The Listing Bits podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Greg Robertson talks with Santanu Barua, CTO of Vesta Plus, the tech platform owned by the Combined LA/Westside MLS (CLAW), about his path into MLS tech, the Checkmate compliance product, and VestaPlus's approach to AI and MCP servers.

Key Takeaways

• Vesta Plus is a wholly owned subsidiary of CLAW, licensing its homegrown MLS tech to other MLSs since 2018
• Santanu's path: EE/CS at University of Houston → mortgage tech at Countrywide (2001–06) → MLS technology since 2006
• Checkmate, born from a talk with former CLAW COO Gigi Marina, catches violations input rules can't (bad remarks, photo violations via computer vision) and automates follow-up
• Products are built modular/extensible so tools like Checkmate can later be sold to other MLSs
• Vesta Plus has its own MCP server, launching soon to members — part of the "headless MLS" trend (Flex MLS/FBS also offers this)
• Data access runs through a controlled API layer, not direct database access, for security
• Greg pitches a "16 core fields + AI chat for everything else" MLS interface idea
• They discuss a possible marketplace for member-built AI tools, like custom GPTs
• New public-facing site (in development ~6 months) will let the public search agents and listings, with agents controlling how much history/testimonials they show
• Santanu's AI philosophy: build deliberately on existing data strengths, prioritize security over speed

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Greg Robertson sits down with Katrina Romatowski, founder and CEO of reSpace, to discuss a new approach to housing affordability through co-homeownership. Drawing on nearly three decades in real estate, development, and housing advocacy, Katrina explains how reSpace redesigns homes into private suites with shared common spaces and enables buyers to purchase fractional ownership interests. The conversation explores affordability, homeownership as a wealth-building tool, aging-in-place design, MLS challenges, and the growing need for alternative housing models.

• Katrina grew up throughout the Pacific Northwest, worked in construction from a young age, and built a career spanning real estate sales, development, and brokerage.
• Her real estate company was founded as a social purpose corporation, leading to the creation of a nonprofit focused on housing and mentorship for people exiting incarceration and recovery programs.
• The idea for reSpace emerged after selling a small infill home for nearly $1 million and questioning who could realistically afford it.
• Inspiration came from fractional ownership models such as Picasso, but Katrina wanted to apply the concept to primary housing rather than luxury vacation homes.
• reSpace creates homes with private suites that include ensuite bathrooms, closets, workspace areas, and personal amenities, paired with shared kitchens and living spaces.
• Buyers purchase an ownership interest in the property, allowing them to live in high-cost neighborhoods at a price point closer to renting an apartment.
• The model is designed to help first-time buyers, retirees, siblings, friends, and other groups gain access to ownership while maintaining independence.
• Katrina argues that homeownership remains one of the most important pathways to building middle-class wealth and that affordability challenges are increasingly shutting people out of that opportunity.
• A major hurdle for reSpace has been gaining MLS support for fractional ownership listings, despite existing standards that support partial-interest ownership categories.
• Current projects include The Grove in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood and a historic mansion redevelopment in Leschi, with plans to expand through technology and partnerships.

reSpace

Snapshot by reSpace

Katrina Romatowski on LinkedIn

• Signal Conference
• 1000Watt

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Atticus LeBlanc, founder and CEO of PadSplit, to discuss the affordable housing crisis and how room-by-room rentals can create housing opportunities for people who are priced out of traditional apartments. Atticus shares his journey from commercial real estate broker to housing entrepreneur, the origins of PadSplit during the Great Financial Crisis, and how the company has grown from a single prototype house to more than 33,000 beds nationwide. The conversation explores shared housing, affordability challenges, real estate investing, and the role technology can play in expanding access to housing. Key Takeaways Atticus grew up in New Orleans, studied Architecture and Urban Studies at Yale University, and credits competitive swimming with teaching resilience and persistence. After entering commercial real estate during the early stages of the housing crash, he discovered an overlooked opportunity in room-by-room housing. A chance encounter with tenants Mitch and Otis led to his first rooming-house experiment, revealing strong demand from renters who couldn't qualify for traditional apartments. PadSplit was founded in 2017 to provide the operational and technology infrastructure needed to make shared housing scalable. The platform functions similarly to Airbnb, connecting hosts with renters while handling marketing, screening, payments, move-ins, and support. Many PadSplit residents are workers earning modest incomes who are unable to meet traditional apartment qualification requirements despite having stable employment. The company has grown from 82 beds in 2018 to roughly 33,000 beds today. Shared housing can help homeowners offset mortgage costs and create pathways toward real estate investing. Atticus argues that local market knowledge often matters more than national data when identifying successful housing opportunities. The average PadSplit resident stays about nine and a half months, though many remain for years due to the affordability and stability the model provides.

Links

Padsplit

Atticus on LinkedIn

Sponsors

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Greg Robertson sits down with Brian Boero of 1000Watt to talk about the current state of organized real estate, the future of the MLS, AI's impact on SaaS and marketing, and why writing and storytelling still matter in an AI-driven world. They also preview 1000Watt's upcoming Signal Conference and discuss a new "next generation MLS" concept the team is developing for the event.

• Brian explains how 1000Watt blends strategic advisory work with branding, messaging, and design.
• Greg and Brian discuss why strong writing is still a critical skill, even as AI tools become more common.
• The conversation dives into private listings, MLS relevance, and the growing tension between brokerages, portals, and organized real estate.
• Brian shares his core belief: "don't mess with homes," arguing that limiting access to listings could ultimately hurt the industry.
• Greg and Brian discuss how AI may fundamentally reshape proptech, SaaS, and vendor business models over the next few years.
• Signal Conference preview: 1000Watt will unveil a conceptual "future MLS" complete with branding, governance ideas, and a proposed business model.

