THEME

SITUATION

Housing in Modern Societies

Housing in Modern Societies

  • Major share of household income spent on housing.

  • Majority of people living in rental accommodations.

  • Consistent rise in rent prices in major metropolitan areas.

  • Affordability and inequality issues.

  • Environmental concerns in urban housing.

  • Real estate speculation driving up prices.

  • Platforms like Airbnb impacting rental availability and prices.

Posted on August 31 2023 by

Ben Libor

Ben Libor

This piece refers to the following themes

THEME

MARKET WATCH

Slowly Moving

Slowly Moving

The real estate market is considered the most valuable and largest on this planet. The fact that in most countries the vast majority of income goes into financing housing is evidence of this. However, to claim that the real estate market is teeming with numerous and disruptive startups would be a gross exaggeration. Evidence for this is a look at the Rocket-List of the Job Platform Otta, which ranks the 100 most interesting startups in Europe. There is exactly one single startup in the real estate sector on it, a platform that brokers co-working spaces.


A few companies to watch in the housing space are listed below:

Atmos is an online marketplace that teams up homebuyers with builders and land developers to design and build custom homes

Summer and Pacaso help with second homes. Owning a Pacaso is true real estate ownership. You purchase a share in a property-specific LLC. The home is fully managed and designed specifically for co-owners.

Residently is a platform to simplify the renting and leasing process.

Next Retreat offers a all-in-one solution for organizing team retreats & offsites

Snapdocs helps with mortgage closing by making it more efficient online.

Homestead is a real estate development platform for homeowners

Bilt Rewards lets customers earn points on rent.

Hubble is a new player in the wokspace rental ecosystem offering on-demand access.

Homebase does personalized rent-to-own real estate financing using technology in SEA. 

Jupe works on a shelter for 90M climate disaster survivors.

DigiBuild uses AI to revolutionize Construction supply chains.

PermitFlow develops workflow software that helps general contractors and developers identify the optimal permitting process and needed application forms for a particular project.

Remi streamlines sustainable home improvement with automated quotes, price guarantees, and a trustworthy, nationwide fulfillment network.

THEME

OPPORTUNITY

What Makes Housing Valueable

What Makes Housing Valueable

  • Housing fosters social connections and community unity.

  • It's a pathway to building wealth through homeownership.

  • Vibrant housing stimulates economic growth and job creation.

  • Sector challenges spark innovation like sustainable designs.

  • Investments rejuvenate cities and foster community development.

  • Housing preserves cultural, historic, and traditional values.

  • Quality housing promotes health, safety, and stability.

  • It enhances educational and economic opportunities.

THEME

REGULATION

Regulatory Initiatives

Regulatory Initiatives

Market dynamics may not always ensure equitable, sustainable solutions → regulatory initiatives are essential:


  • Offer housing options for low-income individuals and families.

  • Implement caps on yearly rental increases to ensure affordability.

  • Prioritize stable housing to tackle homelessness.

  • Provide financial perks for those buying homes for the first time.

  • Partner with banks to ensure competitive rates for all income brackets.

  • Introduce taxes on unused properties to deter speculative hoarding.

  • Implement measures or taxes to reduce external property speculation.

  • Define specific areas where rentals are permitted or restricted.

  • Set yearly limits on property rental days, especially for platforms like Airbnb.

  • Promote green building practices through tax breaks or grants.

  • Encourage the integration of green environments in urban housing areas.

CONTEXT

DATA & RESEARCH

FRED’s house price index for New York.

Average rent price of residential property in Germany (sqm/€) (empirica, 2022)

Single-person households have more than tripled since 1940 (US Census, 2020)

Looking to guest-author a story here? Write us about your concept.

CONCEPT

SWAP-LIVING

Extended Home Swap

Extended Home Swap

I swapped homes for a year and discovered a new city!

HomeExchange.com for extended periods.

CONCEPT

ACCOMODATION

Group Retreats

Group Retreats

Just returned from a 4-week designer retreat in Taipei. A month with like-minded souls? Game changer.

Experience community-focused retreats where groups live, work, and bond over set durations.

CONCEPT

GENERATIONAL HOMES

Seniors' Urban Commune

Seniors' Urban Commune

City living keeps me young at heart.

Seniors thrive in city flats, blending with the young, with medical staff on call, and offering mutual assistance like childcare.

CONCEPT

GENERATIONAL HOMES

Generational Co-living

Generational Co-living

She's 80, I'm 20. Best roomies ever!

Pairing the elderly and youth in shared living arrangements fosters companionship and mutual support.

CONCEPT

SPECIALIZED

Profession Nests

Living with fellow techies has leveled up my coding game and got me a new job.

Housing designed for distinct professional groups, including workspaces and specialized amenities.

CONCEPT

COMMUNITY

Connect Neighbors

Connect Neighbors

I borrowed a drill and got pet-sitting from my neighbors.

Boosting connectivity among residents for service exchanges and sharing.

CONCEPT

COMMUNE

Community Landholds

Community Landholds

Thanks to TrustLand, this neighborhood remains ours.

NGOs owning land for resident leasing and affordability.

CONCEPT

CONSTRUCTION

Project Kamp-like Containers

Bought land and started a community with my friends. Everything we needed was inside these containers. As we established infrastructure we ordered the return.

Container setups equipped for quick campsite developments. Inside are: tools, autonomous power supply via solar panels, cabling, irrigation hoses, basic plumbing pipes, woodwork tools including saws, kitchen and cooking facilities, and well-construction equipment.

CONCEPT

ACCOMODATION

Sleep Pods

Sleep Pods

It's astonishing that the way we sleep has remained almost unchanged over the years, even when a universe of possibilities awaits us.

Tailored spaces for optimized rest, integrating light, sound, and air.

CONCEPT

OWNERSHIP

Rent & Credit

Rent & Credit

Every rent payment brings my home closer.

Rent now, with a portion going towards future ownership.

CONCEPT

CONSTRUCTION

Eco-Building

Eco-Building

I got my home's footprint to almost-zero.

More production and access to durable and eco-friendly construction materials. Supply-side marketplaces, manufacturing innovations, improved logistics, and more.

CONCEPT

RENTAL

Direct Dwell

Direct Dwell

This was a cost-saver!

Eliminate intermediaries (and agents), directly connecting landlords and tenants.

CONCEPT

CONTRUCTION

Aqua Residences

Aqua Residences

Waterfront? I'm ON the water!

Designing homes that float, addressing land scarcity and sea-level rise.

CONCEPT

COMMUNITY

Tiny Commune

Tiny Commune

Big living, tiny footprint.

Promote affordable and eco-friendly tiny home communities.

CONCEPT

OWNERSHIP

Invest in RE

We couldn't afford buying a home. This made us participate in growing housing market.

Platforms to democratize real estate investing. Crowd-funding, syndicates, and more.

CONCEPT

SUPPLY

More Vertical Greens

More Vertical Greens

Picked my salad from floor 12 today.

Residential buildings featuring integrated vertical farming, encouraging sustainability and community.

CONCEPT

CONSTRUCTION

Modular Abode

Modular Abode

From flat-pack to dream home in a week!

Efficient, adaptable, and quickly assembled modular homes.

CONCEPT

SOCIAL

Find A Room Mate

Found my roommate soulmate in a click.

Advanced platforms harness AI to pair roommates based on compatibility in interests and habits.

CONCEPT

COMMUTE

Improve Remote Commute

Improve Remote Commute

Countryside serenity, city job. I have both!

Solutions for those in sparse locales needing swift access to city hubs.

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