TODAY: Exclusive One on One Conversation with Michael Beckerman and Brendan Wallace

Who should be vaccinated next? We think we should.

Like many Americans, I have gotten emotional watching videos of health care heroes receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. After a long year, we can finally see a glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. As our healthcare heroes have been out in front of the public health emergency, we are happy to see that these front line members of the workforce are afforded early access to the vaccine.

Fifth Wall, Tastemaker Form SPACs To Fund CRE Deals

Fifth Wall, a Los Angeles-based proptech investor, is forming a special purpose acquisition company, or blank check company, to expand its presence in that sector, Bloomberg reports. The size of the SPAC hasn’t been made public yet, but SPACs, an investment vehicle whose use dramatically accelerated in 2020, often have hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal….

How to Break Into CRE Technology as a Career

The commercial real estate technology industry is rapidly growing. We asked some of Real Estate Forum’s 2021 CRE Tech Influencers how to break into the budding market.

Positive ‘tipping points’ could help us mitigate climate change

Over the last few years, the planet has blown past or come dangerously near to climate tipping points—irreversible levels of damage that then also create even more warming. But just as there are moments of no return that tip us over into climate disaster, the inverse exists as well. On the path to climate recovery, there are benchmarks that could set off a cascading series of technological advancements that would rapidly cut our carbon emissions. …

Smart city developer acquires digital services company

Proptech company Planet Smart City, that designs and builds smart affordable neighbourhoods, has completed the acquisition of Djungle, a digital services developer. Djungle specialises in the design of digital solutions for customer engagement and loyalty in the retail sector.

The Rising Build-to-Rent Market Boom

For years, single-family home builders have lamented that they can’t build affordable, first-time starter homes and still make a profit. That started to change in 2019, when, after sales of luxury and move-up homes dwindled in 2018, builders such as Meritage, Lennar, and KB Home followed the lead of D.R. Horton’s Express brand and pivoted toward entry-level product. The surprising part was they were even able to make money doing it.

Oyo secures funding from Hindustan Media Ventures

SoftBank-backed hospitality chain Oyo has raised Rs 54 crore ($7.4 million) in fresh funding from Hindustan Media Ventures amid signs of recovery in the sector badly hit by pandemic.

California permits Nuro AV deployment

The California Department of Motor Vehicles last week issued the state’s first autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment permit to Nuro, allowing the company to launch a fee-based driverless delivery business in two Bay Area counties.

Indoor air quality gadget maker raises €1.2m

Biophilic design specialist Vitesy has raised €1.2m in investment, valuing the company at €15m on the back of rising interest in indoor air quality. Vitesy products are designed San Francisco and manufactured in Italy. The company creates smart devices for air purification and monitoring using internet of things connections, combined with plants, nanomaterials and other technology to monitor and reduce air pollution.