Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

In this epsidoe, I talk with Jason Griffith, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Synco, to explore how they simplify communication for property management teams. With the overload of emails and messages, Synco offers a real-time messaging platform to streamline collaboration and organize conversations. It lets users control inbox notifications and easily include external parties like contractors. Synco offers include real-time translation for seamless multilingual communication and integration with property management software. Synco is also focused on leveraging AI to enhance team collaboration and efficiency, aiming to lead the way in transforming property management communication. This conversation goes deeper than just product features, as you'll hear Jason break down the importance (and complexity) of industry-specific communication products.More about Jason and SyncoSynco is the centralized communication platform that allows property management teams to collaborate effortlessly. When it comes to team communication, property management still runs on email (and usually Teams, text and whatsapp). The result is overloaded inboxes, unnecessary liability, slower issue resolution and missed opportunities for collaboration. Synco is the team communication tool built specifically for property management. It brings corporate teams, on-site staff, vendors and clients together in one seamless application. Synco provides the transparency to never have to ask "where are we on this", the peace of mind in knowing that all communications are securely filed and the advantages of rapid, effective team communication. Jason Griffith is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Synco, the real-time, centralized messaging platform built to help property management teams communicate faster and better. Prior to founding Synco, Jason was the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SiteCompli, a compliance automation platform used across 1M+ residential units & 70% of Class A office properties in NYC that is now part of Inhabit, a collective of property management software companies backed by Insight Venture Partners and Goldman Sachs. Jason is passionate about building great tech solutions powered by great teams. Connect with Jason on LinkedInCheck out Synco

14 Okt 202444min

Gene Eidelman, Co-founder of Azure, discusses how they are using 3D printing technology to create and build prefab homes. They use recycled polymers and fiberglass instead of traditional materials, making their homes faster to build and more affordable. We also get into the national housing shortage, affordability crisis, and reducing environmental impacts. Gene explains their construction process, which involves 3D printing modules and finishing them in the factory. He also discusses the challenges of distribution and the acceptance of prefab homes by lenders and insurance companies. Gene emphasizes the need for more sustainable construction practices and the potential for tech advances to address the affordable housing crisis.More about Gene and AzureAzure is fundamentally changing the construction industry by leveraging 3D printing technology using recycled polymers and fiberglass to prefab homes 70% faster and 30% less expensive than existing construction methods, with a positive environmental impactFrom developing multifamily projects to revolutionizing the construction industry with 3D-printed homes, Gene Eidelman's journey in real estate is marked by innovation and impact. After immigrating to the US from Ukraine, Gene quickly made a name for himself, developing over 3,000 condominiums and apartments. At Azure, Gene and his team are breaking new ground with a patented 3D printing process that constructs entire structures from recycled polymers.  Follow Gene on TwitterConnect with Gene on LinkedInFollow Azure on TwitterCheck out Azure

11 Okt 202436min

In this episode, I chat with Andrew Becker, CEO and Co-founder of Billions, a real estate operations platform built for high-volume teams. We explore how Billions automates data tracking and enhances team efficiency, especially in today’s challenging market. Andrew shares his journey from the Air Force to building a successful real estate team and dives into why modular tech and AI are game-changers for the industry. We also discuss his podcast, "Team Lead Talks," where he interviews top real estate leaders (I've got a soft-spot in my heart for leaders with podcasts). Listen in! More about Andrew and BillionsBILLIONS is a real estate team operating system powered by the world's most powerful CRM platform, Salesforce.  Designed and carefully curated around the team model, BILLIONS brings predictable and repeatable processes to a team's operations while seamlessly yielding best-in-class data & analytics for real-time decision-making and oversight.         Andrew started a real estate team back in 2013 in Arlington, VA and built a high volume, high transaction business where we did both retail and investor-type transactions.  Out of our own needs, built an operating systems around our team model that is now being used by some of the top producing teams in the United States.  Connect with Andrew on LinkedInCheck out BillionsCheck out Team Leads Talk Podcast on Youtube

