Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

I promise you, discussing security deposits isn't as boring as it may seem. This week, I'm joined by Conor Brennan, Co-founder of Rentable, a security deposit management platform for residential real estate. He shares about the pain points of security deposits, including the legal challenges and outdated processes. We dig into the importance of integrations and Rentable's focus on cash deposits. Conor shares how Rentable offers flexible payment options for deposits and highlights the ideal customers for their platform. You'll hear Conor explain further more about the inefficiencies of traditional security deposit processes and the time and cost savings that can be achieved through improved technology. He highlights the importance of educating property managers on these benefits and addressing pain points such as returned checks and new legislation. We also get into Rentable's go-to-market strategy of targeting the mid-market for adoption and the key value props of using Rentable. More about Conor and Rentable Rentable is the leading security deposit management company in America. Rentable is utilized by hundreds of property managers across the country to streamline and modernize the process of handling security deposits. In addition, Rentable provides renters with flexible payment options that allow them to spread their deposit out over time. Conor Co-founded Rentable alongside Alex Kamisher. The two worked together at Boston based fintech company, Toast. After experiencing the difficult and archaic process of paying and receiving their security deposits in their Boston apartments, the two realized that a solution was needed to address this issue. Connect with Conor on LinkedInCheck out Rentable

This week, I'm fortunate to be joined by fellow South Dakotan, Ray Hespen. Ray is CEO and co-founder of Property Meld, a maintenance automation software company. based in Rapid City, South Dakota. Let's start with some performance metrics from Property Meld's 2023: During our conversation, we discuss some of these metrics and how great communication can play such a critical role in maintenance automation. Ray breaks down the challenges of maintenance coordination and why property management needs to improve despite these challenges. Ray and the team at Property Meld take a holistic approach to tackling challenges in property maintenance, gathering data, and providing automations. You'll hear about that and more. Lastly, you'll hear me plugging Property Meld's conference, Maintenance Summit in here as well. If you're in property management, either in the field or tech side, then a trip to South Dakota this year in September has got to get on your schedule. More about Ray and Property Meld Property Meld is a web-based property maintenance software dedicated to simplifying maintenance coordination. We provide unmatched visibility into crucial maintenance metrics, empowering property management companies to make data-driven decisions. Our robust solution connects property managers, residents, vendors, and property owners in one location. Automated workflows, AI-fueled thoughtful responses, centralized scheduling, and best-in-class communication drive positive, predictable, and profitable maintenance. Ray Hespen is the CEO and co-founder of Property Meld, a maintenance automation software company. Ray and his co-founder, David Kingman, started Property Meld in 2014 to bring intelligent maintenance to the property management world. Follow Property Meld on TwitterFollow Property Meld on LinkedInCheck out Property MeldCome to South Dakota for the annual Maintenance Summit, hosted by Property Meld - https://pmusersummit.com

In this episode, I interview Zach Gorman, co-founder and COO of RealReports, an AI-powered real estate data platform that consolidates multiple data sources and provides agents with comprehensive reports. The platform offers agents the ability to generate new business, win deals, and conduct research and diligence more efficiently. We discuss the challenges of fragmented and inaccessible data in the residential real estate industry. He shares his non-traditional path to real estate and the inspiration behind RealReports. We explore the value of technology in solving problems and creating efficiencies. We also get into more about the branding and marketing of RealReports, including RealReports' rebrand. Of course we couldn't finish the discussion without getting into broader trends of AI in real estate. More about RealReports Real estate data is fragmented, expensive, and time-consuming to access. This costs companies billions of dollars and makes rapid innovation in the industry nearly impossible. We are building an infinitely flexible data marketplace to serve as the infrastructural backbone for the entire real estate ecosystem. Our flagship product is called a RealReport — an AI-powered "Carfax for homes," powered by data from 30+ best-in-class providers and Aiden, an AI copilot, which can answer any property question instantly. RealReports provide comprehensive property information for every home in the United States and empower real estate professionals to win more deals, generate leads, and build trust with their clients. Follow Zach on TwitterConnect with Zach on LinkedInFollow RealReports on TwitterCheck out RealReports

