Tech Talk with 20for20

S2 E07: Round Table With Three Revenue Management Leaders Nov 20, 2024

This episode explores the impact of the RM lawsuits on the business environment. The conversation with a leading competitor data provider (Blerim Zeqiri, CEO of RADIX), RM service provider (Stacy Westbay, CEO Revenue Edge) and RM software vendor (Tim McInerney, CRO of REBA) attacks this complicated matter from multiple angles, including:

How the industry has reacted to the ongoing legal situation, and how they have changed their business processes.
What has changed in the conversation between these providers and their existing customers.
How each leader has handled the distraction to their core business operations and what impact it has had on their growth plans.
How to keep informed and keep teams and customers up-to-date on the changing situation.

Sponsors for this episode:

⁠Radix⁠ - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

⁠Revenue Edge⁠ - Strategic Pricing Solutions

⁠Snappt⁠ - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S2 E06: Revenue Management Recap with the Digible Dudes Nov 13, 2024

In this episode Dom is the guest and the Digible Dudes (Reid Wicoff and David Staley) ask the questions about the ongoing antitrust lawsuits surrounding multifamily revenue management and the potential impacts on the industry. It was a great way to provide a high-level summary of some of the main themes of this season, including:

The origins and motivations behind the lawsuits: how the ProPublica article sparked a wave of private lawsuits, highlighting allegations that RealPage’s revenue management software enabled price-fixing across multifamily properties.
How revenue management software really works and why it doesn’t support the alleged “collusion” to inflate rents, as claimed by the lawsuits.
How the Department of Justice got involved, and what that could mean for multifamily operators.
What’s next for revenue management technology in multifamily? And how multifamily pricing software could evolve to address current challenges, offering a vision for next-generation revenue management systems that better balance transparency and data insights.

Link to the Digible Dudes on YouTube

Sponsors for this episode:

⁠Radix⁠ - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

⁠Revenue Edge⁠ - Strategic Pricing Solutions

⁠Snappt⁠ - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S2 E05: Ethan Glass - Former DoJ Antitrust Expert Nov 06, 2024

In this conversation, Ethan Glass, a partner with Cooley Law Firm, discusses the complexities of antitrust in the housing market. As an antitrust expert and litigator with about eight years of experience with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Ethan was able to give a broad perspective on legal actions against multifamily revenue management, including:

The stages of litigation, the role of discovery, and the differences between private and DOJ cases.
The commercial drivers and processes behind private suits, like the class actions affecting multifamily.
The DoJ's legal rationale, the details of its lawsuit, and why they suggest a more speculative strategy than we might expect.
The changing application of antitrust laws, which were created in a different economic context.
Why multifamily companies should balance risks and benefits rather than just comply with 'no' advice.
Why the multifamily industry must stand firm in the face of these lawsuits.

Ethan Glass’s Bio Page

Sponsors for this episode:

⁠Radix⁠ - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

⁠Revenue Edge⁠ - Strategic Pricing Solutions

⁠Snappt⁠ - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

Related blogs about revenue management:

The current state of the RM saga

How RM systems use nonpublic data

The Colorado legislation

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S2 E04: Remen Okoruwa on the Tech Innovation Ecosystem Oct 30, 2024

The multifamily industry needs innovation, and tech innovation needs DATA. This conversation with Remen Okoruwa, CEO of Propexo, takes a tech ecosystem perspective on the revenue management lawsuits.

Propexo is making it easy for companies to address the thing that keeps so many of us up at night...integrations. That gives Remen a unique perspective on some of the unintended consequences of the RM lawsuits, including:

The impact of regulatory actions on innovation in technology.
The DOJ's legal framework poses risks for AI solutions that rely heavily on data aggregation for effectiveness
How multifamily organizations are already reacting to legal pressures by restricting data aggregation
How the industry is becoming more collaborative, not less, and why that matters for tech innovation
How proactive industry standards could help protect valuable technologies

Sponsors for this episode:

⁠Radix⁠ - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

⁠Revenue Edge⁠ - Strategic Pricing Solutions

⁠Snappt⁠ - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

Related blogs about revenue management:

The current state of the RM saga

How RM systems use nonpublic data

The Colorado legislation

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.
Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S2 E03: Donald Davidoff Talks Competitor Data Oct 17, 2024

There’s a time and a place for competitor data, and a multifamily pricing algorithm is not it! In this latest episode in our Revenue Management deep-dive series Dom geeks out with OG multifamily RM guru Donald Davidoff, using examples from multiple different industries to explain how RM algorithms work. We talk about where comp data is helpful and where it isn’t. If you’re trying to make sense of the current focus on comp data you won’t want to miss this episode, which includes:

