A guest article by Romi Mahajan

In an early part of my career- almost 20 years ago- I had the opportunity to work with some incredible people in the “security” space. Many of those I had the privilege of working with and learning from have gone on to do noteworthy things in the space- from being CISOs of large companies, to starting successful security startups, to authoring important and even tectonic articles on the space.

As I recall from those heady days two decades ago, those involved in the “Business” and “Marketing” sides of security (as opposed to the technical side) all agreed on one thing: Security has to be framed as a business issue not just a technical one. Ninety percent of those on the technical side agreed with this.

While the sentiment appears to be a cliché, it is perhaps more nuanced than it might seem. The point is not that security impinges on business and as such must be taken seriously. Instead, the emphasis here is on the nature of the business and the corresponding defense-posture that a business should take. Additionally, it’s a reminder that the nature of the business will dictate the differential investments in security that make up the whole.

Twenty years ago, I had an easy example to trot out for explanation: If your company is an ecommerce play then making sure your website is not hacked and is up and functional is key to your business. Not so much if your company is a restaurant. Both require security but in different ways and at different levels of investment.

At that time, we created a “Risk Assessment” that essentially assessed business risk and mapped it onto security posture and spending. The idea was that they should match in valence level- you don’t want an important asset unprotected nor do you want to spend millions to protect something that is irrelevant.

The notion that Business risk is the key element of analysis has persisted and would be a truism if indeed it was a universally understood idea. But alas it is not.

We still encounter generic language and un-nuanced views of security. We still see complacency in the ranks of business leaders, relegating security to something that “IT will think about.” We also still see a shifting landscape of blame- forgetting conveniently that security has to be a Board level issue.

LAMR Group’s Paras Shah says it well- “After the fact finger pointing does no one any good in security. Resilient frameworks for managing the business issue that is security have to be developed and funded, continuously, by the Board of any organization of appreciable size.” Security thinker Manish Godha adds, “Security better be part of your 2022 plan. Not-negotiable.”

In a world of daily breaches, attacks, ransom demands- on and to the systems on which our entire human infrastructure runs- security must not only be top of mind but the “thinking” has to be met with real action. The suggestion that security is just a technology issue has no place in the dialogue of 2022 and beyond.

Marketing Darwinism:  Gayle, you left a brilliant sales career at stalwarts like Informa and Microsoft to start your own gig.  Is this part of the “Great Resignation” or is something else afoot?  

Gayle Keller:  I have always been a woman who has reinvented her professional life.  It just so happens I pressed pause on my corporate career and left a role (and company) that I admire during The Great Resignation in search of more balance and fulfillment in this season of life.

I spring boarded from sales into the entrepreneurial abyss to reinvent myself while embracing the uncomfortable feeling of the unknown.

• Was I nervous?
• Was I apprehensive?
• Was I afraid of failing?

Absolutely YES to all three questions!  However, I knew I had to let my calling be stronger than my fear to guide me on my new path.  

Marketing Darwinism:  You emphasize re-invention and also the gendered aspects of work.  How are they connected?

Gayle Keller:  With respect to reinvention and gender inclusivity, unconscious bias still exists which influences our behaviors and ultimately can impede inclusion.  Corporate inclusion is acknowledging differences and collectively bringing them together for a common mission – to drive project success, build camaraderie, and recognize and acknowledge those who contribute to the company’s bottom line.  Diversity, equity, and inclusion are even more important in our globalized world today. To be a diverse organization, you must have a focus on inclusion; it’s no longer an option. 

Marketing Darwinism:  You once told me you were a marketer at heart and I recall you once led a marketing conference.  Can you describe how you have brought your “marketing bent” to bear on both our sales and your entrepreneurial endeavors.

Gayle Keller:  We are all marketers and sellers at heart, no matter what profession we choose.  As consumers, we buy from brands that speak to us.  As businesspeople, we buy and/or partner with people and organizations who we can related to and that will support us in exceeding our goals.

