In this episode of the Pre-Con Recon Podcast, Justin Frenette sits down with Rachel Galway, Sales & Marketing Manager at DBS Developments and one of the most experienced boots-on-the-ground professionals in Canadian pre-construction real estate.

With nearly 16 years in the industry and close to 7,000 homes sold, Rachel offers an unfiltered look at what it actually takes to survive and stay relevant in today’s pre-con market. From the shift away from frenzy-driven sales to a more thoughtful, lifestyle-led approach, she breaks down why storytelling matters more than hard closes, how floor plans and livability were overlooked during the boom, and why reputation and purchaser experience have become the real currency of success.

The conversation explores how experience, adaptability, and long-term thinking are now essential in a more disciplined market. Rachel shares hard-earned insights on mentorship, decision-making, and what separates resilient operators from those who relied on momentum alone, offering practical perspective for developers, brokers, and marketers navigating pre-con today.

In this episode of the Pre-Con Recon Podcast, Justin Frenette sits down with Ryan Funt, VP of Marketing at Fitzrovia, to unpack how brand, storytelling, and operations intersect to create lasting value in the pre-construction and rental housing market.

Ryan shares how a background in operations shaped his marketing philosophy—bridging creativity with execution—and why every brand decision must start with the end user experience in mind. The conversation dives into how hospitality principles can elevate residential development, the shift toward lifestyle-driven branding, and what it takes to deliver consistency across every customer touchpoint.

From the evolution of rental marketing to the growing role of technology, data, and AI, Ryan offers a practical look at how developers can adapt to a new era of resident expectations, transparency, and brand accountability.

In this episode of the Pre-Con Recon Podcast, Justin Frenette speaks with Tim Ng, founder and CEO of Blackline and ADHOC Studio. Tim shares how his early exposure to real estate inspired a lifelong mission to bring technology and innovation to the industry.

Together, Justin and Tim explore the lessons learned from scaling two companies, breaking into new markets like Miami, and navigating the differences between condo sales and purpose-built rentals. Tim also highlights what’s working in today’s sales and marketing playbooks, how AI is set to unlock predictive insights, and why brand, reputation, and personalization have become essential for developers to succeed in today’s buyer-first market.