Home Sweet Tech: Transforming Real Estate

Do you remember your first home?

Not just the address or the layout, but the feeling - the way sunlight streamed through the windows on lazy Sunday mornings. The familiar creak of that one floorboard. The neighbors who became friends. The walls that witnessed the stories of your life.

For all of us, real estate is not just about square footage or property values. It's the memories, the community, the life lived within those walls.

Yet for too long, the business of real estate has been stuck in the past, buried under paperwork and inefficiencies that take away from what really matters.

Something exciting is happening in Israel's startup scene. Innovative companies are revolutionizing how we manage, visualize, and experience our spaces. They're reshaping what it means to buy, sell and own a property.

This week, we're exploring three Israeli startups that are driving the future of the real estate business sector - one of the oldest and most significant sectors in the global economy. I personally love how they are turning age-old challenges into exciting opportunities.

DoorLoop: Automating Property Management for a Stress-Free Experience

Real estate isn’t passive.

Anyone who’s ever managed a property knows that, even for long-term investments, there’s nothing “hands-off” about it. Between juggling rent collection, responding to maintenance requests, and tracking financials, real estate can feel like a full-time job, and then some.

But what if managing a real estate portfolio could be easier? This is where Israeli startup DoorLoop makes a difference. By automating critical tasks like rent collection, streamlining accounting, and organizing tenant communications, DoorLoop transforms property management from a chaotic whirlwind into a more efficient, manageable process.

Here’s how: The software automates everything from rent reminders to maintenance requests, while syncing seamlessly with banks and accounting software for error-free financial tracking. DoorLoop even integrates with over 1,000 third-party apps and provides an open API for automation.

While real estate may never be fully passive, DoorLoop’s technology is making active management far more efficient and freeing up valuable time to focus on strategic growth.

Congratulations to the DoorLoop team on their impressive $100 million Series B raise, led by JMI Equity, pushing the future of property management forward.

Apply Design: Bringing Empty Spaces to Life with AI-Powered Virtual Staging

Empty rooms don’t sell homes.

And cluttered ones? Even worse. Most buyers simply can’t imagine the potential of a space without a little inspiration. That’s why first impressions in real estate are everything. An empty or poorly staged room can mean the difference between a quick sale and a property that lingers on the market, and cluttered photos can knock off tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, from your property's value.

Enter Apply Design, the Israeli startup revolutionizing virtual staging. Using Gen-AI, Apply Design (YC S22) turns plain, vacant rooms into beautifully staged, photorealistic spaces in just 10 minutes.

It’s as simple as uploading a property image: the AI removes existing furniture and clutter, and with a drag-and-drop editor, you can style the room with over 12,000 design elements tailored to any buyer’s taste.

The results? Stunning images that make homes irresistible to buyers—complete with perfect lighting, shadows, and consistency across multiple angles.

I think this is a great idea.

Let’s be honest, most of us can’t picture much beyond four white walls! Apply Design transforms those blank canvases into inviting spaces that spark emotion and help buyers see the true potential of a property. 

Daisy: Empowering Communities with Smart Building Management

Just as Apply Design enhances property appeal for buyers, Daisy focuses on enriching the shared living experience for residents, tackling one of real estate's most persistent challenges: allowing communities to manage their shared properties.

Let me tell you a story. I used to live in a building where we knew all our neighbors, the kind of place where you could ask for a cup of milk without hesitation or trust someone to pick up your kid from school. It was more than just a place to live; it was a community.

But there was one big problem: NO ONE wanted to be on the building board.

Why? Because running a building felt like running a company, minus the perks. Endless paperwork, hours spent chasing down maintenance issues, handling complaints from tenants who thought they knew better, and the never-ending chore of collecting payments. It was exhausting. People practically begged to avoid the role. And as a result, the building suffered.

That’s the reality for many condo and co-op buildings. Property management is often a burden, not a blessing. Boards are overwhelmed, and residents pay the price through slow repairs, poor communication, and a building that never quite runs smoothly.

This is where Israeli innovation steps in: Daisy is making it easier for boards to govern and for neighbors to live better. With one unified operating system for buildings, Daisy handles the hard stuff, so board members can focus on what really matters: creating a home people love to live in.

From efficient board meetings to transparent billing, the Daisy app makes everything smoother and stress-free. Daisy transforms buildings into places where neighbors thrive together, and board members feel empowered instead of overwhelmed.

Because when your building runs better, your life does too.

Real estate is one of the oldest and most significant sectors in the global economy. It's the backbone of our cities, the framework of our communities, and a cornerstone of wealth creation. Yet, despite its importance, the industry has long been resistant to change, burdened by outdated processes, complex regulations, and inefficiencies that hinder growth and innovation.

We all remember our first home, not just the address, but the feeling. And now, thanks to innovation, the journey of finding, managing, selling, and enhancing our homes is becoming a whole lot better.

🔔 Stay tuned for more insights into the innovations shaping our world. Don't miss the next installment—subscribe now and join us as we explore the technologies reshaping our experiences, one home at a time.