How to Turn Real Estate Agent Commissions Into Homebuyer Cash, with Zown Co-founder & CEO Rishard Rameez

Tangent 💚 Proptech

Rishard Rameez is the Co‑Founder and CEO of Zown, an AI‑powered real estate platform that makes homeownership more accessible and affordable. Zown was born from a viral Reddit post where Rishard shared his frustration over paying over $70K in real estate commissions. The outpouring of support inspired him to flip the model: instead of paying big commissions, Zown gives buyers significant upfront cash to help with their down payment and closing costs, while offering sellers flat fees. This customer‑first model has driven rapid growth, with Zown processing over $300 million in transactions and becoming Canada’s fastest‑growing real estate brokerage. The platform has recently launched in California and continues expanding across North America. Rishard sparked a movement by transforming personal pain into an industry‑changing solution.

(02:17) - The Broken Home Buying Process
(03:02) - It All Started with a Viral Reddit Post
(05:39) - Early Pivot from Flat Fee Model
(14:59) - Unbundling Real Estate Services
(18:06) - Feature: Blueprint - The Future of Real Estate - Register for 2025: The Premier Event for Industry Executives, Real Estate & Construction Tech Startups and VC's, at The Venetian, Las Vegas on Sep. 16th-18th, 2025.
(19:00) - Feature: Meow - Business banking, with interest: Unlock a high-yield business checking account that pays up to 3.52%.
(20:31) - Zone's Growth Journey
(28:47) - Customer Acquisition Strategy
(30:36) - Recent Seed Round
(32:42) - Why Own vs. Rent a Home
(34:52) - Collaboration Superpower: Muhammad and Jesus Christ

💚 Learn more:
➡️ Visit Zown
➡️ Rishard Rameez on LinkedIn

💚 Feature:
➡️ Blueprint - The Future of Real Estate - Register for 2025: The Premier Event for Industry Executives, Real Estate & Construction Tech Startups and VC's, at The Venetian, Las Vegas on September 16th-18th, 2025.

💚 Connect with Tangent:
➡️ Edward Cohen on LinkedIn
➡️ Jeff Berman on LinkedIn
➡️ Zach Aarons on LinkedIn
➡️ Tangent on LinkedIn

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