Marketing is a form of communication and a way to connect with others.  Communication skills (and good manners!) are critical in relationship building. To that point, your personal brand is everything and is a vital part of standing out in this world, especially if you are looking to reinvent your professional life.

Marketing Darwinism:  What lessons for a young marketer would you have?  What would you suggest they emphasize in their learning?

Gayle Keller:  My advice is to network and start as early as possible.  Starting to network when you’re in college is a key element to bridging the gap from campus life to professional life.  The sooner you start to network, the sooner the universe acknowledges your hopes, dreams, and begins to align people and potential opportunities your way.  

Networking at the organizations you desire to work at as well as people (both inside and outside of your industry) whom you admire can strengthen your confidence and give you the clarity you need to follow your aspirations.  The art of networking is truly magical. 

Marketing Darwinism:  Describe the services you offer to companies and how it helps them become better environments for success?

Gayle Keller:  The corporate ladder has a broken rung when it comes to inclusion, and I address revitalizing gender inclusivity head on with my advisory work and five pillar methodologies.  For example, if a company has a strong culture with happy employees, that company thrives, and chances are so does their profitability.  A positive culture improves performance and outcomes while decreasing employee onboarding and turnover costs and efforts which, in turn, increases employee retention.  

Furthermore, gender inclusivity fosters accelerated productivity in a collaborative environment, and results in all genders feeling respected, supported, and appreciated.

Marketing Darwinism:  Who are some of your marketing mentors? Do you recommend mentorship to all people, irrespective of age or experience?

Gayle Keller:  I have been blessed by having a few marketing mentors throughout my many seasons of life – Romi Mahajan has been one of my personal mentors for nearly 10 years.

Yes, I absolutely recommend mentorship to all people regardless of age or experience.  Career reinvention and professional risk-taking have no age limitations.  Having a trifecta of mentors, business coaches, and sponsors in your professional arena is a secret sauce to success, growth, and satisfaction.  You can never go wrong with investing in yourself for it will set you apart from your competition.  And a good rule of thumb is to pay it forward by contributing to the success of others.

Marketing Darwinism:  What are your predictions for business in 2022?  What are 3 or 4 trends you see as important?

Gayle Keller:  My predicted top business trends for 2022 are:

• The Great Resignation
• Flexibility and Autonomy
• Career Reinvention

The biggest trend defining the way we do business is The Great Resignation and mitigating employee turnover.  As a culture, we have craved the ability to navigate the intersection between work/life integration with a pinch of flexibility and a handful of autonomy.  With The Great Resignation underway, I don’t see the movement as a negative but more of a positive.  It’s an opportunity for companies to do a better job reaching gender parity, shine a spotlight on mental health and wellness while being more empathetic towards their employees.  

The Great Resignation provides an opportunity for employees to have more flexibility and autonomy to work on their own terms with their role given the hybrid work model and the ability to work from anywhere.  It also provides an opportunity for employees to seek career reinvention to find work/life integration and do something that makes their heartstrings sing. 

Career Reinvention is something we all should embrace, regardless of gender.  Reinvention occurs when you get a promotion, make a lateral move into another division/department, or leave a company altogether.  We are constantly reinventing ourselves and given we’re living in a global hybrid work environment; it is more important than ever to make sure you are continuing your learnings through trainings and courses while networking with people both inside and outside your company.

*****

Gayle’s Bio:  As a professional speaker, advisor, coach, podcast host, author and former award-winning executive leader who has a deep passion for improving communications and relationships, Gayle Keller, Chief Reinvention Officer, leads, facilitates, inspires, and revitalizes gender inclusivity programs for select corporations and universities. Learn more about Gayle here https://gaylekeller.org/

Technology Marketing executive and investor Romi Mahajan has joined PropTech Platform HouseAmp as its first Chief Marketing Officer. His responsibilities will be building a world-class brand, generating demand for HouseAmp’s products and services, and building a scalable marketing infrastructure and team. Previous to HouseAmp, Mahajan spent nine years at Microsoft and has been CMO of 6 different companies, including most recently leading PropTech AI play Quantarium.

