CFI Podcast

Real Estate in a Pandemic: Renters and Landlords (Part 2)

Connie Chan, Adena Hefets, Richard Green, and Lauren Murrow

Posted June 17, 2020

This episode is the second in a two-part series that examines the pandemic’s impact on real estate. Part 1 focused on prospective home buyers, sellers, and existing homeowners. This episode, Part 2, addresses renters and landlords.

The conversation with host Lauren Murrow features CFI general partner Connie Chan, whose experience as a landlord herself fuels her interest in residential real estate and technology; Professor Richard Green, the director of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate, and Adena Hefets, the CEO of Divvy Homes, a company that allows people to build up equity while renting a home, with the option to eventually buy it.

We begin with the pressures on renters—and the uncertainty around federal relief measures—as well as the cascading effects on mom-and-pop landlords. Then we turn to the outlook for prices and volume in the rental market, particularly in large cities like New York and San Francisco. Finally, we discuss the opportunity for tech to solve outdated and inefficient processes for both renters and landlords.

For more CFI content on real estate and proptech, visit a16z.com/realestate.