“PropTech has already made a significant impact on the CRE industry, changing the way we think about designing, planning and consuming space. Yet at the same time, we have an exciting, long runway ahead of us,” observes Schear. “The combination of new technologies such as smart phones and cloud computing, the explosive success of companies like Airbnb and WeWork, and a frothy appetite from money sources has led to a massive surge in investment.”

With those investments, entrepreneurs are tackling all aspects of real estate.

“Looking at our own portfolio, Bowery Valuation is automating the commercial appraisal process, TaskEasy is building an on-demand lawn care company, Measurabl is improving sustainability reporting, and WhyHotel is changing how developers utilize space by running pop-up hotels in new luxury residential buildings,” says Schear.

Looking forward, Camber Creek is tracking dozens of trends and industry verticals. It is seeing opportunities in the way people invest in, sell and buy real estate on both the commercial and residential side, Schear says.

“Already, you can get qualified for a mortgage in a matter of minutes (Morty, Better Mortgage), make a cash offer without actually having cash (Ribbon), finance a pre-sale renovation and pay at closing (Curbio), notarize documents digitally (Notarize) and get a cash offer on a home online (Zillow). And we are still in the early innings,” he says. “Enormous opportunities are available for entrepreneurs and venture firms backing new technology companies.”