• Signal Conference
• 1000Watt

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Greg Robertson is joined by Dominik Pogorzelski from Restb.ai to discuss the evolution of AI in real estate—from early photo tagging to large-scale property intelligence. They cover how AI is now embedded in MLS workflows, powering listing input, compliance, and valuation, while also exploring the challenges of scale, accuracy, and the future of AI in the industry.

• Restb.ai has been AI-first from the start, building on early computer vision models before the current AI boom.
• Their tech automatically tags listing photos, generates captions, and flags compliance issues during listing input.
• AI is deeply integrated into MLS workflows, improving listing data quality and agent efficiency.
• Scale matters: they process ~1.5B real estate images per month, making speed, accuracy, and cost critical.
• Specialized computer vision models outperform general LLMs for image tasks at scale.
• Compliance is a key use case—detecting prohibited elements and AI-manipulated images in listings.
• New regulations around altered images are increasing the need for detection and transparency tools.
• Expansion areas include valuation, appraisal workflows, insurance, and broader property intelligence.

• Restb.ai – https://restb.ai/
• Contact: dominik@restb.ai

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Greg Robertson interviews Brian Tepfer, CEO of PropStream, about his journey from tech support at Rapatoni to leading a major proptech data platform. The conversation explores how PropStream turns public record data into actionable real estate opportunities, the rise of investor-focused tools outside the MLS, and how shifting market conditions are changing agent behavior. They also discuss industry trends like wholesaling, MLS fragmentation risks, and new go-to-market strategies—including vendor partnerships and alternative revenue models.

• Brian transitioned from tech roles into leadership by focusing on business + people, not just coding.

• PropStream is a nationwide property data platform built primarily on public records, not MLS data.

• The platform helps users identify "signals" (distress, equity, liens, etc.) that indicate potential transactions.

• A significant portion of users are investors or aspiring real estate entrepreneurs—not traditional agents.

• Wholesaling offers a low-barrier entry into real estate compared to licensing.

• Market shifts (rates, lower transaction volume) are pushing agents to explore investing and alternative revenue streams.

• PropStream is expanding into a full workflow: search → identify → connect (via dialer, outreach tools).

• AI features are being introduced to provide actionable insights (e.g., evaluating deal potential).

• MLS partnerships are positioned as marketing + non-dues revenue opportunities.

• Concerns remain about MLS fragmentation and its impact on data access and market transparency.

• New vendor collaboration models may offer faster, more flexible go-to-market strategies.

• Jessica Richardson (PropStream)

• Brian (PropStream CEO)

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Greg Robertson is joined by Lauren Martin (RentSpree) for a wide-ranging conversation covering her unconventional path from fashion design to PropTech, the growing importance of rentals within the MLS ecosystem, and the evolution of her initiative, Renew (Real Estate Network of Empowered Women). The discussion highlights how rentals are becoming central to real estate workflows, how community-building is shaping the industry, and how Renew has scaled from a podcast idea into a multi-day retreat with strong industry engagement.

• Nonlinear career path into PropTech: Lauren transitioned from fashion to business and sales, eventually entering real estate through Remine and later joining RentSpree.

• Rentals are now essential for MLSs: Industry focus is shifting from purely home purchases to broader "housing," with rentals playing a key role in agent-client lifecycle and long-term relationships.

• MLS as the "source of truth" for rentals: Standardizing rental data inside MLS systems is a major opportunity compared to fragmented platforms like Facebook, Craigslist, and Zillow.

• RentSpree product expansion: The new RentEdge suite adds tools to fill gaps between for-sale and rental workflows, keeping agents داخل the MLS ecosystem.

• Renew's growth and impact: What started as a podcast has grown into a large community with thousands of members and events, including a 70-person retreat focused on leadership, confidence, and networking.

• Industry community matters: Conferences and organizations like Renew help professionals build meaningful relationships, which are key to career growth in real estate.

• Authenticity attracts community: Lauren emphasizes that being yourself leads to stronger, more meaningful professional and personal connections.

• Rent the Runway (mentioned for conference attire)

• Renew (Real Estate Network of Empowered Women) – upcoming events and information

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Greg Robertson sits down with Brett Humphrey, founder of Joynt, to discuss a new approach to housing affordability through co-ownership. Brett shares his background as a longtime software developer and entrepreneur, including selling a consulting business to Accenture before launching Joynt. The conversation explores how shared home ownership could help address affordability challenges by allowing multiple buyers to jointly purchase and manage property, along with the technical and legal infrastructure required to make that process safe and practical.

• Founder background: Brett Humphrey spent decades as a software engineer and consultant before launching Joynt, an idea he had been considering since the early 2000s.

• Affordability challenge: The core problem Joynt aims to address is housing affordability, particularly in expensive markets like Southern California.

• Co-ownership model: Joynt enables multiple parties to co-own a home, providing tools and frameworks to handle ownership structure, responsibilities, and ongoing management.

• Making co-ownership practical: The platform focuses on reducing the complexity and risk of shared ownership by providing software tools and structured agreements.

• Shift in industry thinking: The discussion highlights the need for the real estate industry to think beyond traditional home purchases and consider alternative ownership models.

• Timing and market conditions: Rising home prices and affordability pressures make shared ownership models increasingly relevant.

• Joynt – https://joynt.com

• Brett Humphrey – brett@joynt.com

• General inquiries – hello@joynt.com

Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs.

Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is.

Sunbound Studios