8 Okt 202447min

More about each guest in this special episode:Bo Lais, Founder and CEO at LulaBo Lais is a serial entrepreneur and current CEO/Founder of Lula, a proptech company focused on reinventing maintenance for property managers and investors.Rental property maintenance technology and software powered by a network of vetted contractors. Connect with BoCheck out Lula  Heather Harmon, Founder, Investor, and AdvisorHeather Harmon was prior the Head of Opendoor Finance where she led department operations and partnerships. She led the launch of Opendoor’s financing app, which enables home buyers to understand their buying power by providing a pre-approval in 60 seconds or less. She was previously the co-founder and COO of RedDoor, a digital-first mortgage brokerage acquired by Opendoor in 2021, and was responsible for growth and operations of the organization. Her focus areas included scale in process and operations in addition to product initiatives that leveraged integrations, data science, and industry knowledge. As a third-generation broker, Heather has been at the forefront of innovation and technology in the real estate industry since 1990.Today Heather provides expert guidance to startup and venture capital leaders in structuring successful implementation, investment, or M&A in proptech and fintech.  She is often an invited panelist interested in discussing the path for innovation to accelerate efficiencies for the quality of the consumer experience and for the sake of equity in the current crisis across housing and finance.Connect with HeatherCheck out Heather's websiteKevin Shtofman, Global Head of Innovation at CherreCherre is the leader in real estate data and insight. We connect decision makers to accurate property and market information, and help them make faster, smarter decisions. By providing a unique “single source of truth,” Cherre empowers customers to evaluate opportunities and trends faster and more accurately, while saving millions of dollars in manual data collection and analytics costs.Kevin is an industry leader when it comes to commercial real estate & technology. With over 20 years of experience in real estate, finance, & consulting, he’s carved out an expertise in solving complex challenges using data. Kevin oversees all global Partnerships at Cherre, managing relationships with 130 data, application, and channel Partners across 5 countries. The Cherre platform today boasts over $3 Trillion AUM on the platform.Follow Kevin on TwitterConnect with KevinCheck out Cherre

1 Okt 202440min

In this episode, Phil Levin, Founder and CEO of Live Near Friends, shares insights on the importance of proximity in shaping our lives and the potential for multiplayer mode housing. He discusses the benefits of living near friends and family, how transportation influences city design, and the rise of cul-de-sac communities. Phil also touches on the role of ADUs in fostering closer-knit neighborhoods, the loneliness epidemic, and the health impacts of community living. The conversation highlights how proximity to happy friends can boost happiness by 40%, and explores the future of urban planning with self-driving cars.More about Phil and Live Near FriendsLiveNearFriends reinvents residential real estate by focusing on the #1 amenity: people. We address many of today's biggest pain points: loneliness, isolation in raising families, and lack of rootedness in a WFH world. There’s a silver bullet for these problems, and it's living in proximity to people you love.Today's product aggregates latent demand for living near friends & family, identifies existing housing supply that is a good fit for groups, and greases the behavioral mechanics. It's been covered by Vox, Guardian, Axios, Bigger Pockets and Business Insider. The vision is to become the marketplace where all "proximate housing" is marketed, developed, financed, and sold. Phil is the CEO/founder of Live Near Friends, the social real estate platform that helps people live within walking distance of friends & family.Previously, he helped start Culdesac (a developer building walkable, car-free neighborhoods, $200m+ raised).Phil started a housing cluster called Radish where he lives near 19 friends and 5 of their kids spread across 10 homes.  He writes about this on Supernuclear, the #1 newsletter on living near friends (160K reach).Phil’s mission is to create forms of housing which makes us happy, healthy, and connected. And in doing so rebuild the social fabric of our neighborhoods.Follow Phil on TwitterConnect with Phil on LinkedInFollow Live Near Friends on TwitterCheck out Live Near Friends