“We are ecstatic to have Romi join HouseAmp as part of our Leadership Team, “says Rick Hennessey, HouseAmp CEO and Co-Founder. “He brings enormous creative chops and a successful track record to lead our marketing efforts,” he adds

HouseAmp is an innovative platform designed to align the needs of Homeowners, Service Pros, Brokers, and Agents. The US residential real estate market is the country’s largest asset class- with $40 trillion of aggregate value. American homeowners have $22 trillion of equity in their homes but up to 75% of them cannot easily, securely, and cost-effectively access this equity. Millions of homeowners can substantially raise the value of their homes via refurbishments that they do not have the cash to do. HouseAmp’s “Pay Later Platform” allows homeowners to easily access the liquidity needed to make these changes, while having to provide no money upfront, opening a new vista of possibilities for house-rich Americans.

“PropTech as a space is booming and HouseAmp’s offerings stand-out as not only powerful in the marketplace but also aligned with the notion that families’ houses are often their largest investments and the ability to both access and grow equity is a life-changer for the vast swath of US homeowners,” says Mahajan.

HouseAmp is based in Seattle and has team members distributed throughout the United States. Backed by serial entrepreneurs with a superb record of exits, the company will be tripling headcount in 2022 as it embarks on hyper-growth.

A guest article by Walter Allen, President| HouseAmp.

Residential Real Estate is the largest asset class in the world. In the US alone, residential real estate is valued at a staggering $40 trillion. While it is understood that the housing market is a bellwether for the entire economy, it is rarely mentioned that Americans have about $22 trillion in home equity and owe about $18 trillion in mortgage debt.

For many families, their home equity constitutes the bulk of their net-worth. Home equity, however, does not imply liquidity or the availability of cash; often, the ability to tap into one’s home equity is constrained by stringent financial requirements, income to debt ratios, and a host of other factors.

This can lead to difficulty for many people who have wealth caught up in their homes but little cash. For people who are interested in selling their houses to avail of the equity (or for other reasons), another difficulty arises. This difficulty can be turned into an opportunity under the right circumstances and with the right partners.

Put simply, many houses would sell for substantially more money if they were refurbished before sale. The increase in sale amount in many cases far exceeds the amount of money used for refurbishment. The key is to determine which elements of the house to change- to drive the most ROI- and to be able to arrange the liquidity to get the refurbishments done.

Many people struggle at this point. They have money locked in their home equity and are looking to maximize their returns but don’t have the cash on hand or wherewithal to make the right changes in order to derive the most gain upon sale.

Estimates are that millions of people are in this circumstance every year. As such, the scale of the opportunity is great, matched fully by the need in the marketplace for a solution. This creates a crossover between an economically productive set of services and a set of services built on the notion of fairness, equity, and homeowner value in the overall housing ecosystem.

Providing early and timely liquidity to home-sellers such that they can upgrade their homes, sell for a high multiplier of investment, and then enjoy the benefits of increased equity while only settling with the liquidity provider “later” is thus an important part of the fertile housing transaction ecosystem.

Doing this while providing ease, speed, and security is gravy on top.

We are moved every day by the stories of people whose lives are altered by the services we make available. Both the opportunity and the gratification are monumental.

Marketing Darwinism caught up with Marketing Executive Todd Wells, CMO of award-winning Acumatica

Marketing Darwinism: Acumatica- the leader in Cloud ERP.  What is the value proposition of the company and what explains the torrid growth pace?

Todd W: Acumatica does indeed continue to grow at a very substantial pace – and it’s great to see how the product and the value proposition resonates so well with our prospects and customers.  The value prop is centered on three basic promises: superior technology, high value, and unflagging support. That is essentially what we provide to all members of the Acumatica ecosystem, from worldwide OEMs and regional VARs to ISVs, developers, and of course customers. We truly believe it’s our duty and obligation to ensure the success of all those who place their trust in Acumatica.

