Deploy and PropTech in 2024 with Jordan Kostelac

Leong Chung Wei Bernard -

Fresh out of the studio, Jordan Kostelac, CEO and co-founder of Deploy, dives into the ever-evolving landscape of the real estate industry and the burgeoning proptech sector in 2024. Reflecting on his previous role as the Director of Technology at JLL Asia Pacific, Kostelac shares the key lessons learnt while leading various proptech initiatives and establishing the UrbanLab accelerator with Swire Properties and PingAn. He details his transition from JLL to founding Deploy, a startup that addresses the inefficiencies of deal sourcing and due diligence in the startup venture ecosystem starting from the PropTech sector. Last but not least, he shares what great would look like for Deploy moving forward.

"I think the biggest learning that I had, and, by extension, JLL [Jones Lang LaSalle] in my last capacity was that it's not sufficient to take these companies and then just let them in the door. You can't hand one of your business clients the keys and expect them to drive. So, one of the first cohort companies in Urban Lab was a robotics company, and we created a revenue-sharing agreement with them any property that you get into through us, there's a revenue share. But the downstream incentives weren't sufficient enough. We didn't provide enough tools to people who were actually interacting with the properties to then want to actually be able to do it. Most of them didn't even know about it. That speaks to the size of an organization like that. when you sit up in an organization, you sometimes forget that you can't just speak something into existence. You need a ground game ..." - Jordan Kostelac

Introduction

  • Jordan Kostelac, CEO of Deploy (@Scopelessness, LinkedIn)
  • How did you start your career?
  • How did you eventually end up in your current role?
  • What are the lessons you can share about your career journey with my audience?

Deploy and Proptech in 2024

  • Can you provide an overview of the real estate industry and the total market opportunity of the proptech sector as part of that industry?
  • Let me work backwards from your former role as Director of Technology at Proptech, JLL Asia Pacific, can you talk about the role and coverage in that role and how you influenced technological innovation within the company?
  • What were some of the most significant projects you led at JLL in Proptech, and how did they transform the company’s operations across different business lines?
  • As a co-founder of UrbanLab within JLL, what challenges did you face while establishing this Proptech accelerator with major partners like Swire Properties and PingAn?
  • Could you share insights into the successes and learnings from operating UrbanLab and other accelerator programs like Propell Asia and LEAD India?
  •  What are some of the misconceptions that PropTech start-ups have when working with large corporates and what advice would you give them?
  • What criteria did you use to evaluate and invest in early-stage Proptech startups? 
  • What are the current trends that are shaping the Proptech industry in Asia Pacific?
  • From PropTech to now your current gig in Deploy, can you talk about the problem which Deploy is specifically solving?
  • Can you talk about how your experience in Bridgewater led you to work out the mechanics in Deploy? 
  • Why is the value proposition for funds to work with Deploy? 
  • How does Deploy select its scouts and experts? 
  • How does the product work? Where is Deploy at the moment?
  • What does great look like for Deploy? 

Closing

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong (@bernardleong, Linkedin) hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed & edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig (@gthomascraig, LinkedIn).