25 Sep 202440min

Greg Sack, partner and CMO of Pinch, discusses how Pinch is reshaping the multifamily industry's approach to turnover and common area cleaning. Pinch offers centralized solutions for property management companies, bridging the gap and providing efficient cleaning services. The conversation covers topics such as the challenges of finding cleaners, the need for a B2B avenue in the cleaning industry, the role of technology in scaling the business, and the potential for consolidation in the industry. Greg also shares his predictions for the future of Pinch and the real estate industry.More about Greg and PinchPINCH is reshaping the multifamily industry's approach to turnover and common area cleaning! We're disrupting the status quo by providing a platform for high-quality home cleaners to seamlessly transition into this space, and solving a number of challenges that existing cleaning teams are facing in the industry. With stringent vendor requirements in place, finding reliable resources has been a challenge—until now. PINCH is bridging the gap, offering a centralized solution for property management companies nationwide. By standardizing processes, pricing, and invoicing, we're driving significant cost reductions and operational efficiencies across the board. Plus, our network ensures swift onboarding of new cleaning teams, replacing them within hours or days, not months.Greg is a serial entrepreneur who spent his early career in the logistics industry.  In 2014, he sold his e-commerce and logistics business to FedEx, which is the first time in their history that they acquired a start-up technology company.  Greg is Partner and CMO for PINCH.  He heads up all strategic growth initiatives and helps to drive the direction of the business.Connect with Greg on LinkedInCheck out Pinch

10 Sep 202441min

In this episode, I chat with Landon Cooley, CEO and Co-founder of Pest Share, about the crucial yet often overlooked role of pest control in property management. Landon highlights the challenges of dealing with specialty pests like bed bugs and cockroaches, which can cause major issues in multi-family settings. Pest Share offers a solution by providing tenants with direct, on-demand access to pest control services, bypassing the need for property manager involvement. This not only improves the resident experience but also helps property managers focus on more pressing tasks. We also discuss how property managers can build trust and add value by responding quickly to maintenance requests, which can lead to better tenant satisfaction and easier lease renewals.Finally, we touch on the future of Pest Share and the impact of technology on real estate, exploring how deep integrations and custom solutions can boost operational efficiency.More about Landon and Pest SharePest Share is a fast-growing, 4-year-old proptech startup based in Boise, ID. Pest Share’s on-demand pest control technology saves tenants 70% on pest services and allows them to diagnose, request, and receive pest services right from their cell phones - without the involvement of a property manager. For property managers, this means a value-added pest control amenity that provides a better rental experience, operational efficiencies, a new revenue stream, and increased NOI.Landon Cooley is the CEO & Co-Founder of Pest Share. Landon has almost 20 years of experience in pest management and is 4th generation in his family to pursue a career within the industry. Landon has a strong belief that, “There is always a better way”. After years of encountering the same, unaddressed pest control paint points in the property management space, Landon and his Co-Founders decided to launch their most recent venture, Pest Share.Connect with Landon on LinkedInFollow Pest Share on LinkedInCheck out Pest Share

3 Sep 202445min

In this episode, I chat with Jason Lewis, co-founder of Parcel Labs, about the evolving landscape of real estate data. We dive into the power of real-time housing data, how it's becoming more transparent, and the impact it's having on the market. Jason shares insights on how Parcel Labs is leading the charge by providing unparalleled access to housing information, making it easier for developers and operators to make informed decisions. If you're curious about the future of real estate data and how it can be your best tool, this episode is a must-listen!More about Jason and Parcl LabsAt Parcl Labs, our mission is to make housing data real-time, transparent, and accessible. We reveal previously hidden aspects of the housing market, including daily price movements and investor activities. All of this valuable information is available directly to you through our easy-to-use API.Jason is the Co-founder and Chief Data Officer of Parcl Labs. He brings experience from his time at Microsoft and Deloitte, where he worked on large-scale international data standardization and machine learning projects.Follow Jason on TwitterConnect with Jason on LinkedinFollow Parcl Labs on TwitterCheck out Parcl Labs

16 Aug 202440min