CREtech and Second Century Ventures Partner To Raise Awareness Of Technology’s Role In Solving The U.S. Affordable Housing Crisis

9 February 2022

CREtech , the largest international community of professionals devoted to technological innovation in the real estate sector, has announced a partnership with Second Century Ventures , one of the most respected and active PropTech investors in the industry, to raise awareness of technology’s role in solving the affordable housing crisis plaguing much of the world today. The newly launched CREtech Affordable Housing initiative aims to be a comprehensive resource for professionals to discover startups, venture investors, thought-leaders and real estate companies leading the way in affordable housing tech investment.

The lack of affordable housing is one of the U.S.’ s most pressing social economic crises. According to Habitat For Humanity, the coronavirus pandemic has accentuated housing affordability issues, especially for low-income households. In 2019, 37.1 million households were “housing cost burdened,” spending 30% or more of their income on housing. This represented 30.2% of all households nationwide. One in 7 households — 17.6 million in total — were “severely cost burdened,” spending half or more of their income on housing.

Renters were significantly more cost burdened than homeowners, with 46% of renters cost burdened compared to 21% of homeowners. Also, 24% of renters and 9% of homeowners were severely cost burdened. In total, though, homeowners made up 40% of all households with severe housing cost burdens, given the larger number of homeowners in the overall population.

The CREtech Affordable Housing technology initiative seeks to galvanize the real estate and tech sectors to align in order to inspire and develop the innovative technology solutions that will most effectively solve the housing affordability crisis. Some of the technology solutions that are already having an impact in this crisis are focused on creating construction techniques, 3-D printed homes, the digitalization of applications and financing solutions, and land development tech, among others.

“It is an honor to launch this important initiative in partnership with the team at CREtech. We share a passion and a commitment to making housing affordable and accessible to everyone and believe technology will play a vital role not only in alleviating the current crisis, but in building sustainable communities for generations to come,” commented Tyler Thompson, Managing Partner, Second Century Ventures. “Working hand in hand with industry innovators, owners, operators, developers, investors, and the field of academia reinforces our collective ability to support new ideas that will transform the real estate ecosystem.”

CREtech Affordable Housing’s leadership team consists of leaders from Second Century Investors and CREtech’s Consulting team. The Leadership team includes Tyler Thompson , Managing Partner, Second Century Ventures , Ashley Stinton , Head of Marketing, Second Century Ventures , Michael Beckerman , CEO, CREtech and CREtech Climate , Yan Khamish , Advisor, CREtech and Thatcher Milholland , Advisor, CREtech.

“Thanks to our partners at Second Century Ventures, CREtech is now able to devote the resources necessary to tackle the affordable housing crisis by building a community of professionals dedicated to investing and adopting technology solutions,” stated Michael Beckerman, CEO, CREtech. “The real estate industry has an enormous opportunity to be the catalyst for solving the affordable housing crises. It is our collective view at CREtech and Second Century Ventures that when the worlds of real estate, venture capital and technology all come together, the Built World is capable of extraordinary innovation for the greater good,” Beckerman concluded.

The CREtech Affordable Housing initiative comes on the heels of CREtech’s successful launch of their CREtech Climate initiative aimed at galvanizing the real estate industry to invest in decarbonization strategies.

To subscribe for the NEW CREtech Affordable Housing website and receive news and updates, click here.

About CREtech

CREtech is Reimagining Real Estate. We are the largest international community of professionals devoted to technological innovation in the real estate sector. Our mission is to help the industry embrace, adopt, and future proof its businesses. Our streaming, live/virtual events, and consulting platform inspires the next generation of ideas, processes, and people to champion the world’s largest asset class. Learn More: CREtech.com

About Second Century Ventures

Second Century Ventures (SCV), the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®, is the most active global real estate technology fund. SCV helps scale its portfolio companies across the world’s largest industries including real estate, financial services, banking, home services, and insurance. Second Century Ventures also operates the award-winning REACH technology growth program. Learn More: scv.vc

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Dubai Land Department, Second Century Ventures Celebrate Start of REACH Middle East

