In our latest real estate tech entrepreneur interview, we’re speaking with Michael Vilardo from VHomes.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Michael Vilardo and I’m the founder of VHomes. VHomes is a proptech budget travel and housing company, looking to leverage vacant and distressed real estate into livable assets for nightly, weekly, or monthly options.

What problem does your product/service solve?

Our problem looks to solve the antiquated motel and affordable housing industries. Motels have failed to innovate and are incredibly outdated. Consumers now want to visit places of higher quality, places that they can post on social media, and places that offer flexible leasing terms. By providing consumers travel or housing choices on a budget, yet meet the needs of today’s society will be critical in improving the lives of our customers. We aim to provide clearly superior budget options for similar pricing to motels (travel) or affordable housing (monthly furnished rentals).

What are you most excited about right now?

I am most excited about the evolving home situation in the world today. COVID-19 has disrupted so much of pre-2020 lifestyle norms and pleasantries of daily and weekly life, which is disheartening and empathizing. We must find positivity and opportunities out of this to better human life, love, and connection. With our homes now often becoming our places of work, fitness, and all other necessities, it is that much more important to improve the home life for everybody – particularly low-income and budget consumers. VHomes is focused on improving the living and traveling options of these consumers.

What’s next for you?

The membership/SaaS model of business, where we will look to leverage our operational and data analytics expertise to provide support to homeowners and property managers looking for an alternative property management solution. We aim to provide this service to homeowners/landlords and quickly provide the benefits, cost savings, and additional spaces to budget consumers.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

I am most passionate about improving the educational opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the United States. The systematic oppression is demanding of change, and there are so many opportunities to improve educational adequacy, a key differentiator/indicator of future financial security. Grade schools, high schools, and universities must internally audit and reflect how they can better serve the country’s growth and evolution to the most diverse, equitable place of business and pleasure. The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is the most impressive entity I’ve come across, and as a Colombian-American I am incredibly appreciative and grateful for the full-scholarship they awarded me to pursue UCLA Anderson for my MBA. Consortium awards hundreds of fellowships a year primarily to Black, Native American, and Hispanic American aspiring MBAs, in addition to others who support the mission of more underrepresented minorities in management positions across all industries.

Meet The RE Tech EntrepreneurThanks to Michael for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop me a line (drew @ geekestatelabs dot com).