Episode 200 Reflection, Reflection, And Updates With Host Nate Smoyer Tech Nest: The Proptech podcast

18:19

I never intended to publish over 200 podcast episodes. I truly thought I'd do 30 or 40—at most—and then move on to something else. However, the constant support I received across the entire industry motivated me to keep going. I love this industry and intend on going nowhere anytime soon. But the time has come to set the podcast aside and focus more energy into something else. I want to continue sharing my work so that others can benefit, but I'm also interested in saying yes to other opportunities such as advising and consulting. I plan on publishing occasionally to my newsletter (Join here: https://technest.beehiiv.com/ ) and you'll likely see content time to time come from the Tech Nest social channels (until they're rebranded). As a final glimmer of hope, I reserve the right to reverse course. Previously, I'd shutdown the show, only to come back and publish 150 more episodes since then. I don't intend on doing that again, but ya never know. :) Find me on socials: https://Twitter.com/natesmoyer https://LinkedIn.com/in/natesmoyer…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Blueprint Conference Conversations Part 4 26:16

hace 18 weeks26:16

26:16

In this special episode, you'll get to listen in on conversations I had while attending Blueprint Conference, 2024. Here's the list of guests in this Part 4 of my Blueprint Conversations series. Brad Pilgrim, Co-founder and CEO, Parity https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradpilgrim/ https://www.paritygo.com/ Vikas Gupta, CEO, Azibo https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikas-a-gupta/ https://azibo.com Matt Ellis, CEO, Measurabl https://www.linkedin.com/in/measurabl/ https://www.measurabl.com/…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Blueprint Conference Conversations Part 3 37:07

hace 20 weeks37:07

37:07

In this special episode, you'll get to listen in on conversations I had while attending Blueprint Conference, 2024. Here's the list of guests in this Part 3 of my Blueprint Conversations series. Pierre Calzadilla, Co-founder & COO at Upfront https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrecalzadilla https://myupfront.com Mukund Venkatakrishnan, Co-founder & CEO at Upfront https://www.linkedin.com/in/mukund-venkatakrishnan-466636a5 https://myupfront.com Amber Kahr, Co-founder & COO at Billions https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberkahr https://joinbillions.com James Gallagher, Co-founder & CEO at Greenlite https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesabgallagher https://www.greenlite.com Ethan Lieber, Co-founder & CEO at Latchel https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanlieber https://latchel.com Nick Durham, General Partner at Shadow Ventures https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-durham-a3708724 https://shadow.vc/…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Rental Listings Marketplace 3.0 with Anthemos Georgiades, CEO at Zumper 29:46

hace 22 weeks29:46

29:46

In this conversation I'm joined by Zumper Co-founder and CEO, Anthemos Georgiades. We discuss the evolving landscape of the rental market, highlighting the record supply of rental units in 2024 and the implications for renters and property management companies. I was excited to discuss the latest partnership between Zumper and Airbnb, exploring how this collaboration reflects the convergence of long-term and short-term rental markets. Anthemos has been in the trenches of this industry for quite a few years, stays in the data, and have some interesting outlooks for the industry to come. Do not miss this important episode! More about Anthemos and Zumper After standing in the rain in London to try and get an apartment in his 20s, Anthemos realized how antiquated yet massive the rental industry was. So, Zumper was founded in 2012 in San Francisco, kicking off at TechCrunch Disrupt, to modernize the rental industry and they are now the largest privately owned rental platform in North America. Zumper is the largest privately owned rental platform in North America with more than 76 million site visits a year. Zumper is on a mission to make renting a home as easy as booking a hotel. To date, Zumper has raised over $178 million from Kleiner Perkins, Goodwater Capital, Headline, Dawn Capital, and the Blackstone Group. Connect with Anthemos on LinkedIn Follow Anthemos on Twitter Follow Zumper on Twitter Check out Zumper…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Advancing EV Charging Amenities for Multifamily with Nicholas Johnson, Founder and CEO of Orange Charger 49:10

hace 22 weeks49:10

49:10

In this conversation, I talk with Nicholas Johnson, Founder and CEO of Orange Charger, about the challenges and opportunities in the EV charging industry, particularly for multifamily homes. He describes the importance of user experience, connectivity, and the role of software in managing energy consumption. We also get into the evolving landscape of property management as it relates to EV charging infrastructure and the future of energy management solutions. More about Nicholas and Orange Charger Orange Charger is an Energy Management Solution for multifamily homes. Orange's right-sized charging solutions are reliable, affordable, scalable, and purpose-built for these properties. Nicholas is passionate about enabling humans to live carbon-neutral lives without compromising lifestyle. Before starting Orange, he built A.I. software to optimize traffic signals to reduce congestion. He started his career at Tesla as an electrical design engineer, bringing the Model 3 thermal designs to market. Connect with Nicholas on LinkedIn Follow Orange Charger on Twitter Check out Orange Charger…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Creating an Excellent Guest Experience with Peter Gudmundsson, CEO of BeHome247 40:32

