A short introduction
Property is familiar.
The business models may not be.
Start with one question: what part of the property journey are we improving, and who will pay for that improvement?
One industry. Different businesses.
A single venture can combine these models. Each still needs its own customer, economics and delivery capability.
A property portal
Helps people find properties and contact sellers or agents.
How it earns: Usually charges for listings, advertising or enquiries.
What to watch
More enquiries do not necessarily mean more completed sales.
A managed transaction service
Helps the customer move from a search to visits, an offer and completion.
How it earns: Can earn a fee for a completed sale or rental.
What to watch
People, follow-up and delivery costs matter as much as software.
Property management
Looks after an occupied property: rent, repairs and owner updates.
How it earns: Can charge owners an ongoing management fee.
What to watch
Recurring income also means recurring service responsibilities.
Property data & verification
Organises records so people can check a property or make a decision.
How it earns: Can charge for reports, checks or access to data.
What to watch
A checked listing is not the same as legally verified ownership.
Developer software
Helps a developer manage customers, construction, handover and service.
How it earns: Can be an internal tool or a subscription sold to other businesses.
What to watch
An internal efficiency improvement is not automatically a separate startup.
Property finance
Helps fund a purchase or connect customers with financing.
How it earns: May earn referral, service or financing income, depending on the model.
What to watch
Local permissions, consumer protection and financial risk need specialist review.
What this means for Propty.
The ambition is one connected property business, not just a new website. Our proposal is to improve one real customer journey first, measure the value, then decide which additional services deserve investment.
- 01 / FindUseful choices
Accurate, available properties that match the customer.
- 02 / CheckClear evidence
Show what was checked, by whom, when, and what remains unknown.
- 03 / VisitReliable follow-up
A named person coordinates the viewing and next action.
- 04 / CompleteVisible progress
Track documents, decisions and blockers through completion.
Three things that should never be confused.
“They provide this.”
A product page or company profile describes a feature. It does not show whether customers benefit or the company makes money.
“This changed.”
A filing or case study reports a number. Check the period, definition, source and whether other factors could explain it.
“We could test this.”
A reasoned proposal for Bangladesh. It is not a locally proven result or a promise of increased sales.
A few words, made simple.
- Proptech
- Property technology: software, data and services that improve how property is found, built, bought or managed.
- Lead → visit → closing
- An enquiry, then a property viewing, then a completed transaction. These are different stages, not interchangeable sales numbers.
- Conversion
- The share of a defined starting group that reaches the next step. Always ask: conversion from what, to what, over which period?
- Revenue vs transaction value
- Revenue is the company’s income. The total value of properties traded through it is much larger and is not its revenue.
- Unit economics
- What one customer or transaction earns after the costs of acquiring and serving it. State which costs are included.
- Baseline
- How the business performs before a change. Without it, we cannot judge whether new technology helped.
- Pilot
- A small, time-limited test with a named owner and agreed success criteria, before committing to a larger rollout.
- CRM / ERP / API
- CRM tracks customers and follow-ups. ERP coordinates business operations. An API lets software systems exchange information.
- Billings / operating PBT
- Billings are amounts billed, which can differ from recognised revenue. Operating PBT is an operating profit-before-tax measure; use the reporting company’s definition.
- YC
- Y Combinator, a startup accelerator. Its directory helps find companies; membership does not prove profitability or suitability for Bangladesh.