Redpin and the future of property payments: Q&A with Maya Hodroj

Maya Hodroj is Senior Director of Product Management at Redpin. We talk about the key pain points in international property payments, why they’ve proved so persistent, and how Redpin is transforming an outdated system.

What are the main pain points and challenges you see in how property payments are handled today – both for professionals and for clients?

Property payments are surprisingly complicated – way more than they should be. Security is on everyone’s mind: there’s always a risk of fraud or scams, which makes everyone nervous when transferring large sums. Then there’s timing. Delays can stall, or even break, entire transactions, especially when multiple parties are involved in a chain.

These friction points come from two sides: legacy banking infrastructure that is not built for speed on one hand, and cautious ‘double-checking’ by humans on the other – because they don’t trust the system.

Visibility is another big pain point. Once funds are sent, no one really knows where they are. The client worries, the solicitor chases, and the agent gets caught in the middle. Miscommunication thrives in these silos, often leading to duplicate payments, manual reconciliations, or missed cut-off times.

And here’s the kicker: property payments aren’t just about money – they’re deeply emotional transactions. For most people, buying or selling a home is one of life’s biggest milestones. Every delay, error, or security concern adds stress and erodes trust. Professionals feel that pressure too, because clients expect them to provide reassurance in a system that doesn’t make it easy to deliver it.

A delayed payment triggers a million questions: ‘Did it go to the right person?’, ‘Was it the bank’s fault?’, ‘Compliance holds?’, ‘Tech errors?’, ‘Can we even trust the sender?’ These are exactly the problems buyers, sellers, and property professionals have been struggling with forever. And it’s exactly what we decided to fix at Redpin.

Why do you think those problems have been so persistent across the industry?

A big reason is how low-tech property transactions still are. Many settlement professionals rely on their experience and memory to manage complex processes instead of using systems that track payments and communications in real time. Payments themselves are often old-school – physical cheques, or at best, wire transfers – and the whole conveyancing process can take three to four months.

Then there’s the sheer number of people involved. A single property transaction can easily involve ten or more individuals: buyers, sellers, their lawyers, notaries, brokers, mortgage providers, and more. Coordinating all of them is no small feat.

Real estate is also highly relationship-driven. Buyers and sellers often find agents through personal networks, and trust is built with individuals – not organisations – over many years. On top of that, regional and national differences in transaction processes add even more complexity.

Has the regulatory landscape impacted these problems, either for better or for worse?

Regulations have tried to help. 2025 was supposed to be the year where payments across the eurozone were expected to become faster and safer with higher SLAs set on SEPA Instant (ten seconds!) and mandatory Verification of Payee checks for all SEPA payments. The ambition hit reality in October with a 30-50% increase in the number of rejected payments because of poor data quality and brittle compliance processes.

All of this creates a system that’s slow, fragmented, and frustrating – which is why these problems have persisted for so long.

How is Redpin changing that experience and addressing these pain points?

At Redpin, we’re tackling these challenges head-on by bringing transparency, speed, and security to property payments. Instead of relying on manual checks and siloed communication, our platform gives everyone involved a clear, real-time view of where a payment is at every stage. No more guessing, chasing emails, or wondering if funds have cleared.

We’re also reducing risk by making payments more secure and reliable, so delays or errors don’t jeopardise the transaction. And because our system handles complex chains of stakeholders, everyone stays in sync, without the usual headaches.

In short, Redpin takes the stress and uncertainty out of property payments, letting professionals focus on the transaction and clients focus on what really matters – buying or selling their home.

Can you give an example of what that looks like in practice?

I had a client, a property lawyer, last summer sending me a message saying ‘We got our first payment!’ She didn’t need to email, call, or chase finance. Before Redpin, she would’ve had to ask if the buyer sent the payment, maybe wait for screenshots, check with finance… probably one or two days lost. With Redpin? Automated email notification. Done.

Here’s another recent win: a client completed a chain transaction in Spain using Redpin. Exchanging funds on the same day saved time and money, avoiding multiple flights between the UK and Spain to accommodate different completions and multiple trips to the notary. That’s the kind of impact we’re seeing.

What does this mean for property professionals and their clients – and for the wider industry?

For property professionals, it means less time spent chasing payments, reconciling accounts, or handling ‘where’s my money?’ calls. They can focus on advising clients, closing deals, and building relationships instead of putting out fires.

For clients, it’s about peace of mind. Knowing exactly where their funds are, and that everything is secure, reduces the stress and emotional weight that comes with buying or selling a home. Transactions feel smoother, faster, and more transparent.

For the industry as a whole, it sets a new standard for how property payments can work. By reducing friction, increasing trust, and streamlining the process, we’re helping the market move towards a more efficient, modern, and client-focused approach. That benefits everyone – professionals, clients, and the system itself.

What kind of responses have you had from users so far?

Feedback has been very positive. Our clients call it ‘the future of property payments’! I was especially touched by a property lawyer who has practised for over 40 years, supporting German buyers and sellers of properties in Spain, who said she was grateful to finally have a product that protects her clients from spoofing and scammers.

And flexibility is huge. Payments often need last-minute adjustments. With bankers’ drafts? Impossible. Redpin’s workflows handle those changes easily.

What technologies or innovations power Redpin’s approach behind the scenes?

Behind the scenes, Redpin combines secure payment infrastructure with real-time tracking and smart workflow automation. Our platform uses advanced encryption and verification protocols to keep funds safe while giving everyone a transparent view of the transaction at every stage.

Automation plays a big role too. Instead of relying on emails, spreadsheets, or phone calls, our system keeps everyone updated automatically, reducing delays and errors.

We also rely on a robust global payment network and support transfers to 120+ countries (with local settlement options in key markets), making it easier to move funds quickly in local and foreign currencies.

The goal isn’t just to use flashy tech for its own sake – it’s to solve real problems that have been holding property transactions back for decades. By blending security, transparency, and automation, we make payments simpler, faster, and more reliable for everyone involved.

No proptech innovations put payments at the core of the problems they would like to solve. We get it! Payments rely on a complex infrastructure and proptech often has no control over what banks do or do not do. Some players have approached the problem from the lens of cryptocurrency. Very progressive, but potentially not the right fit for more traditional, risk-averse buyers, sellers, and property professionals who are more comfortable with fiat payment options.

How do you see property payments evolving over the next few years, and how is Redpin preparing for that?

The next big wave in proptech won’t come from more apps or dashboards; it will come from infrastructure. For too long, the property industry has layered shiny tools on top of very old pipes. The real breakthrough will happen when the foundations – payments, data, identity, and compliance – become connected, automated, and transparent.

The other major shift will be collaboration. Historically, property technology has been built in silos: one platform for agents, another for conveyancers, another for lenders. The future belongs to products that are interoperable, that allow data and transactions to flow across the ecosystem rather than forcing people to re-enter the same information ten times.

And finally, I think we’ll see a much stronger focus on trust and experience. The property market is not just a transaction – it’s an emotional milestone. The next generation of tools will recognise that, using technology to remove friction and anxiety rather than add complexity.

At Redpin, that’s exactly where we’re focused: building the reliable, intelligent payment infrastructure that gives everyone in a property transaction a faster, simpler, and safer way to move money.

If you’d like to learn more about how Redpin can help you simplify your property transactions, speak to one of our experts today.