hace 22 weeks40:32

40:32

Peter Gudmundsson, CEO of BeHome 247, discusses the challenges and opportunities in the short-term rental and vacation rental industry. He emphasizes the importance of delivering a consistently excellent guest experience and the need for brand consistency. Gudmundsson also addresses the impact of local zoning regulations on the industry and the role of technology in improving operations and guest satisfaction. He highlights the value of a unified operations platform that integrates various systems and provides real-time visibility for property managers. BeHome 247 provides a unified operations platform for the short-term rental and residential property management industries. The platform integrates various functions such as maintenance, housekeeping, guest communication, and vendor management, improving operational efficiency and customer experience. The CEO, Peter Gudmundsson, emphasizes the importance of thinking systemically and avoiding the purchase of point solutions that lack coordination. He also discusses the role of AI in customer service and the need for a balance between technology and human interaction. Gudmundsson predicts that the industry will see more consistency of delivery and that digital curb appeal will become a critical factor in property judgments. More about Peter and BeHome247 BeHome247 provides residential and STR/VR real estate owners/operators and property managers with a tailored operations platform. The technology controls smart devices, operating workflows, and resident communications. Peter Gudmundsson is CEO of BeHome247. He has been running small and medium-sized businesses in technology, content, and human capital for over twenty-five years. Follow Peter on Twitter Connect with Peter on LinkedIn Follow BeHome247 on Twitter Check out BeHome247…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Blueprint Conference Conversations Part 2 29:58

hace 22 weeks29:58

29:58

In this special episode, you'll get to listen in on conversations I had while attending Blueprint Conference, 2024. Here's the list of guests in this Part 2 of my Blueprint Conversations series. Kenon Chen, EVP of Strategy and Growth at Clear Capital https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenon-chen-72201b4/ https://www.clearcapital.com/ John Rogers, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at CoreLogic https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rogers-a4053a38/ https://www.corelogic.com/ Brandon Peterson, CEO of Geokey https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-peterson-6ab6b997/ https://geokeyaccess.com/ Amber Kahr, Co-founder of Billions https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberkahr https://www.joinbillions.com Nick Schanbaum, Co-founder of Durango Turnkey Services https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-schanbaum-01ab3831/ https://durangotks.com/…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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The Next Iteration in Property Management for Self-Managing Landlords with Dana Dunford, Co-founder and CEO of Hemlane 44:01

hace 25 weeks44:01

44:01

In this episode, Dana Dunford, Co-founder and CEO of Hemlane, joins the show to discuss the evolving landscape of property management for self-managing real estate investors. Hemlane is a venture-backed platform that simplifies rental property management by offering tools for inspections, repairs, tenant coordination, and more, all in one place. Dana shares how Hemlane differentiates itself from traditional property management by blending human oversight with technology, catering to a market where 72% of landlords self-manage their properties. We also explore how she achieved early traction at Hemlane by leveraging her personal network, testing creative messaging, and focusing on product-led growth. Dana emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach between technology and personal interaction, particularly as AI becomes more prevalent in real estate. This is a must listen for early-stage founders in the proptech space and those wanting to know what the next iteration for landlord software looks like. More about Dana and Hemlane Dana Dunford is the CEO of Hemlane, a venture-backed property management platform with over 27,000 rentals and $1BN in payments processed. She is a strong advocate of purchasing properties anywhere, as the best investments are not typically in your backyard. She supports real estate investors in setting up the most intelligent process to manage rentals from a distance, while connecting them with local, licensed professionals. Follow Dana on Twitter Connect with Dana on LinkedIn Follow Hemlane on Twitter Checkout Hemlane…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Bringing All Systems Together in Property Management with Jason Griffith, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Synco 44:49

hace 26 weeks44:49

44:49

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 Synco Synco 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 LinkedIn Check out Synco…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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3D Printed Homes With Recycled Materials with Gene Eidelman, Co-founder of Azure Printed Homes 36:24

hace 26 weeks36:24

36:24

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 Azure Azure 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 impact From 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 Twitter Connect with Gene on LinkedIn Follow Azure on Twitter Check out Azure…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Modern Modular Platform for Real Estate Operations with Andrew Becker, CEO and Co-founder of Billions 47:04

hace 27 weeks47:04

47:04

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 Billions BILLIONS 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 LinkedIn Check out Billions Check out Team Leads Talk Podcast on Youtube…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Blueprint Conference Conversations, Part 1 with Bo Lais, Heather Harmon, and Kevin Shtofman 40:57

hace 28 weeks40:57

40:57

More about each guest in this special episode: Bo Lais, Founder and CEO at Lula Bo 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 Bo Check out Lula Heather Harmon, Founder, Investor, and Advisor Heather 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 Heather Check out Heather's website Kevin Shtofman, Global Head of Innovation at Cherre Cherre 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 Twitter Connect with Kevin Check out Cherre…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Building for Tighter-Knit Communities with Phil Levin, Founder and CEO of Live Near Friends 40:39

hace 29 weeks40:39

40:39

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 Friends LiveNearFriends 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 Twitter Connect with Phil on LinkedIn Follow Live Near Friends on Twitter Check out Live Near Friends…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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Reshaping Turnover Services in Multifamily with Greg Sack, Partner and CMO of Pinch 41:42

hace 31 weeks41:42

41:42

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 Pinch PINCH 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 LinkedIn Check out Pinch…

Tech Nest: The Proptech Podcast

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The Impact of Pest Control in Property Management and Tenant Experience with Landon Cooley, Co-founder and CEO of Pest Share 45:53

hace 32 weeks45:53