For episode 200 of Tech Nest, I wanted to share some thoughts on the journey of the podcast, as well as some general life and work updates. Of course I owe so much to so many in the industry—so I spend some time discussing past guests and what this show means to me. You'll hear a brief bit of the success stories of startups featured on the show and highlights the challenges faced by proptech companies. Lastly, I leave you with some helpful info on upcoming events across the country you'll want to get on your radar. Below are links to many of those events for you to consider attending. I mentioned in this show Geek Estate. For those not yet a member, please reconsider. Learn more at: https://www.geekestate.com Event Links: https://www.imn.orghttps://blueprintvegas.comhttps://promo.inman.com/upcoming-eventshttps://www.narpm.org/conferenceshttps://ioisummit.realtorMy Links: Follow Nate on TwitterConnect with Nate on LinkedInFollow Tech Nest on TwitterFollow Tech Nest on LinkedInJoin the Tech Nest NewsletterSubmit News for Tech NestApply to Be On Tech Nest

Pat Kinsel is back for his second appearance on Tech Nest. Pat is the Founder and CEO of Proof, an intelligent platform that combines auditable verification with cryptographic evidence to securely execute legally binding agreements. We waste no time getting into why Proof rebranded from being known as Notarize and how the new brand more accurately reflects the full vision of the company. Some of the big problems we discuss include the types of fraud in real estate transactions, including wire fraud, synthetic identity fraud, and deed fraud. Pat also explores the risks associated with AI in increasing fraud and the need for robust security measures. He explains how Proof verifies identity and documents and emphasizes the importance of bringing security frameworks into the consumer world. The conversation sheds light on the challenges and solutions in ensuring trust and security in digital transactions. In this conversation, Pat Kinsel discusses the government's fear of systemic algorithmic bias and the challenges of task automation. The future of real estate transaction depends on trust of identity. Listen in to learn more about Proof and the problems their solving for. More about Pat and Proof Achieve trust in every transaction. With Proof, lock in certainty that your customer actually signed on the dotted line. Proof is an intelligent platform that combines auditable verification with cryptographic evidence to securely execute legally binding agreements. Pat is Founder and CEO of Proof. After creating Notarize, the world’s leading notarization platform, Pat raised the standard of trust again with the launch of Proof. Before Proof, Pat was a Venture Partner at Polaris Partners, the first investor into Drizly, and sold his prior startup, Spindle, to Twitter. Follow Pat on TwitterConnect with Pat on LinkedInFollow Proof on TwitterCheck out Proof

Today's guest is Matt Service, COO of Apartment List. In this episode, Matt discusses the unique user experience and value proposition of Apartment List's matchmaking rental marketplace and announces the company's latest innovation: Lea Pro. As they describe it, Lea Pro is "a groundbreaking AI-powered leasing assistant designed to work hand-in-hand with property management companies and leasing agents." This is an iteration of their already available automated leasing assistant, Lea. Lea has already proven valuable to agents and has been recognized for being a leading technology solution in leasing. We also get into the apartment leasing business. Matt highlights the importance of surfacing trade-offs in apartment hunting and leveraging technology to enhance the rental process. He shares insights into the current trends in the rental industry and the challenges faced by brokers and agents. Of course, we also briefly cover the anticipated wave of new apartment inventory on the horizon and how that may impact leasing trends in the near future. More about Apartment List Apartment List, the leading rental matchmaking marketplace, today announced the launch of Lea Pro, a groundbreaking AI-powered leasing assistant designed to work hand-in-hand with property management companies and leasing agents. Building on the success of its predecessor, Lea, which earned the 2024 AI Excellence Award from the Business Intelligence Group, Lea Pro is a game-changer in the world of AI leasing assistants. Powered by cutting-edge generative AI, Lea Pro is designed to work alongside leasing teams, proactively engaging with renters across multiple channels in a way that feels intuitive, natural, and remarkably human. Follow Apartment List on TwitterCheck out Apartment ListRead the full announcement about the launch of Lea Pro - https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/introducing-lea-pro-by-apartment-list-ai-powered-leasing-assistance-enhances-renter-experience-302099676.html

