Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa March/April 2020 | Page 11

GIL SPERLING “There’s a massive paradigm shift in how people should rent which is inspired and driven by their lifestyle choices, and is something proptech could and should leverage big time. People are used to being connected all the time and transacting digitally, in real-time; and they want transparency in their dealings with companies (including their landlords).” “There’s a massive paradigm shift in how people should rent, which is inspired and driven by their lifestyle choices, and is something proptech could and should leverage big time.” Advancements in tech, the growing need for connections and transparency, as well as a current shift to renting as opposed to buy real estate are some of the key factors which inspired the creation of Flow. “Through scaling with technology and economies of scale, we can revolutionise the economics of rent, providing a more seamless, end-to- end experience and unlock value to tenants and landlords.” Sperling’s goal is for Flow to be the household brand for rent. “For tenants and landlords to have the most seamless end-to-end experience for renting and living - which impacts their life and gets them into flow.” As opposed to other tech companies, Flow has seen a gap in the market and is largely focused on a very specific 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. INVESTMENT TIPS Get ahead of the curve & integrate technology into your property portfolio. Look at how to introduce sustainable elements into your portfolio like solar geysers & water tanks. Consider locations that have strong mixed-use dynamics that combine working, shopping & living. When buying into sectional titles ensure you analyse body corporate financials carefully. Look at investing into micro apartment schemes that have small units which produce higher rental yields. Speak to local security associations before you invest to get a sense of crime trends in the neighborhood. Select locations that are close to high density work nodes and public transport to attract tenants looking for shorter commutes. Have tenant engagement strategy that will retain your tenant and encourage good behaviors - use Flow! subset of people: millennial residential property renters. Flow aims to have a massive focus on “Generation Rent”. By improving the rental market for everyone in South Africa, most importantly tenants and landlords, this should, in turn, have a positive knock-on effect on the economy at large. When speaking about the future of prop tech and more specifically Flow, Sperlings says: “Keep an eye on our social media channels and in the media, we have a lot on the cards for 2020 - particularly when it comes to the end-to-end rental journey.” tv Don’t miss Neale Petersen’s exclusive interview on REItv with GIL SPERLING, CEO and Co-founder of Flow SA Real Estate Investor Magazine MARCH/APRIL 2020 9