
Mo News Interview - Paying Rent, Earning Points: Inside BILT’s Housing Revolution & Their New Credit Cards
Jan 12, 2026
Ankur Jain, founder and CEO of BILT, discusses transforming rent into rewards and credit-building with his innovative platform. He dives into how BILT is changing the landscape of housing payments by partnering with landlords and merchants to offer neighborhood benefits. Ankur reveals insights on his entrepreneurial journey, the rising housing costs, and how AI could be the key to solving urban challenges. The conversation also covers the upcoming BILT credit cards, offering rich rewards and seamless payment options, catering to both millennials and homeowners.
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Early Startup Win And Hard Lesson
- Ankur built a messaging service in sixth grade that bridged AIM to SMS and grew to 2 million users.
- He lost it when his home servers crashed because he forgot to keep backups and fans running.
Rent As An Untapped Rewards Category
- Rent is the largest recurring expense yet historically unrewarding, creating an opening for new loyalty models.
- BILT turned rent into a rewards, credit-building, and mortgage-qualification product to capture that value.
From Apartment To Neighborhood Platform
- BILT has expanded from rent rewards into a neighborhood membership connecting residents to local merchants.
- That shift leverages the building as a platform to drive local commerce and resident loyalty.
