The Proptech Podcast with Kylie Davis

In this episode, I have a fantastic conversation with Simon Berglund, the new General Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Reapit. Simon brings a unique background to the role, having started as a scientist before moving into medical sales and eventually leading private equity-owned platform companies. We discussed the massive undertaking Reapit has embarked on, integrating major acquisitions like Console, AgentBox, AgentPoint, and IRE into a single, cohesive platform known as Reapit One.

In this episode, I have a fantastic conversation with Danny Assabgy, the founder of BuildBuddy and the CEO of the major home building company, Hudson Homes. Danny shares the revolutionary story behind BuildBuddy, a platform he founded to disrupt his own industry after a customer challenged him to admit that an owner could do a better job building their house. He realized the core value a builder provides is a structured workflow, a curated trade and supply network, and expert oversight.BuildBuddy distills these core elements into an intelligent, all-in-one platform that allows homeowners, even those with no prior experience, to design and build their homes. This "collaborative construction" model cuts out the builder's margin, rewarding customers with savings of 20% or more, while giving them complete control and transparency. The platform’s secret weapon is the Construction Buddy, a licensed building professional who reports directly to the homeowner, providing expert guidance every step of the way.We also discuss the challenges and nuances of the construction industry, where the builder often unfairly "gets the bad rap" for the mistakes of tradespeople. Danny explains how BuildBuddy addresses this by implementing a transparent, customer-driven review system for trades and suppliers, aiming to elevate the quality of customer service across the industry. He shares his ambitious vision for BuildBuddy to become the single largest home building entity in Australia within five years and how they are leveraging AI to automate complex processes like generating accurate price guides.

In this episode, I'm joined by Lawrence Williamson from Avenue Bank, a PropTech with a banking license. And a warning to listeners, this is a seriously geeky episode where we dive deep into the world of bank guarantees, a critical but often overlooked financial instrument in commercial property. Lawrence explains how Avenue Bank has disrupted this decades-old, paper-based process by digitizing it, allowing customers to get a cash-backed bank guarantee in under 24 hours. And if you’re not into commercial proptech, this is where the gold is for startup listeners because its a great case study for being inch wide, and mile deep. We discuss the challenges of innovating in such a traditional space, including the industry's preference for physical documents and the "muscle memory anxiety" around the claims process. Lawrence shares some exciting insights into Avenue Bank's journey, from its humble beginnings to its recent win at the PropTech Awards, and gives us a peek into their future plans.

In this episode, I'm joined by Vishal Gupta, the founder of Property Dollar, a company that recently won at the PropTech awards. We dive into how Property Dollar is solving a national disaster, as Vishal puts it, by democratising property data and empowering buyers to make smarter decisions. He shares the challenges and lessons he's learned as a proptech entrepreneur, particularly the importance of striking a balance between technology and business fundamentals. We also discuss the broader issues facing the housing market and how proptechs like Property Dollar are working to make a tangible impact on wealth creation for all Australians.Vishal explains that Property Dollar is more than just a data tool; it's a comprehensive platform designed to meet the needs of different types of users. For first-home buyers, it provides the confidence and clarity to navigate a complex market. For owner-occupiers, it offers the tools to shift into an investor's mindset. And for seasoned investors, it provides the efficiency and optimization needed to manage a large portfolio. We also get a glimpse into the company's ambitious roadmap, its commitment to a freemium model, and the collaborative spirit of the Australian proptech community.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Aonghus Stevens, the founder of Asseti. We discuss the company's journey, starting from its roots in the drone space to becoming an intelligent asset operations platform for commercial and industrial buildings. Aonghus shares his unique background as a university-trained biologist and how that has informed his thinking that buildings are "living, breathing organisms”. We also dive into how Asseti is using this type of thinking to help property owners move from a reactive to a proactive approach to asset management, ultimately maximizing the return on their investments.Now no conversation in proptech at the moment would be complete without discussing AI, and Aonghus has some great insights into how he thinks about the value of AI in proptech businesses. But equally, we explore the value of human connections and the strong customer partnerships that Asseti are now using to expand into the US.