Marketing Darwinism:  Todd, you were a marketing and data leader at Microsoft and then transitioned to a much smaller company.  As a Marketer, how do you unlearn the “access” to massive budgets and teams and find a more guerrilla footing?

Todd W: I tend to think about it less as unlearning and more about bringing all of my varied experience to bear on the work – whether that is the experience with scale or even in different industries prior.  The scale was certainly different from when I left Microsoft to when I started at Acumatica, but I think that we are now scaling so quickly that much of the work is similar to what I did before with large, global teams.  Meanwhile, of course, you just have to roll up your sleeves and do the work rather than delegate it. Massive budgets often mean you have to get more people involved, and that doesn’t necessarily lead to a better result.

Marketing Darwinism:  Acumatica’s marketing is top-notch and ubiquitous.  How do you approach the marketing mix?

Todd W:  Marketing is directly responsible for a substantive portion of our licensing wins on a quarterly basis – and so no question that our demand generation is focused on those vehicles that are quantitatively proven to drive pipeline – and we continue to dynamically invest and optimize across the entire mix.  But given that we are a challenger in the ERP space – we do have other complementary objectives such as brand awareness – and you will see our presence in airports and other vehicles – even including highly targeted television ads.

Marketing Darwinism: I see that Acumatica Summit is a core piece of your outreach strategy.  What does the Summit/Physical Event offer you that other, “virtual” means cannot?

Todd W:  I do believe that the Summit is an extremely strong community event and one that will continue into the foreseeable future. The way our attendees come together with real enthusiasm is hard to duplicate, it can’t be livestreamed. Virtual events and webinars are certainly a critical component of our marketing mix – and have grown substantially in importance during COVID and quarantine – but yes, as you say, the Acumatica Summit is the seminal event for us and our customers, partners, and industry analysts.  We invest a lot of time and effort to ensure that it is motivating, engaging and informative for all attendees – and we just recently concluded our 2021 Summit at the Wynn Las Vegas – with over 2,500 attendees and record satisfaction levels.

Marketing Darwinism:  Acumatica’s growth one can argue is partner-led.  What are the challenges and opportunities of being a CMO on a channel enablement scenario versus a direct-to-customer scenario?

Todd W:  Acumatica is entirely dedicated to our partner channel – and I like to think about partners as a marketing flywheel driving awareness and demand generation beyond what we can do ourselves.  A critical focus of my team is our partner marketing enablement capabilities through which we can go to market through and with our vast partner ecosystem. A direct-to-customer scenario is certainly more traditional, but leveraging the channel and all of its breadth and expertise can be a very powerful combination.

Marketing Darwinism: What is your advice for young marketers today?  In the tech industry and others?

Todd W: I think that there has probably never been a better time to be in Marketing – the ever changing and progressing capabilities across marketing technologies, the changing dynamics of our lives across work and our personal, etc.  Companies are more and more realizing how critical Marketing is to deliver on business objectives – and we are witnessing a resurgence in the prominence of the role.  There is so much to learn and understand across digital marketing, analytics, customer experience, creative etc these days – my advice is simply to learn as much across as many of these aspects as possible and to be open to any new opportunities to learn – the strongest marketers I work with have a broad spectrum of experiences and knowledge and are able to leverage it to deliver results.

Marketing Darwinism had the opportunity to meet up with Paras Shah, Managing Director at LAMR Group Inc.

Marketing Darwinism:  Paras, you are an acknowledged expert in Security and Privacy.  Tell us about these areas and please inflect with your experience.

Paras Shah:  Thanks Paul.  I am not sure I am an expert.  I say this not out of false humility but because one can never truly be an expert in these areas, given the pace of technological change, always expanding attack surface and the complexity of risk scenarios  arrayed against any organization.  But, yes, I’ve been in the space for 20 years and am struck by two seemingly contradictory themes.  

