Young CEO launches KBB Homes to bring trusted valuations to a shaky housing market

John Liss, CEO of True Footage, has teamed with Cox Enterprises to launch Kelley Blue Book Homes, a nationwide appraisal-technology service that began operations on Aug. 3 across 11 states. Drawing on his background as a high-school real-estate agent and multiple Harvard degrees, Liss argues that current housing data are inaccurate and lack credibility, leaving consumers hungry for better tools. The platform focuses on “baby chasers” - boomers relocating near grandchildren - and “first-time sellers,” under-bought millennials forced to move.

True Footage’s TrueTracts engine reportedly predicts home values within 3 % of final sale prices, based on early KBB market tests. Agents can purchase subscription rights to zip-code territories, creating a revenue stream that Liss says now totals millions of dollars per month. The service’s valuations are classified as broker price opinions, not certified appraisals, raising questions about the brand’s independence amid ongoing industry disputes involving Zillow, Compass and regulatory scrutiny from Sen. Elizabeth Warren.