The News Funnel: What is your background and how did you enter the real estate tech space?

George: My co-founder, Jordan Preston, has a wealth of diverse real estate experience dating back to his first internship with Massey Knakal and extensive brokerage work with his family's Brooklyn-centric property portfolio. More recently, Jordan was the Director of Professional Services at Property Shark, where he immersed himself in technology and spearheaded initiatives to aggregate listings. These varied experiences, coupled with an intrinsic love and interest in NYC Real Estate, allowed Jordan to analyze the market from different angles and develop a solution to the problems of the modern Real Estate professional. I, on the other hand, am a financier turned entrepreneur who is spearheading the marketing & sales components of LavaMap's flagship product, the LavaTag. I am a brand enthusiast who comes from a Real Estate family and am passionate about the concept of bringing a consistent, reliable and ubiquitous Real Estate tool to the streets of New York and beyond.

The News Funnel: What is the problem you are trying to solve by launching your site?

George: The processes of marketing and searching for Commercial Real Estate can be inefficient, scattered, and frankly, scary. LavaMap strives to simplify these activities by offering user-friendly products that save-time, increase exposure, and keep you organized like never before. Our interactive signage not only serves as an automated response system, but doubles as a real-time CRM system built specifically for Real Estate professionals.

The News Funnel: How long did it take you to develop the LavaMap platform?

George: The rudimentary concept of LavaMap dates back to our days at Great Neck South High School, where we successfully pitched the idea at a statewide business competition. Now, with robust technology and years of experience, LavaMap has been full throttle since August of 2012.

The News Funnel: Did you have to do a lot of market research before deciding to take the leap and build LavaMap?

George: Initially, the idea to build LavaMap was predicated in a form of research: Seeing the problems and finding a solution. We are of the strong mindset that LavaMap should not be thrust or imparted upon the Real Estate Community; rather, we want to work with these individuals and organizations to customize and cater a perfect solution to their specific bottlenecks; no matter how much work and how many iterations it takes to get it right.

The News Funnel: Who is your ideal target market?

George: Individual Property Owners & Landlords who want a cost-effective, yet highly advanced tool to find and market commercial property. Brokerages, Corporations, Investors, and others who want institutional tools that allow management to track progress, share leads, create beautiful client reports with the click of a button, and save time & resources across the board.

The News Funnel: What is your expansion strategy?

George: Launch within NYC and parts of the Tri-State area, then break into national and residential arenas. We know our hometown area best, and it also happens to be the most dynamic market out there.

The News Funnel: Do you have any tips or advice for new CRE tech entrepreneurs eager to enter the market?

George: Be motivated and agile. If something is not perfect, it will probably never be. So just go with it and continue evolving and improving on the move.