The first is that much of what we knew even 10 years ago, particularly around probable targets, has been rubbished by later developments.  Technologies change rapidly and with the democratization of devices and technology-business singularity, threats are literally ubiquitous.  20 years ago, many thought only about large organizations and companies being under threat.  Now, threats are equal opportunity.  So yes, that has materially altered the threat landscape and along with it the solution market place.

The second is how much has stayed the same.  We had a mantra decades ago that security was about technology but also people, process, culture, and other factors.  Well, that’s still the same.  So, any framework you build to deal with Security and Privacy has to have multiple components in its composition and spirit.

Marketing Darwinism:  What roles does LAMR Group play in this space? 

Paras Shah:  We follow what I just covered as a core tenet of our value proposition.  We offer consultation and frameworks but also human capital to large and medium sized companies so that they can think of Security and Privacy holistically.  We also identify best in breed products and managed services in the Security space and either resell them or advise customers on their adoption.  Business has been brisk, which is an indication of just how much work has to be done in the space.

Marketing Darwinism:  Many of our readers are Marketers by profession though all are senior enough to wear multiple hats.  How does marketing play a role in this space?

Paras Shah:  Marketing plays a very large role in Security and Privacy, in some expected ways and in some unexpected ways.  

Given the ubiquity of the “Security” conversation, almost all companies that deal with technology, data, personal information, or anything even remotely “sensitive” have to refer to their security and privacy protocols in marketing literature – communicating good security hygiene has become “table stakes” for a competent marketer. This is good and bad.  It’s good that almost all organizations take these areas seriously but also, as is the wont of marketers, there are many boasts and hyperbolic statements that set organizations up for failure.  Too good to be true is, well, never true.  Technologists and Security professionals have to deal with the fallout of these marketing claims.  I’d ask all Marketers to consult with Security and Privacy people before making claims that cannot be paid off.

Marketing Darwinism:  It’s almost a marketing ethics issue isn’t it?

Paras Shah:  In some ways yes but also, to cut folks some slack, there are some misconceptions about Security and Privacy;  that there are quick fixes or silver bullets or that doing an “audit” then remediation is a one-time deal.  Not at all.  These are constant, continuous, dynamic spaces that require frequent attention –  top of mind always.

Marketing Darwinism:  Parting thoughts? 

Paras Shah:  All people in Security have to be evangelists of some sort.  So, all I can really say is that for all organizations, of any size, Security and Privacy to be a Board-Level issue and a core strategic pillar. Security and privacy cannot be relegated  to a parenthetical discussion.

A guest post by Romi Mahajan, President KKM Group and Dharmesh Godha, President Advaiya

If the only source of information in the world was the business press, one could forgive anyone for believing that only a few, large companies are important. In the world of technology, we read about Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple: We get to know these companies well and through the narratives of the more clever of the journalist breed, even come to understand a few nuances. We hear a bit too about the next layer of companies; still it is fair to say that 90% of articles cover the top 10% of organizations.

What’s lost in this concentrative focus is that SMBs are also worthy of understanding- they are complex and important and can also be very innovative and forward-looking. Some of them are in a growth mode while others’ choose to remain small, nimble, and rewarding to their owners and workers. As in Baseball, not all hits have to be grand-slams- singles can be fine too.

When we take the time to focus on and understand Mid-Sized companies- spread across verticals and industries—we find that they grapple with issues, evaluate opportunities, and look to improve in very much the same way as their larger counterparts do. In some ways, the challenges are more profound: There are less resources in terms of money and people and still the same set of opportunities and technologies to evaluate. The “staying power” of Mid-Sized companies is less (a bad 6 months can lead to bankruptcy) so in fact being agile and responsive to customers is, interestingly, more important than in large enterprises. A few bad hires can ruin a smaller company, so HR and People processes have to be more exacting. It might seem like a Bizarro world- in which everything is inverted—but Mid-Market organizations require, often, a deeper focus.