This week's featured guest is Gavin Myers, Managing Partner at Prudence, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in technology companies in the real estate sector. We dig into Gavin's background and transition to proptech, as well as Prudence's investment strategy of backing differentiated and defensible companies. Gavin shares the importance of understanding the sector and the people involved, as well as the challenges of finding talent in proptech—a topic I'm passionate about (collectively, we as an industry need to do more to attract high-caliber talent). Gavin also provides insights into Prudence's new fund and their focus on AI and construction tech. This is Prudence's third fund at $80 million, bringing their total AUM to $230 million. News of the fund is linked down below. More about Gavin and Prudence Prudence is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies leading the global transformation of the real estate sector. Prudence is an early investor in companies such as Casafari, Compass (COMP), CREXi, Evernest, Hemlane, Maxwell, Propify, Salus, Sundae, and VendorPM. Gavin and his team are investing across Proptech 2.0 – software innovation driving data capabilities to power autonomous business processes in real estate. Gavin Myers is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Prudence. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at AI Clearing, Casafari, Morty, VendorPM and CREXi (observer). Before co-founding Prudence in 2009, Gavin worked at Sun Capital Partners, focused on middle market private equity, as well as Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. He received a BA in Political Science from Yale University and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School. Connect with Gavin on LinkedInFollow Prudence on TwitterCheck out PrudenceNews: Prudence Closes Its $80mm Fund III To Invest In Technology Companies Transforming The Built World

Yves Perez, CEO of WorkBnB, discusses the significance of workforce housing and the challenges faced by workers in the construction industry. He highlights the importance of mental health and the need for comfortable accommodations for workers who have to travel for their jobs. Perez explains the practical differences of workforce housing compared to traditional options like Airbnb and hotels and shares how companies can work with WorkBnB and the about the potential impact of tech advances on the real estate industry, with a shift in the approach to corporate housing. Perez even gets into the power of branding and word of mouth in building a successful marketplace, noting Workbnb's exciting partnership with the NFL. Finally, Perez gives his predictions for the future of WorkBnB and the workforce housing category. Of course, what's a real estate discussion without touching on the need for more affordable housing solutions—so we got into that as well. More about Yeves and Workbnb Workbnb is a Techstars Venture backed, B2B SAAS travel platform on a mission to accelerate the proliferation of workforce rental homes and improve the lives of millions traveling for work. Yeves Perez is a highly innovative and visionary CEO who has taken the lead in revolutionizing the future of workforce travel and prop tech. With a strong background in marketing, advertising, and brand architecture, he co-founded Workbnb with a mission to transform the rental homes industry for the better and enable millions of people traveling for work to enjoy a better quality of life. Under his dynamic leadership, Workbnb has been featured in top publications including SKIFT, Black Enterprise, and the Harvard Business Review, and is now providing temporary housing for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada as a proud supplier to the NFL. Perez also has the distinction of being a graduate of the inaugural cohort for Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator, the Tulsa 12. Follow Yeves on TwitterFollow Workbnb on TwitterFollow Workbnb on LinkedInCheck out Workbnb

Brandon Peterson, the founder and CEO of GeoKey, discusses the benefits of mobile access control and property management solutions. He shares his background as a serial entrepreneur and the inspiration behind starting GeoKey. Brandon explains the importance of partnerships and integrations in the proptech industry and how GeoKey is leveraging AI to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience. He also discusses market trends, and the future of building access and security. About Brandon and Geokey Geokey is a mobile access solution for property owners and tenants to control the security of their assets without requiring Wi-Fi or readers. In a single app, Geokey controls interior and exterior doors, elevators, gates, amenity access, thermostats, water detection, and guest passes. With detailed data and analytics, it’s easy to see live tracking and it’s simple to add new users or change their level of access. Brandon is a third generation entrepreneur with a passion for innovation and solving problems. After gaining experience in starting a coworking space, real estate project, nonprofit, ecommerce, and managing gyms - the idea for Geokey was born. He bootstrapped their beginning, got a patent for using location services to authenticate access and now they’ve found their niche in multi-family and college campuses. Connect with Brandon on LinkedInFollow Geokey on TwitterCheckout Geokey

