A Newcastle-based technology startup is challenging the dominance of Silicon Valley legacy software in the US housing market.
SwiftReporter, founded by Cooks Hill locals Evan Sutter and Stephen Sazdanoff-Haynes, is an AI-powered home inspection platform designed to combat the rising tide of “subscription fatigue” and digital burnout in the blue-collar workforce.
While some Hunter residents may recognise Evan from his recent environmental documentary, Run River Run, and his paddle down the Hunter River, few know that the author and filmmaker is also at the helm of a PropTech company exporting Newcastle innovation to the world.
SwiftReporter was built on a controversial premise: removing features rather than adding them to simplify and make home inspection software more affordable.
By integrating with Square to handle booking, contracts and payments for free, SwiftReporter allows inspectors to avoid the “software tax” of traditional SaaS platforms. This approach focuses entirely on the reporting engine, utilising advanced AI and Voice-to-Text technology to allow inspectors to finish reports on-site, rather than working late into the night.
Evan said the software was built out of a need and a noticeable toxic trend.
“We noticed a toxic trend where local inspectors and tradies were paying for bloated software suites they didn’t need, keeping them glued to screens instead of getting home to their families,” Evan said.
“My background is in wellbeing and minimalism – writing books like Solitude and filming Run River Run. We applied those same minimalist principles to the construction industry. We asked: ‘What can we delete to make this faster?’ The result is a platform that respects the user’s time.
“We are proud to be building this from the Hunter. We’re exporting Newcastle efficiency to the US, proving that you can build a global business while enjoying the lifestyle that makes this region so special.”
SwiftReporter is a mobile-first inspection platform serving residential and commercial inspectors across Australia and the United States. It offers a pay-per-report model alongside unlimited plans to help lower the barrier to entry for new business owners.
IMAGE | Hunter-based Founder of SwiftReporter, Evan Sutter.