Given this, the idea of Digital Transformation inevitably creeps in. How can mid-sized manufacturing or distribution companies use the tools of digital modernity to improve all aspects of their businesses? As has been pointed out by Jon Roskill in Information Week, Digital Transformation is not magic, is not “one and done.” It is not a spell the mere incantation of which will create abundance and prosperity. It is a journey that requires both planning and dynamism- planning because we have to know where we are going in order to get there, and dynamism because we know that the “unknowns” will pop up along the way.

Digital Transformation neither starts nor ends with technology. It starts with a commitment to improve and ends with the creation of a lasting culture of open-ness and ability to deal with ambiguity. Along the way, technologies of all sorts play an important role and enable people and processes.

Digital Transformation can be both recognizable and unrecognizable from the outside. In some examples- like mobile-ordering at Starbucks, the effects are visible- new scenarios emerge and change human behavior. Of course, one can only imagine the years of planning and implementation that went into that!

At other times, Digital Transformation simply “melts into the air.” When the integration of Business Applications saves an employee 10 minutes of work per transaction- that is absolutely Digital Transformation but we as consumers don’t really “see it.”

Digital Transformation, thus, can be both sexy and quotidian. Either way, it is important and backed by inspiration and perspiration.

For mid-sized companies, this hard work will not necessarily make the cover of the newspaper or be bandied about in online forums. But when we remember the spirit of the word “transformation,” we realize that indeed SMBs can truly be transformed with the right vision and execution, in real and not just rhetorical terms.

The good news is that many technology platform companies are beginning to understand just how fertile the SMB market is. Reality is loud- The Digital Transformation journey in the Mid-Market is real.

A guest post by Romi Mahajan
CMO Quantarium

In the financial world, a few themes have emerged of late that are worthy of note.  These themes connect strongly to both the risk and the opportunities available in the world of Finance and Fintech.  They should be of interest not only to CFOs and other people whose roles relate directly to Finance but also to anyone looking at the health and well-being of industry in general.

The emerging themes are:

1. Decentralized Finance (Defi)
2. Platformization
3. Data Management
4. Risk and Regulation

We say “emerging” not because all of these ideas are new but because the rate of change in these spaces is high-enough to warrant comment.

A sentence or two on each.

1. Defi:  With the advent of Block chain and Crypto on the one hand and increasingly enabled consumers on the other, Decentralized Finance has emerged not only as a huge market but also as the subject of a culture war between incumbent/infrastructure-like finance stalwarts and a new breed of Cloud-enabled startups.
2. Platformization:  In the world of technology, cycles are common.  We are now in the phase in which connected and interoperable applications built on flexible platforms are the order of the day.  Point solutions are being abandoned in favor of platforms and funding patterns are shifting in that direction as well.
3. Data Management:  With data growing exponentially and AI/ML emerging as mainstays in business, a new truism exists:  Those organizations that frame data as an asset and who make the requisite investments in data infrastructure emerge as winners in a competitive marketplace.
4. Risk and Regulation:  Stories abound of financial mismanagement, large-scale and structurally inherent risk, and massive failure not only because of fraud but also because “asleep at the wheel” is almost a natural state without the infrastructure to deal with data, differential and complex asset classes, and the slew of regulations that govern the world of finance.

Far-sighted organizations will understand these themes not as discrete and disconnected but as part of a holistic view of Finance and its futures.  Customers and investors alike need to think of these four factors as they acid-test vendors and any organizations that purport to offer “solutions” for the various needs and opportunities in FinServ in general.

Those whose charge is to make the right technology purchase decisions in Financial Services, need to understand these trends not simply as “flavors of the month” but, instead, as tectonic shifts in how businesses need to run in a modern economy.  Similarly, investors need to take into account elements of a firm’s technology and business model that provide for medium and long-term growth, not just “flash in the pan” results.

