From time to time, new product categories and their acronyms emerge and become part of the mainstream language of tech. Fintech, Healthtech, and Edtech have made their mark, and now Proptech gaining more and more traction.
Proptech 101
PropTech, short for “Property Technology,” refers to using tech to improve and modernize the real estate or property management industries. Proptech covers a wide range of technologies, including AI, connected devices (like smart meters, sensors, or cameras), and marketplace or payment platforms.
By leveraging these technologies, proptech aims to create more innovative, efficient, and user-friendly experiences for buyers, sellers, agents, homeowners, and property managers.
Examples of Proptech solutions include:
- Online property marketplaces
- Smart home devices
- Automated property management systems
- Digital mortgage platforms
- Real-time property data analytics
Overall, proptech is transforming the industry and making it more accessible, transparent, and convenient.
The History of Proptech
The actual term “proptech” was not widely used until the last decade; however, there were several companies in the early 2000s often considered to be pioneers in the field.
Some of these companies include:
- Zillow: Founded in 2006, Zillow is a real estate marketplace that provides information on homes, neighbourhoods, and real estate agents. They use technology to aggregate and analyze data on millions of properties across the United States.
- Redfin: Founded in 2004, Redfin is a real estate brokerage that uses technology to make the home buying and selling process more efficient. They provide online tools for searching and viewing properties as well as a mobile app for scheduling home tours and communicating with agents.
- Trulia: Founded in 2005, Trulia is a real estate marketplace that provides information on homes, neighbourhoods, and agents. They use technology to provide real-time data on housing trends and insights into the local real estate market.
- RealPage: Founded in 1998, RealPage is a software company that provides property management solutions for the multifamily, commercial, and single-family rental markets. They use technology to automate leasing, rent collection, and maintenance processes.
Why Investors Like Proptech
There are many reasons why investors have circled their wagons around proptech startups, but here are the top three:
1. Huge Market Potential
Real estate is one of the largest asset classes in the world, with a global value of around $280 trillion. Proptech startups are a channel to bring overdue disruption to what is historically a traditional industry.
2. Scalability
Proptech startups often have a scalable business model, meaning they can grow rapidly with minimal incremental costs. For example, a real estate platform can expand to cover new geographies without the need for physical offices or staff.
3. Validation
There has been enough validation across the proptech category to inspire others to follow. Some of the big wins include WeWork (coworking spaces), VTS (real-time data for Property Managers), and Procore (construction management)
In the coming weeks, we’ll share real stories about our work in the proptech category and how to make your next strategic hire.