Matt Weirich of Realync

April 1, 2021 thetechtribune

An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Matt Weirich (co-founder and CEO) of Realync, which was honored in our:

Tell us the origin story of Realync – what problem were you trying to solve and why?

What led up to the “first of its kind” virtual leasing and engagement platform was no easy journey. After college, I was planning for an upcoming move. I spent six weekends in a row driving the two-hours to Chicago and touring more than 40 properties in-person, feeling some real pain in the real estate touring process. I knew there could be ways to streamline all this. Then, two and a half years later, I pitched my then colleague, Ani Rangarajan, on an idea, and we immediately set off together to optimize real estate touring. Thereafter, we co-founded Realync.

Realync is the leading virtual leasing and resident engagement platform for multifamilys, enabling live video tours, live virtual open houses, and DIY pre-recorded videos of properties. Preserving the power of a personal experience and live dialogue, Realync’s platform simplifies and enhances the real estate touring process by providing a more efficient and convenient way of showing properties.

What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?

While there were and are many ups and downs on the startup journey, some of the biggest hurdles that we encountered on our path thus far were capital raising, brand awareness, and balancing high growth with keeping the lights on. We were very lean in our capital raising and capital deployment over the first 6 years of the business. While, at the time, it felt like a constraint and did cause many sleepless nights when capital got tight, it was also a major blessing. It forced us to focus on the things that mattered most and be very targeted in our go-to-market efforts. There are certainly constraints with that growth path though, namely a smaller team and smaller budgets to hit the market and advance our product at the speed and velocity at which we desire.

What does the future hold for Realync?

Growth! We’re looking to grow our team, our product, and overall market adoption and presence in the multifamily and broader real estate space.

What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Carmel?

What we love about the startup, scale-up, and general business environment in Carmel is the mentality of the companies and leaders. Companies based in Carmel focus on results, revenue, and growth. You don’t find anyone ‘playing entrepreneur’ or an overabundance of networking events that take time away from focusing on your business. Carmel-based companies are results oriented and the ecosystem really instills and fosters that mentality of working hard and being proud of what you’ve built.

What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Focus and persevere. When starting a business, there is no shortage of work to be done and it’s easy to get spread very thin. Having a plan that you then set out to execute on is such a great way to help stay focused and aligned in a defined course and direction. There will obviously be turns and changes to that path, but avoiding the shiny objects and focusing on relentless pursuit of product-market fit will pay dividends, especially when it comes to being able to persevere. It’s hard starting a company and wears on founders emotionally, financially, and physically. There were multiple times in Realync’s startup story where we could have thrown in the towel, but we didn’t. And that perseverance led us to the point we’re at now of being a category leading platform making an impact to thousands of clients across the US. You never know when something will click, someone will say yes, or the tide will turn in your direction. If you truly believe that those things will happen, persevere and stay the course.