These two audiences need to converge on the four themes.  The Financial Services and Fintech markets are attracting billions of dollars in venture capital and account for hundreds of billions of dollars of tech-spend.

Which companies will become the resonant Finance brands of the future?  To answer that ask yourself how they connect with and engage with these four themes.

A guest post by: Romi Mahajan, CMO Quantarium

Residential real estate – peoples’ homes – is the world’s largest asset class, tipping the scales at almost $200 trillion worldwide.  This number is staggering to many, including those in the housing industry.  Larger even than the sums involved are the emotions – a family’s residence is likely its largest investment and one from which, so many other life-factors radiate:  Who are your neighbors, what schools do your kids attend, are you safe, how close are you to good medical care, and so on.  Insofar as this is true, the housing sector can never be given too much attention by Economists, Sociologists and even Technologists.  Still, in many ways the sector has been given short shrift.

Consider a matter at the heart of the industry – the value of a particular house.  What appears to be a simple question with a simple answer is not.  Sure, one can look at the basics – how big it is, the year built, comparable houses in the neighborhood and so on.  One can even attempt to factor in other variables – school district, crime statistics, proximity to the beach, and a host of other things.  All said and done, all of these factors are “external” and in many ways “non-specific.”

Let’s pause for a moment.  While these factors are indeed external, we have to ask ourselves a basic question – how do I get specific?  How do I assess the value of a particular house, looking beyond these basic factors and in the process taking into account the condition of the house and the nature of its interior landscape?

For most of us this is an obvious question.  After all, if you put in a lot of money to modernize or refurbish a house, you would expect that its value rises, even if your work and effort is not recognized in the external statistics being looked at for valuation.  If you, on the other hand, paid no attention to the house and allowed it to atrophy, you’d likely expect the value to diminish.

This issue is often “solved” by Appraisers, who theoretically take into consideration all of these interior and condition-based factors when assessing the value of a house.

Now, we enter a world fraught with problems.

For the purposes of this short piece, we won’t get into the debates about the objectivity of Appraisers or even about the shortage of talent that is delaying closings in many large markets (in the US for sure.)  These issues are fertile grounds for discussion, elsewhere.

No, the main issues we intend to dissect here are the issues of scale, speed, and customer experience.

In the US, there are over 100 million residential units.  Now imagine you work at a bank or other institution that originates and/or “owns” millions of mortgages and wants to determine the value of your portfolio in toto?  Imagine, further, that you need to do so every month.  After all, you need to keep track of your assets, make decisions about where to keep houses and where to sell houses, and assess your risk in holding these mortgages.  The issues of scale and cost are enormous.  You certainly can’t send an appraiser to each house.

Imagine a different scenario.  A consumer lives in a city with a very fast market and needs to make decisions on the spot whether to buy a house.  Waiting even a few hours, not to mention days, can mean losing a house.  In this cauldron, determining the true “value” of a home has to be done instantaneously.  Here, the issues of speed are paramount.

Finally, imagine you are a real estate agent with a demanding (and rightfully so) customer who wants to buy a house.  You have visited 10 houses to determine fit and have been disappointed by their dilapidated interiors.  You are not paid for your time, only for results.  If only, there were ways to determine condition and value based on condition in a way that was easy for the customer (in this case, you.)

Enter technology, specifically AI and its offshoot, Computer Vision.  Artificial Intelligence yields a potent set of tools for real estate, starting with valuations.  First of all, AI is “better at the basics” than non AI methodologies.  To get even a basic valuation of 100+ million properties every month is not trivial; with AI, the entire US footprint can be run in hours not weeks.  The idea is simple:  Computers can learn from data sets of a critical mass, then keep improving their outputs as more data comes in.  Machine-learning is just that- machines that actually “learn” and thus can offer results and outputs that are neither obvious nor simply the result of brute-force methods.  AI can thus help with the scale and speed components.