In this episode we have Clayton Collins, the Founder and CEO of HW Media. Clayton discusses the growth and vision of HW Media, the challenges of building a media powerhouse, predictions for the real estate market in 2024, and their upcoming annual event, The Gathering. Clayton shares insights on interest rates, inventory, and consumer psychology in the housing industry. He also highlights the importance of research and data in providing a full picture for housing professionals. The conversation concludes with a discussion on HW Media's plans for the future. More about Clayton and HW Media HW Media provides mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals the news, knowledge and community they need to support decision making and business growth. Aligned with our mission to Move Markets Forward, we publish daily news and content through each of our core publishing brands including HousingWire, RealTrends, and Reverse Mortgage Daily. HW Media is based in Dallas, TX with team members across the country. Clayton Collins is the founder and CEO of HW Media. He leads HW Media’s corporate strategy and content roadmap, while building a world-class team of business media professionals. He is also managing partner of Riomar Capital, an entrepreneurial investment firm that acquired HousingWire in 2016. Prior to founding Riomar Capital, Collins worked at RBC Capital Markets in the mergers and acquisitions group and served as vice president of national sales and marketing at Citibank. Connect with Clayton on LinkedInFollow HousingWire on TwitterFollow HousingWire on LinkedInCheck out HousingWireCheck out The GatheringAnd for those considering attending The Gathering, HousingWire is giving Tech Nest listeners 50% off the cost of VIP tickets. Just use this link when you register to get your VIP ticket at a lower cost than the standard admission. Register here: https://events.housingwire.com/the-gathering-by-housingwire?promo=NESTVIP

Tim Ray, CEO of VeriFast, discusses the importance of identity verification in the real estate industry and the challenges of tenant fraud. He explains how VeriFast's single-source verification platform helps verify individuals' identities and financial details, providing a more secure and flexible screening process for renters—especially for those with a non-traditional income. Tim also highlights the company's integrations with property management systems and the need for trust and transparency in data sharing. He predicts that credit checks will become less relevant in rental applications and that document processing using PDFs will fade away as technology advances. More about Tim and VeriFast VeriFast is the only single-source verification platform for identity and financial data that enables applicants to verify their data via a digital connection or document upload with OCR and fraud detection. VeriFast provides a simple, configurable API and turnkey UI that delivers that best ROI for companies that need to validate identity, banking, payroll and/or tax data. VeriFast claims to be a super aggregator of the best verification technology vendors into one universal platform that configures and enriches data to deliver superior decisioning with a best-in-class user experience and trusted by everyday consumers to share their data digitally. There are a multitude of verticals from real estate to banking, insurance, government, and beyond that still rely on slow, analogue processes to share and verify identity and financial data. VeriFast provides the most trusted verification platform in the world with the highest converting opt-in rate in the industry. Getting consumers to share their data is tough, it’s our superpower. VeriFast has a four-star rating on TrustPilot, and we’re the only company brave enough to invite every applicant to rate their experience publicly. Tim Ray is a 4X Founder and Angel investor with a passion for building and scaling innovative businesses from ideation, and a track record of successful exits. Tim is passionate about the importance of creative "out-the-box" thinking, analytical decision-making and developing great relationships to solve complex problems and find winning outcomes. Currently Tim is Co-Founder & CEO of VeriFast, the first single-source verification platform that helps companies verify an individual's identity and financial details using consumer-permissioned data; reducing billions of dollars lost to inefficient underwriting and fraud annually. Tim plays dad to an amazing family with 3 kids and an incredible wife, and is passionate about travelling and being active with friends: skiing, golfing, cycling and more recently kite surfing. Connect with Tim on LinkedInCheck out VeriFast