What competitor data is useful for and what it isn't
The evolution of revenue management systems and what's similar and different about multifamily
What makes a good RM algorithm, and how in multifamily, it is about understanding demand and supply (more than comp pricing)
Common industry misconceptions about what RM has to do with rent increases
Why competitor data should be seen as a guardrail rather than the primary driver in pricing decisions
The risk of over-indexing on competitor data, leading to misguided RM strategies

Sponsors for this episode:

⁠Radix⁠ - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

⁠Revenue Edge⁠ - Strategic Pricing Solutions

⁠Snappt⁠ - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

Related blogs about revenue management:

The current state of the RM saga

How RM systems use nonpublic data

The Colorado legislation

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.
Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S2 E02: Jay Ezrielev - Federal Antitrust Law Expert Oct 10, 2024

This episode is a conversation with Jay Ezrielev, a legal consultant and lecturer in antitrust law, who previously worked in the FTC. Jay has written eloquently about the Department of Justice’s legal action relating to revenue management, and his concerns for the broader implications for the industry, including:

The unusually broad application of antitrust doctrine and the potential impact on technology and data sharing across industries.
Why this is incompatible with the increasing use of AI for improving efficiency in many industries, including multifamily
The politics and motivations behind the case and the potential outcomes
Why it is important to push back against the action and develop an alternative narrative that highlights the benefits of RM

Links to items mentioned in the show:

⁠Jay’s article on about the RM lawsuits

The DoJ memo setting out its legal rationale

Sponsors for this episode:

⁠Radix⁠ - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

⁠Revenue Edge⁠ - Strategic Pricing Solutions

⁠Snappt⁠ - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

Related blogs about revenue management:

The current state of the RM saga

How RM systems use nonpublic data

The Colorado legislation

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S2 E01: Revenue Management - A GC’s Perspective Oct 02, 2024

This episode is a conversation with Jesse Strauss, a GC with deep experience of technology and rental housing. The discussion lays out the landscape of lawsuits and legislation affecting revenue management and explores the legal and business ideas at play, including:

The current anti-landlord lawsuits and legal challenges in algorithmic pricing and data sharing in real estate.
Key differences between private lawsuits and the DOJ lawsuit and the motivations at play.
Discussion of per se illegalities and hub-and-spoke conspiracies in the allegations.
Legal and regulatory concerns over using competitor data in revenue management software.
Issues with applying old laws to new business models.
Broader implications for other industries using similar technology.

Sponsors for this episode:

Radix - Transparent Multifamily Market Data

Revenue Edge - Strategic Pricing Solutions

Snappt - Fraud Detection and Income Verification

Jesse’s website:

https://www.yourfractionalgc.com/

Jesse’s substack

https://fractionallyyours.substack.com/

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

Related blogs about revenue management:

The current state of the RM saga

How RM systems use nonpublic data

The Colorado legislation

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Season 2 Trailer - Multifamily Revenue Management Deep Dive Sep 19, 2024

Welcome back to Tech Talk with 20for20! This is the preview episode for a new series of conversations that will dive deep into the issues currently surrounding revenue management in the multifamily industry.

For more details, read the Season Overview Blog

Background Reading for this Season:

20for20 white paper on multifamily revenue management and competition:

https://lp.20for20.com/23-wp-multifamily-revenue-management

Other related blogs about revenue management:

The current state of the RM saga

How RM systems use nonpublic data

The Colorado legislation

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

S1 E11: TransUnion Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Maitri Johnson, SVP Tenant and Employment Background Screening at Transunion and Dom discuss:

How changes in patterns of fraud have followed the long-term evolution of self-serve leasing in multifamily, and how the pandemic was the accelerator rather than the cause of the trends in fraud that we see today.
How synthetic fraud works, and what operators can do to avoid it when it arises.
The need for holistic screening beyond just fraud mitigation.
The role that technology plays in identifying and mitigating fraud, and the growing need for automation in the screening process.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E10: RealPage Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Ed Tonarelli, Industry Principal at RealPage and Dom discuss:

The “platform” perspective, with RealPage representing a comprehensive approach to screening and verification.
The need for integrated solutions combining income and ID verification with AI.
The evolution of fraud, particularly synthetic fraud.
The shift towards more predictive models in credit screening.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E09: Snappt Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Daniel Berlind, Co-Founder and CEO of Snappt and Dom discuss:

How Daniel’s history as a former property manager led him to co-found Snappt, and the company’s success in the multifamily market.
Snappt’s document-centric approach and its use of machine learning to analyze metadata for fraud detection.
Some statistics that show document fraud is more prevalent than ID fraud, with inception fraud also emerging as a significant issue.
Snappt’s investments in fraud forensics and its maintenance of some proprietary databases designed to track fraud.
A sneak peak at some new product releases and the continued evolution of fraud detection technology.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E08: Docuverus Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Jamie Borodin, Founder and CEO, Docuverus and Dom discuss:

