VAUNT is a B2B PropTech start-up that is redefining the residential real estate sales ecosystem through its innovative SaaS offerings. VAUNT’s sales management platform is tailored exclusively for residential real estate developers, streamlining their entire sales pipeline with user-friendly sales and marketing modules. Additionally, the company has developed a unique marketplace designed for investors interested in purchasing properties and is expanding internationally.
• In a recent podcast, Irina Constantin, co-founder of VAUNT discussed how to build a profitable start-up from the ground up.
• Launched in 2018 in Romania, VAUNT is a profitable PropTech start-up streamlining sales processes for residential assets. In 2024, VAUNT has expanded to the US.
• The bootstrapped company has grown to list over $ 2.7 billion in assets with 70+ active residential developers as clients.
• According to Irina Constantin, whether a start-up is bootstrapped or funded, the entrepreneurial focus should be on building a good company and a product that solves people’s problems.
In a recent podcast, Irina Constantin, the co-founder of VAUNT discussed how to build a profitable start-up from the ground up. Irina Constantin is an entrepreneur, educator, and obstacle course athlete. At 21, she founded a software development agency and has since co-founded VAUNT, a profitable PropTech start-up streamlining sales processes for residential assets.
With Co-founder and CTO, Razvan Mitre, she has helped grow the company to list over $ 2.7 million in assets. 70+ active residential developers are currently using VAUNT to manage 20,000+ properties for sale or rent. What makes these accomplishments special is that VAUNT is a completely bootstrapped company.
Irina Constantin was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2022. She is passionate about using technology to solve real estate challenges. She has extensive experience in the gaming industry and social media influencer marketing. Before VAUNT, she developed a product to facilitate reservation management in restaurants. She always dreamed about building a global company that positively impacts the world. At 21, she quit her corporate job and started her software agency. Back in 2018, a project to build a custom ERP for a real estate developer helped her understand more about the residential sector. This is when she, with her business partner decided to create a product to capitalize on the untapped potential of the residential real estate sector.
The duo identified a huge need gap in the sales departments of residential real estate companies and developed an innovative platform to simplify sales and marketing processes, support partner businesses, and enhance the overall customer experience. VAUNT helps developers streamline their sales processes from the inception of a construction project to the handover stage. The system works as a combination of CRM and ERP models and helps companies keep track of their pipeline, inventory, and financial transactions. Developers can showcase a space in 2D and set up marketing campaigns using VAUNT. The centralized model helps to keep all financial data in one place and allows developers to collaborate seamlessly with banks and investors. The system also generates financial projections and identifies trends and marketing leads.
VAUNT’s big vision is to change the traditional method of local transactions and make real estate transactions possible on an international level. To make the sales process more accessible, they have developed VAUNT Market which allows companies to do more transactions in the international market.
According to Irina Constantin, the decision between bootstrapping a start-up and opting for investor funding depends on a range of factors. When VAUNT was launched, the funding ecosystem in Romania wasn’t as well developed as it is now. This naturally led the co-founders to bootstrap the company. According to Irina Constantin, the second reason behind bootstrapping VAUNT was that it was their first major venture. Elaborating further she said, “Start-up founders with prior experience in launching successful start-ups find it easier to attract funding than new entrepreneurs as it takes the risk off the investor’s plate. But whether a start-up is bootstrapped or funded, the entrepreneurial focus should be on building a good company and a product that solves people’s problems”.
Several key decisions helped VAUNT stay on track toward profitability in its early stages. Instead of offering free accounts, VAUNT built products with precision allowing it to charge clients from day one. Irina Constantin and her team explored creative ways to land customers. Through innovative marketing like $ 3 Facebook campaigns, VAUNT successfully identified and converted leads.
Irina Constantin’s advice to start-up founders is to remember “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”. The focus should always be on developing products that work, and sometimes that can take a while. The real challenge is to persevere even when mistakes happen. Identifying mistakes early and solving them is the mark of a true entrepreneur. Ultimately, both bootstrapped and funded start-ups have to take risks, tackle them, and build a successful enterprise.
In 2024, the founders took the bold decision to expand into the US. That decision pushed VAUNT to optimize its product and integrate cutting-edge technologies like AI to meet the expectations of the global clientele it targeted. The team also conducted extensive research to find the appropriate niche in this huge market and adapt to the US real estate markets. Recently, the company brought on board Joe (Shijo) Mathew as a strategic advisor to guide its growth strategy in the right direction. Known for his venture OpenReel, a rapidly growing US-based Series A start-up, Joe Mathew will help VAUNT expand in the US with its latest offering VAUNT Market. With his extensive experience in scaling start-ups, he will play a crucial role in preparing VAUNT for its first funding round.
Irina Constantin plans to open up the real estate marketplace where investors can find the property they want and developers can assess buyers’ credibility through data. The current focus is on growing the company’s foothold in the US through community events in the New York PropTech space. For Irina Constantin, “building a community around your product can do wonders as clients are your biggest endorsers”. In the future, VAUNT’s clients can expect personalized support for property transactions and smarter technology automation that minimizes repetitive tasks and allows them to focus more on their customers.
By Proptechbuzz
By Ravi Kumar
