StreetEasy

StreetEasy, founded in 2006 by Nataly Kogan and Douglas Chertok, emerged from their direct and frustrating experiences with the New York City real estate market. Kogan, a former venture capitalist, and Chertok, with a background in digital media, recognized the opaque and fragmented nature of real estate information in the city and set out to create a centralized, transparent platform. Their firsthand knowledge of the pain points faced by renters and buyers directly shaped the company's mission to simplify the property search process. The company's trajectory includes a significant milestone in August 2013 when it was acquired by Zillow Group for $50 million, a move that integrated its powerful local search capabilities with a national real estate powerhouse.

The platform operates as a comprehensive real estate marketplace focused exclusively on New York City and parts of New Jersey, serving a diverse clientele of renters, buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals. Its business model has evolved to include multiple revenue streams. For real estate agents, StreetEasy charges for premium placement and services, such as the "Expert" program which highlights top agents, and fees for posting rental listings, a program that was introduced in 2017. The primary offering is a robust online platform, accessible via its website and mobile apps, which aggregates and verifies property listings. It provides users with a suite of data-driven tools, including detailed building information, sales and rental history, and proprietary market data like the StreetEasy Price Index, which helps users understand property value trends. A key feature is its commitment to data accuracy and transparency, aiming to eliminate the phantom listings that often plague other platforms.

Keywords: real estate marketplace, New York City property, rental listings, property data, real estate transparency, home buying, apartment search, Zillow Group, agent tools, market analytics