-6012.

About Tampa Bay WaVE
Tampa Bay WaVE helps entrepreneurs build, launch and grow tech businesses in their local area. The nonprofit was founded in 2008 and provides services for startups, including a collaborative innovation space and CEO roundtables. Since launching in March of 2013, WaVE's FirstWaVE Venture Center and Accelerator programs have supported 179 startups who have collectively raised more than $80 million and created almost 800 jobs in their region. Each year, WaVE presents Innovation Leader awards to companies doing business with Florida-based technology startups that are making significant impacts in their region and throughout Florida. For more information visit tampabaywave.org.
 
For more information, contact Christine Edwards at 321-242-2211 ext. 105 or via email at Christine.edwards@space321.com.