12 February 2026

DUBAI, UAE (Feb 12, 2026) With the endorsement and backing of Dubai Land Department (DLD) and Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship Campus (Dtec), Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors® and the world’s most active global real estate technology fund, is proud to announce the start of the 2026 REACH Middle East programme. The inaugural cohort includes innovative proptech companies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India, who marked the accelerator’s launch with booth presentations at PropTech Connect, one of the world’s largest real estate exhibitions. The programme has been specifically designed to support the wider goals of the UAE Digital Economy Strategy, the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), and the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033. Supporting regional and international start-ups, REACH will provide a proven framework, financial backing, tailored mentorship, enhanced network and investor access, long-term alumni support and access to a global proptech community. The eight-month accelerator is designed to scale opportunities for the programme cohort and to drive deeper connections among company founders. The initiative is driven by Siddiq Farid and Karim Helal, two leaders with extensive experience in the GCC’s real estate and technology markets. Farid founded the highly successful real estate fractionalisation company, SmartCrowd, while Helal is one of the region’s most recognisable entrepreneurs and a founding board member of the Dubai PropTech Business Council. Majid Al Marri, CEO of Real Estate Registration Sector at Dubai Land Department, commented: “REACH Middle East will directly contribute to the goals of Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s inspiring Real Estate Strategy 2033. The selected start-ups are developing innovative solutions for citizens and residents that will enhance the real estate ecosystem and underline Dubai’s role as a global leader in the property sector.” Siddiq Farid, Managing Director of REACH Middle East, said: “This programme brings together strategic influence and financial support to spur innovation within the real estate sector. With the robust backing of Dubai Land Department and Second Century Ventures, as well as world-class industry mentors, the programme provides our cohort companies with the very best chance of becoming future unicorns.” “The Middle East real estate market, with Dubai as a focal point, has become a hotbed for some of the most innovative minds in technology. The latest expansion of the REACH programme will support exciting new ideas and propel the region’s prop-techs to excel on the global stage,” added Dave Garland, Managing Partner at Second Century Ventures. Hans Henrik Christensen, Vice President and General Manager of Dtec, commented: “We are proud to welcome and support REACH, and provide a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment to stimulate these exciting start-ups.” Companies accepted to the 2026 REACH Middle East programme include: Asano : a real estate development intelligence platform that unifies financial, development and spatial data to improve capital planning across large-scale real estate projects Coraly : an AI-powered growth platform for real estate agencies Fixit : an AI employee solution for real estate sales, helping agencies sell faster and smarter HoloX : creator of digital twins for off-plan real estate sales, transforming complex master plans into interactive 3D experiences Rewa : a platform that turns rental payments into rewarding financial experiences for tenants, while enabling landlords and property managers to collect rent digitally Takeem : a digital rental platform to simplify processes, save upfront fees, pre-qualify tenants and de-risk landlord investments by protecting rental income Watad : an AI-powered building materials procurement platform with embedded finance This is the first expansion of the REACH programme to the Middle East region, part of a global network that has supported more than 300 new businesses worldwide since its establishment in 2019. The programme launch coincided with Dubai’s PropTech Connect 2026, one of the world’s biggest real estate technology conferences and exhibitions, hosted in partnership with Dubai Land Department. Cohort members and REACH partners, as well as 14 global REACH companies exhibited. Visit https://www.nar-reach.com/middle-east for more information.

Second Century Ventures Selects Four Tech Companies for 2026 REACH Canada Program

by Mike McAra • 20 October 2025

CALGARY, AB (October 20, 2025) – Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®, today announced the selection of four dynamic technology companies for its 2026 REACH Canada program. This year’s cohort is focused on creating a more secure, efficient, and accessible real estate journey by integrating verifiable digital identity, foundational data infrastructure, innovative housing affordability models, and modern financial services into a cohesive ecosystem. "Our mission with REACH has always been to identify and nurture the technologies that will define the future of real estate," said Dave Garland, Managing Partner of Second Century Ventures. "The 2026 REACH Canada cohort exemplifies this by bringing together companies that address critical points across the entire homeownership lifecycle. From establishing trust with verifiable identity and providing the data backbone for new applications, to creating new pathways to homeownership, these innovators are building a more connected and accessible experience for everyone." Second Century Ventures is the most active global venture fund in real estate technology, with a portfolio of over 310 companies worldwide. SCV operates the global REACH scale-up program in seven major markets: U.S. Residential, U.S. Commercial, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Latin America, Israel, and the Middle East. The 2026 REACH Canada selection marks the 6th cohort of high-growth companies to be scaled through the program since its Canadian launch in 2020. "The 2026 REACH Canada class is uniquely positioned to address some of the most pressing needs in the industry today, particularly housing affordability and the pace of innovation," said Lynette Keyowski, Managing Partner of REACH Canada. "We are seeing a clear demand for greater security, more powerful developer tools, and creative solutions to financial barriers. This cohort directly answers that call, offering solutions that build trust, empower innovators, and introduce new models for accessing homeownership. We are excited to champion these founders as they redefine the Canadian real estate landscape." The four companies selected for the 2026 REACH Canada program are: Credivera : A secure digital identity platform that allows accredited professionals and their clients to instantly verify credentials and identities, fostering unprecedented trust and security in every transaction. Repliers : A real estate data platform providing developers with the APIs and tools needed to build and scale next-generation real estate applications, accelerating innovation across the industry. Cedar : A housing affordability solution that lowers the financial barriers to homeownership by separating the cost of the land from the home itself. Neobanc : A modern financial services platform offering tailored business banking for real estate professionals and innovative financial products for their clients, streamlining everything from commission payouts to closing costs. REACH Canada will provide its 2026 cohort with a comprehensive curriculum featuring education, mentorship, exclusive networking opportunities, and significant exposure to the global real estate marketplace. Learn more about the companies selected for the REACH Canada program and how you can get involved at www.narreach.ca . About NAR The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. About REACH REACH is a unique technology scale-up program created by Second Century Ventures, the most active global fund in real estate technology. Backed by the National Association of Realtors®, Second Century Ventures leverages the association's members and an unparalleled network of executives within real estate and adjacent industries. The REACH program helps technology companies scale across the real estate vertical and its adjacent markets through education, mentorship and market exposure. For more on REACH, visit www.narreach.com # # # Information about NAR is available at nar.realtor . This and other news releases are posted in the newsroom at nar.realtor/newsroom .