reAlpha, an Ohio-based property investment company, is taking a significant step in its goal of becoming the nation’s largest owner of short-term rental property. The company is planning to purchase up to 15,000 Airbnb rentals over the next five years. The company is focused on reinventing the short-term rental space by providing an opportunity for individual investors to own shares of specific properties that would be rented through Airbnb. The company recently announced the closing of a $6 million seed fund led by Crawford Hoying, a $1.3 billion development firm based in Columbus, Ohio. Now, reAlpha is preparing to launch a Reg A+ equity crowdfunding round (also known as a “mini IPO”) in which 7.5 million shares, sold at $10 each, will be offered to the public. The company plans to supplement the Reg A+ with an additional $75 million from small investors who buy shares of individual properties for as little as $2,500. The combined $150 million investment will be used to buy $1.5 billion in short-term rental properties.
reAlpha CFO Mike Logozzo, a former BMW Financial Services executive said, “The Crawford Hoying investment has been much more than capital. They have provided us with direct access to their dynamic leadership team. Their vast experience in real estate operations and hospitality combined with our innovative technologies is a game-changer for our rapidly scaling business.”
The company has a vision of creating a reAlpha experience for consumers that is consistent from property to property; that experience might include consistent themes and furnishings and even scent as well as smart home features such as keyless locks, noise sensors, and exterior cameras. reAlpha’s CMO, Christie Currie, stated “We predict that the Airbnb market will experience the same shift as the hotel industry did back in the day; the industry will no longer be driven simply by occupancy and nightly rates, but rather by layers of service and hospitality. We must work to provide the reAlpha experience to our guests, which in turn creates more lucrative returns for our investing members. We see huge opportunities to innovate within the digital hospitality space itself.”
The property investment company has started purchasing homes in Dallas and Miami, with expansion plans in place to enter California, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Washington, and Illinois. Potential properties will be identified by reAlpha’s proprietary AI platform, the reAlphaBRAIN, which scores homes based on more than 28 different factors. “There are 660,000 U.S. properties on Airbnb. There’s no clear leader. . . Our business model would generate wealth and democratize real estate investing.” said reAlpha CEO Giri Devanur stated in The Columbus Dispatch article.
The CEO of AirDNA, Scott Shatford, gave reAlpha a vote of confidence in the article: “Do they have an opportunity to scale this? Absolutely. Absolutely.“
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About reAlpha
reAlpha is using technology to bring the power of real estate investing to the 99%. reAlpha merges the most historic asset with the technology and business model of the future: Airbnb. The reAlpha platform provides meaningful wealth generation opportunities for everyone: short-term passive income through Airbnb as well as equity-driven capital appreciation. However, they also believe that real estate investing is deeper than just financial returns, it is the pride of ownership and the freedom of financial security. reAlpha is driven every day to not only create lucrative returns for their members but also to deliver exceptional experiences and positively impact the communities in which reAlpha lives and operates. To learn more visit realpha.com.
Originally appeared on MarketWatch.