Catrine Machi, co-founder of Swyft Cities, discusses the company's vision to transform urban real estate by improving mobility. Swyft Cities is developing an aerial transportation system that uses pods traveling along a cableway. The system offers a network of stations that provide efficient and direct routes for users. Machi emphasizes the importance of solving specific problems for cities and the need for a layered approach to transportation options. She also discusses the challenges of policy-making, procurement, and the readiness level of emerging technologies. Machi believes that the future of real estate will involve more options for transportation and a reduction in parking infrastructure. More about Catrine and Swyft Cities Swyft CIties uses autonomous smart gondola systems to create modular, highly flexible sustainable transportation to transform urban real estate for cities and private real estate developments. Catrine Machi is co-founder of Swyft Cities, which transforms urban real estate by transforming mobility. Catrine has dual Master’s Degrees in Urban Planning & Geography, and has been an urban planner, and mobility and transportation planner, consultant, and program manager working to develop more sustainable urban mobility. Follow Catrine on TwitterConnect with Catrine on LinkedInFollow Swyft Cities on TwitterCheck out Swyft Cities‍

Owen Glubiak, VP of Client Strategy for Cortex Sustainability Intelligence, discusses decarbonization in commercial real estate. They discuss the challenges and pressures faced by the industry, the role of AI in optimizing building performance, and the importance of tenant comfort. They also touch on the future of Cortex and the trends in decarbonization policies in cities like Boston, New York, California, Chicago, Denver, and Austin. The conversation explores two major trends in the sustainability and decarbonization space. The first trend is building electrification coupled with grid advances, which is seen as a key strategy to achieve decarbonization goals. The second trend is the impact of transportation emissions and the need for better infrastructure and public transportation systems to reduce emissions. More about Owen and Cortex Sustainability Intelligence Cortex was founded in 2014 by our CEO Bryan Bennett, after he realized the need for commercial buildings to run more sustainably. He grew up around the CRE industry, as his family has a history of developing commercial real estate. When working as a consultant in the energy technology space, Bryan began to understand the many data points that buildings could use to create more sustainable building operations. After realizing that he could put this data to use, Bryan dedicated his career to developing Cortex. He continues to grow with our team and develop new features within the app to better support our customers. Owen has spent his career in energy, technology, and customer success, which makes him an ideal leader of the customer success team at Cortex. He is coming from Building Robotics, a SaaS and IoT business unit within Siemens Smart Infrastructure. He has had roles leading global Customer Success and Support teams. Connect with Owen on LinkedInCheck out Cortex Sustainability Intelligence

Sarah Cipkar, shares her experience building her own backyard ADU and how that started her journey to founding Resimate. Resimate is an online tool that allows homeowners to determine if their backyard is suitable for a detached ADU based on zoning bylaws. Sarah also discusses the different construction methods for ADUs, the challenges in the prefab and modular construction industry, and the importance of awareness and education in the ADU market. She shares her vision for the future of Resimate and the ADU market in Canadian cities. More about Sarah and Resimate Resimate is a tool that enables homeowners and investors to quickly analyze their residential lot in order to determine the feasibility for a backyard home (ADU), allows them to 'place' a home on their backyard lot and then connect directly with a builder for free. Sarah Cipkar is Founder and CEO of Resimate Inc. and ADUSearch, an online tool that helps Canadians discover the potential for ADUs in their own backyards in over 20 cities across Canada, including Toronto and Vancouver. In 2020, Sarah built her own 430sqft backyard home in Windsor, ON, which has informed all of her work in helping homeowners and policymakers alike. She is also a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto. In her spare time, she likes to go on nature walks and spend time with her daughter. Connect with Sarah on LinkedInCheck out Resimate

In this episode of Tech Nest, Jarred Kessler, CEO of EasyKnock, discusses innovative solutions in the residential real estate sector. He shares insights into Easy Knock's unique approach to helping homeowners access their equity without traditional loans. The conversation highlights the 'Sell and Stay' program, where homeowners can sell their property yet remain as renters, tackling the modern challenges of home equity and market dynamics. Discover how EasyKnock working to bring alternative financing to the consumers. More about Jarred and EasyKnock A pioneer in the real estate industry, EasyKnock is ushering in a new chapter into the real estate industry by revolutionizing the space with a new approach, addressing the trapped equity crisis head-on through innovative and accessible residential sale-leaseback programs that help customers reach their financial goals without having to increase their debt or leave the homes they know and love. Jarred is an expert in the real estate and financial space who, before founding EasyKnock, spent more than fifteen years in leadership positions at industry titans like Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Cantor Fitzgerald, and more. Connect with Jarred on LinkedInFollow EasyKnock on TwitterCheck out EasyKnock

