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 CitiesSwyft 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 IntelligenceCortex 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 ResimateResimate 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 EasyKnockA 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

Guest, Donald Davidoff, the COO of REBA discusses limitations of using spreadsheets in the multifamily industry. He introduces REBA Rent, a new product aiming to simplify rental process and improve transparency. Donald addresses hesitancy of adopting new tech by owners and managers. He shares predictions for future of REBA and industry, emphasizing changing staffing models and impact of AI.

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 CoThe 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.aiMaximize 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 GroundfloorCelebrating 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 MetaPropMetaProp 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

John Rogers, Chief Innovation Officer at CoreLogic, discusses topics such as climate data and modeling, AI, scotch, prop tech dilemmas, virtual reality in real estate, and finding inspiration in this captivating podcast.