When I first met Guy Gal, you could tell that he had a passion for the work he was doing. Changing the world of real estate is a daunting endeavor, and when I made the decision to leave Climb Real Estate (another real estate brokerage I helped found), it was a tough decision. I had put in a lot of work in getting Climb to become a dominant brand in San Francisco, and the people there are friends that helped me build my business to new heights.
However, after meeting Guy and hearing about the mission of Side, I knew Guy had something special. Moreover, I felt like I could contribute to its growth. So I made the difficult decision to embark on a new journey. I knew that I would have to do the work I have always done in helping my clients achieve their real estate goals in addition to bringing talent into Side to help it grow.
That was a little over 5 years ago, and since then Side has reached amazing new levels. In June 2021, hedge fund Tiger Global Management led the latest funding round, with family office ICONIQ Capital, and D1 Capital Partners. The additional $50 million in funding pushed Side’s evaluation to $2.5 billion, setting the stage for an exciting future.
What many great business owners love about Side is the fact that it puts their real estate businesses at the forefront, while the overall brokerage handles much of the administrative heavy-lifting in the background. By leveraging their industry-leading tech products for their agents, Side allows real estate professionals to focus more time on the most important part of their business, their clients.
Last week, on August 24th and 25th, we joined a number of agents from all over the country at the Meritage Resort in Napa for Reunite, Side’s annual summit, to share our stories and talk about how we can further build our real estate businesses along with finding new ways to help the selling and buying experience better for our clients. It was an amazing time of working coupled with a few glasses of Napa’s finest Cabernets.
Reunite 2021 saw hundreds of agents at the resort along with hundreds more participating remotely. So many agents at the summit shared how working with Side has helped them become better agents along with increasing their production to new levels. Everyone there knew we are a part of something special, and I can’t help but be proud of helping get such an amazing company to its current level.
Here is a picture of our team at Reunite 2021.
It takes a visionary to make something special happen, and when coupled with hard work and dedication, success can be won. My work is by no means over, and I know new challenges will arise. However, I had an enriching time meeting fellow business owners and celebrating all we’ve achieved.
If you or an agent you know is interested in what Side has to offer, reach out and let me know. I am more than happy to let you know what Side can do to help a business reach the next level.
Until then, it’s back to the grindstone. I hope you had a Happy Labor Day and took the time to recharge. Then, let’s close out 2021 strong!