Donald Davidoff, the CEO and Co-founder of REBA, discusses the limitations of using spreadsheets in the multifamily industry and the need for new tools. He highlights the challenges of trusting data and the frustration around collating and analyzing data in Excel. Donald introduces REBA Rent, a new product that aims to simplify the rental process and improve transparency. He also addresses the hesitancy of multifamily owners and managers to adopt new solutions and the importance of empathy and observation in understanding user pain points. Donald shares his predictions for the future of REBA and the industry, emphasizing the changing staffing models and the potential impact of AI. More about David and REBA Real Estate Business Analytics is a data analytics company on a mission to change how the multifamily industry uses data. REBA helps leaders ask insightful questions about their business by giving them access to all their data in one central location. We do this by offering a suite of business intelligence, budgeting and pricing & revenue management solutions that gather data & deliver insights so you can make better decisions, faster. With REBA, you can eliminate Excel hell, bad data, excess cost, and analysis paralysis with tools built by multifamily for multifamily. Donald Davidoff is the CEO and Co-founder of Real Estate Business Analytics, Inc. He is recognized throughout the rental housing industry as a thought leader in pricing, business intelligence, marketing, and leasing. Donald is best known for leading the development and implementation of the Lease Rent OptionsTM (LRO), the industry’s first automated demand forecasting and price optimization system. A former Senior Vice President at Archstone and Executive Vice President at Holiday Retirement, Donald works with C-Suite clients to assess their operational and technology platforms and implement impactful projects. Follow REBA on TwitterFollow REBA on LinkedInCheck out REBA

In this conversation, Annie Sloan, Co-founder and CEO of TheHost Co discusses the importance of creating unique experiences in the vacation rental industry and the opportunity to increase revenue through targeted upsells. Upsells can be as simple as late checkouts or early check ins, but Annie goes further providing proof guests want one-off experiences, too. For example, did you know you could hire donkeys with saddlebags full of beer to roam around the property, providing a fun and memorable experience for guests? Yeh, you can do that. Annie emphasizes the marketing and rebooking potential of such unique offerings. More about Annie and TheHost Co The Host Co connects local amenities and services to short-term rentals: from spa and chef to late checkout, local souvenirs, bike rentals, and beyond. Guests are delighted with the added amenities, more tourism dollars are connected to the local economy and the best part: hosts add a new revenue stream to their rentals, receiving payouts on every transaction. Annie is Co-founder & CEO of The Host Co. As she puts it, "we add the mini-bar, concierge and gift shop to your Airbnb". Prior to founding TheHost Co, she was Creative Director at Facebook and Twitter, embedded lead at Airbnb, Google, Samsung, R/GA.

In this episode, Marc Rutzen, CEO of HelloData.ai, talks about revolutionizing real estate investing with AI. We discuss leveraging AI for real-time market analysis and optimizing pricing strategies in multifamily properties, particularly for units under 100. Marc highlights using AI for revenue management, asset optimization, and overcoming industry challenges. This episode offers insights into AI's potential and limitations in real estate, providing valuable information for investors, property managers, and tech enthusiasts. More about Marc and HelloData.ai Maximize Your NOI with HelloData.ai. We provide AI-driven real estate market analysis & pricing strategy. HelloData.ai uses computer vision and AI to identify the most relevant comps for any size (2+ units) multifamily property. Then we analyze them every day to recommend the right pricing, value-adds and operational improvements to maximize your NOI. As CEO of HelloData.ai, Marc leverages his expertise in the real estate domain to spearhead the company's marketing, sales and product development initiatives. His professional journey began in real estate development, brokerage, and consulting, before he launched Enodo, a predictive analytics startup that automated the real estate investment underwriting process with machine learning. Following Walker & Dunlop's acquisition of Enodo, Marc helmed the company's data science, product, and customer success departments as SVP of Information Technology, before his promotion to Chief Product Officer. Marc possesses a Master's degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and is a licensed Managing Real Estate Broker in Illinois. Follow Marc on TwitterConnect with Marc on LinkedInFollow HelloData.ai on TwitterCheck out HelloData.ai