Computer Vision comes in here in a delightful way.  If you look at house-listings, they often come with a multitude of pictures.  Computer Vision can analyze and categorize these pictures- with speed and fidelity- thereby assigning “condition” scores to kitchens, bathrooms, and other hotspots in the house.  In this way, they can help offer a “condition-adjusted” value.

Put all of this together and you get a powerful mix.  Automated Valuation Models (AVMs), powered by AI can provide accurate valuations at scale and with enormous breadth.  Add condition-adjustment, powered by Computer Vision, and you start to see technology giving its due to the vexing problems and incredible opportunities in the real estate industry.

Marketing Darwinism had the Opportunity to Meet Up with Jeremy McCarty, Co-Founder and CEO of Valligent Technologies.

Marketing Darwinism: Jeremy, the Real Estate Technology/PropTech space is, simply put, “on fire” as of the last few years.  Can you comment on this and on Valligent’s place in the mix?

Jeremy: Indeed, Real Estate as a sector and RE Tech specifically are buoyant and exciting.  It is important to remember that residential real estate is the largest “industry” in the country. US homes in aggregate are worth upwards of $35 Trillion collectively and this year almost 7 Million houses will be bought and sold.  The application of technology to this space is key to its future and we’re fortunate at Valligent Technologies to be at the heart of this.  While our valuation an appraisal business has been healthy for years, we saw huge potential in virtual appraisals and low-touch valuations and skated to where that puck was going.  We now have the most innovative virtual appraisal offering in the industry and the regulatory environment has made massive scale possible in this space.  All in all, we don’t feel like we have a ring-side seat; instead we feel like we are on the field playing the game!

Marketing Darwinism: Tell us more about the changes you see in the space?

Jeremy: There are so many changes, manifesting daily.  Some of these changes are “disruptive” and others are just natural extensions or evolutions of what existed.  On the former side, take the notion of house appraisals.  House appraisals are very much about the verification of valuation.  In the home buying process- still a lengthy procedure—the valuation of the house is the centerpiece.  From what loan you get all the way to the cost of insurance, the valuation pops up a dozen times at least in the process.  Now imagine being able to get an accurate valuation with technology, in less than an hour.  No long waits for appraisers and white-knuckling the results.  No costly and repetitive services to be subjected to.  Now, imagine further.  Of the circa 7M houses that will sell this year, 40% of so are eligible for waivers on the standard appraisal.  Enter virtual appraisals.  Such speed and scale are a sea-change in what is otherwise a slow moving industry.

Marketing Darwinism: We see a lot of VC, PE, SPAC, and other investment dollars going into this space.  Is there a bubble here?

Jeremy: As in all spaces, this one will have winners and losers.  There is a certain amount of rhetoric and exaggeration in the space, especially with regard to “dressing up” old business models with new “language.”  We see technology buzzwords abounding but when it comes down to it, many companies still rely on analog and traditional methods to transact.  We understood this and have partnered with leading technology players like Quantarium and have developed cutting-edge tech capacity of our own.  So, yes, there are bubble aspects but in reality we are just beginning to see this industry transformed by the combination of technology, regulatory change, innovation in business process, and highly capable and educated consumers.

Marketing Darwinism: Tell us about your Marketing work?  After all, we do care a LOT about Marketing!

Jeremy: Marketing is key to Valligent’s success.  We are big believers in participating in the industry community and in doing our part to promote the industry as a whole. We have been pleased to receive multiple awards in the space and that notoriety has helped create a flywheel of engagement, advocacy, referral, and growth.  Marketing is and will always be core to our company and we feel very strongly that we back up our messaging with a product and solution platform nonpareil.

Marketing Darwinism: Any parting thoughts?

Jeremy: We continue to be excited about Valligent’s growth in the new world of Real Estate and about the space in general.  We believe that top talent will be drawn to RE Tech and that the addition of smart, driven, and innovative people will help the industry mature into a fully tech-enabled and dynamic part of the economy.  It’s already the biggest part of the economy but we want it to be seen as cutting edge.