Caren Maio has been in proptech for about as long as there’s been a thing called proptech. She founded Funnel in 2011 and—despite having no real estate experience—built it into one of the leading marketing platforms in the multifamily sector. More recently, she was president of Moved, a technology platform that helps renters move.
She’s also an active mentor and investor in the real estate tech category category, serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Camber Creek and a mentor at MetaProp. In other words, there are few people out there with as wide of a view into real estate tech—and the challenges of operating a real estate tech company—as Caren Maio.
In this episode, Caren and I chat about the state of real estate technology, its evolution over the past decade, and where she thinks it’ll head in the coming years. We dig into practical tips for proptech founders, including how real estate tech companies can differentiate their products and sell into an increasing crowded space.
Caren also discusses the biggest mistakes she sees real estate tech companies make, including advice for proptech entrepreneurs just getting started. We talk about the fundraising environment as well as the pitfalls of starting a company in New York City. We cover a lot of ground in this one, so even listeners without a lot of tech or venture experience should get a lot out of it.
As always, you can listen here on Substack or on the following platforms:
Enjoy!
—Brad Hargreaves
Caren Maio on Proptech Then and Now