Brian Dally is no stranger to the proptech ecosystem. Brian Co-founded Groundfloor just over 10 years ago, and is still driving the company at an aggressive growth rate. Groundfloor has achieved Inc 5000 recognition four times as being one of the fastest growing private companies in the US. In this interview with Brian, we cover the specifics of the Groundfloor product—a fintech/proptech solution enabling investors (both accredited and non-accredited) to invest in real estate debt. Groundfloor promotes investors have seen a consistent 10% annualized returns on its short-terms offers. We also discuss the challenges of operating a business like this with the many changes the real estate industry has seen over the last 10 years. One thing I find when talking to more seasoned veterans like Brian, is that sometimes the more things change the more they stay the same. Maybe you'll hear that theme in here too. Listen in! More about Brian and Groundfloor Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, Groundfloor is an award-winning fintech company that offers the ease of savings with the real returns of investing. Known for its regulatory prowess and developing completely new financial products for individual investors, the company was the very first to be qualified to offer direct real estate debt investments for both accredited and non-accredited audiences alike. The company has won numerous awards for its product innovation and growth, including four years in a row of being on the Inc. 5000 List. Since it launched in 2013, Groundfloor’s investors have consistently seen 10% annualized returns across its short-term investment offerings. For more information or to get started investing fractionally in real estate, visit Groundfloor.com. Over a 25-year entrepreneurial career that spans IP communications, wireless telecom, and finance, Brian Dally has pushed the boundaries of how disruptive Internet technologies can be applied to solve large-scale consumer problems and distribute the value to all. As the co-founder and CEO of Groundfloor, a wealthtech platform that allows everyone to build wealth through real estate, Brian has helped make private capital markets radically more accessible to new participants. Under his leadership, Groundfloor became the first company qualified by the SEC to offer direct real estate debt investments via Regulation A to non-accredited investors and accredited investors alike. In 2020, Groundfloor made its debut onto Inc. Magazine’s prestigious list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in America, and was recognized in the top 10 percent of all honorees as well as being the fastest-growing financial services company in its home state of Georgia. It’s now been on the Inc 5000 list four years in a row. Brian has also been recognized for his entrepreneurial leadership by many organizations. Before co-founding Groundfloor in 2013, Brian's career building disruptive technology startups included stints in Silicon Valley, Boston, London and the North Carolina Triangle region. Previously, he led the launch of Republic Wireless to take on the big four cellphone carriers to international acclaim. As a result, millions more Americans can now afford a smartphone. Brian has a JD from Harvard Law School, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia. A native of Detroit who lived near Boston during childhood, Brian currently resides with his partner Ashley in Atlanta and Telluride, CO, where he still avidly roots for the Red Sox (but never the Patriots). Follow Brian on TwitterConnect with Brian on LinkedInFollow Groundfloor on TwitterCheck out Groundfloor

Zach is a proptech veteran and OG. As one of the Co-founders of the most prolific early-stage proptech investment firm, MetaProp, and as an individual investor, he's seen some things go down. In this episode, we discuss what's changed over the course of Zach's career within proptech, and discuss where things are headed next. There's more to this than just before and after the pandemic, but that's obviously a big component to how things have evolved. Download to hear more about what Zach has to say. More about Zach and MetaProp MetaProp is the world’s leading venture capital firm focused on the PropTech industry. Founded in 2015, MetaProp’s investment team has invested in over 150 technology companies across the real estate value chain. The firm manages funds for both financial and strategic real estate investors that represent a pilot- and test-ready sandbox of 20+ billion square feet across every real estate asset type and global market. Zach has been working at the intersection of real estate and venture capital for the past decade. He's funded over 60 startups in the space as an individual as well as 100 startups (and counting) through MetaProp’s venture capital funds. In addition to early-stage investing, he's worked on large scale mixed-use development projects in cities like Boston and Los Angeles with Millennium Partners. He's also co-author of PropTech 101 (https://proptech101.com) published by Advantage Media. Connect with Zach on LinkedInFollow Zach on TwitterFollow MetaProp on TwitterCheck out MetaProp