Why Jamie (who comes from a screening background) created Docuverus to fill gaps in the screening process.
How Docuverus adopts a documents-first approach because “that’s where fraud lives.”
Synthetic fraud, and the correlation between fake SSNs and fake documents.
The proprietary technology that Docuverus has developed to compare document contents with metadata, and how that approach is more effective in detecting document fraud.
The heavy hand of state and local government regulation in resident screening.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E07: Celeri Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Jun Seo, Co-Founder of Celeri and Dom discuss:

Why Celeri has so far taken a document-centric approach, and why bank linking is more of an amenity rather than a fraud prevention tool.
How to use documents to develop a "digital fingerprint."
Why Celeri’s unique pricing model can work well for companies seeking to mix multiple screening capabilities.
The heavy influence of regulation in the future adoption of AI in screening processes.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E06: Vero Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Lou Baugier, Co-Founder and CEO, Vero and Dom discuss:

The application process as enabling prospects to "tell their financial story."
Why that is challenging in an environment where the combination of unaffordable housing and scarily high consumer credit, and how those factors push some applicants down the path of "unsavory" practices.
The insecurity and inefficiency of existing processes.
The number of point solutions involved in today’s screening process, and the opportunity to bring multiple checks into a single process.
How regulation will affect AI adoption, the importance of transparency, and why AI makes that more challenging, not less.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E05: PayScore Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Mark Fiebig, Founder and CEO, Payscore and Dom discuss:

Mark’s experience as a "recovering property manager," and the unique perspective it has given him on fraud and income stability.
Why AI will eventually be able to evade even the most sophisticated AI-based document checks, and why that means bank-lining is a better way of assessing income stability.
The opportunity for more sophisticated income analytics to displace credit scores as the primary underwriting tool.
Why Plaid integration is not enough, and why a broad set of relationships and integrations is the core competency in income verification.
The opportunity for an income-based score to displace credit scores as the primary mode of resident underwriting decisions

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E04: Findigs Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Steve Carroll, Founder and CEO, Findigs and Dom discuss:

The importance of an easy application process as the end goal of the screening process and the features of that process.
The potential upside of behavioral analytics as a way to identify fraud.
The importance of analyzing delinquencies early to evaluate screening criteria.
The need for extensive relationships and integrations with multiple companies (not just Plaid) for income verification.
The opportunity for credit screening to be better at predicting rent payment likelihood, rather than debt repayment (which is the focus of current screening approaches).

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E03: MRI/CheckpointID Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Brian Zrimsek, Industry Principal, MRI and Dom discuss:

MRI’s acquisition of CheckpointID, a leading ID verification company.
The "trust but verify" approach, using technology to make sure prospects are who they say they are.
AI and real-time DMV lookups enhance fraud prevention by validating IDs against systems of record.
Future scenarios, including mortgage-style pre-qualification processes in renters.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E02: Two Dots Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Henson Orser, Founder and CEO, Two Dots and Dom discuss:

How to detect fraud by aggregating different sources of data to find multiple datapoints that constitute suspicious behavior.
Why bank-linking is of secondary importance to fraud prevention, and the limited incremental benefit of bank account information above document analysis.
The evolution of fraud, particularly synthetic fraud.
Two Dots’s focus on enhancing the application process, including a digital leasing assistant that automates document collection from the prospect.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

S1 E01: VeriFast Jun 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Tim Ray, Founder and CEO, Verifast and Dom discuss:

The need for fraud detection and the importance of verifying income from various sources, including irregular payments and gig work.
Fraud detection as part of the larger issue of income verification, which is crucial for qualifying residents in a complex income landscape.
Fraud as a symptom of housing affordability issues and emphasizes the need to verify all income sources.
VeriFast’s use of AI-powered fraud detection, bank account verification, and OCR technology to tackle these issues.
Why we need a financial behavior score based on real-time financial data.

This season of Tech Talk with 20for20 is brought to you by our season sponsors are Zego and Best Egg Flexible Rent.

To get access to the latest 20for20 articles, papers and news about forthcoming events, subscribe to our blog at 20for20.com.

Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to dom@20for20.com.

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Season Trailer - Multifamily Fraud Prevention May 31, 2024

The first episode of a brand new season of a brand new podcast.

Dom Beveridge hosts a series of conversations about Fraud Prevention, the most evaluated technology in multifamily at the moment.

The season is intended to give a complete picture of the growing problem of fraud and the technological innovations that are helping property management companies to combat it.

Our theme music, Beautiful Geometry by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.