PropTech · Growth Partner · Atlanta
$0 → $300M at Zillow.
Now I sit with the founders building the next one.
By Michael Schuerman · Growth Partner · Atlanta
I take commercial ownership inside the business: adoption, renewals, brokerage partnerships, and the revenue number behind them.
- For
- PropTech and real estate founders with distribution, adoption, or renewal pressure.
- The role
- A Growth Partner who makes adoption, revenue, and expansion operational.
- The difference
- An advisor makes the introduction. I run the pilot, renewal, and partner call.
02 Where PropTech stalls
The product isn’t usually the problem.
Distribution is.
PropTech does not sell to a single buyer. It sells to a brokerage owner, a team lead, and an enterprise ops group, and each one signs for different reasons.
So the logo closes and the seats never light up. Adoption sits with agents nobody trained. The renewal arrives with usage nobody can defend.
Meanwhile the partner channel that would move the number faster than any rep sits idle, because the calls that open it are founder calls and the founder is in product.
I have sat on the other side of those tables. Inside Zillow when Flex, now Preferred, went from $0 to $300M. Inside PLACE through the Goldman-led $100M round at a $1B valuation. Advising ChuckTown Homes from Zillow when ten producers became ninety across five markets and three states.
I know what a brokerage owner actually says yes to, and what makes a team lead quietly stop using your product in month four.
The renewal you delay a quarter at a customer who is 40% of revenue is not a roadmap item. It is the year.
That’s an Operating Partner.
03 The difference
PropTech advisors vs an Operating Partner
Most PropTech advisors are introducers. They know the category, they know the operators, and they will put a name in your inbox. That is real value, once. I’m hired for a different seat.
An introduction is not a signed brokerage. Somebody still has to run the pilot, train the agents nobody budgeted to train, and defend the usage number at renewal.
I do that part. I take the brokerage call, I sit in the pipeline review, and I carry a revenue number your team reports on with me in the room.
And because I have run the buyer’s side of this category, I can tell the difference between a customer who is quiet and a customer who is already gone.
What the first thirty days look like
Week one
I pull seat counts against active usage on every account you have, and I listen to the last ninety days of customer calls. By Friday you know which accounts are actually adopted, which are quietly churning, and which two brokerages are worth your own calendar.
Week two
I take the renewal with your largest brokerage myself, and I make the partner call that has been on your calendar for two months. The agent training nobody owns gets an owner and a date.
Week three and after
Expansion and renewal run on a cadence instead of on your memory. You are back in product and back in the fundraise, which is the only place a founder actually compounds.
If it’s not a fit in the first ten minutes, we both know.
04 Receipts
Built inside the category
3 years. Business line. Zillow.
Producers. ChuckTown Homes. 15 months, 5 markets, 3 states.
Hires in 6 months. Real estate operator client. 120 producers across 5 markets, 2 states.
Plus PLACE: Goldman-led $100M round, $1B valuation, from the inside.
05 Questions founders ask
PropTech founder questions, answered plainly
What is an Operating Partner for a PropTech founder?+
Someone who sits in the seat with you, not next to it. I run the commercial moves: the renewal, the hire, the partner call, the sales motion that compounds. The operating system stays sharp behind it.
How is this different from a PropTech advisor or board seat?+
An advisor advises. A board member governs. I run the play. Same week the move is identified, the move is made.
Do you only work with real estate and PropTech companies?+
No. About ninety percent of the operators I work with are not real estate. PropTech is where the receipts are densest: Zillow, PLACE, ChuckTown. That’s why the seat is fastest to fill here. The play works the same in any room with a P&L.
What's the difference between this and a fractional COO?+
A fractional COO usually builds the operating system around the work. I get in the room for the call, the renewal, the hire, or the partner decision that actually moves the line.
What happens on the first call?+
Thirty minutes. We identify the move, the cost of delay, the seat required, and whether I'm the right fit. If it's not a fit in the first ten minutes, we both know.
If distribution is the constraint.
Bring me your top ten accounts and the renewal you are least sure about. Thirty minutes.
If it’s not a fit in the first ten minutes, we both know.
Or price the call you keep moving: run the calculator
Sources & further reading
- · Stratechery (Ben Thompson): platform leverage and aggregation theory
- · NAR Research & Statistics: agent, brokerage, and transaction data
- · a16z PropTech: landscape essays on category structure
- · What is a Fractional COO: the definition page
- · Zillow Partner Teams: the vertical wedge
- · Decision Cost Calculator: what the delay is costing you
"The rare operator you build a company around."
Google reviews
What people who worked with me wrote on Google.
Michael is one of those people who combines a deep understanding of real estate and PropTech with the ability to actually turn that knowledge into action. His experience at Zillow and throughout the real estate industry gives him a perspective that is difficult to find, especially when it comes to growth, operations, sales, partnerships, and the challenges that come with scaling a business. What I appreciate most about Michael, though, is that he isn't someone who just throws out advice from the sidelines. He digs into the problem, understands the people and systems involved, and helps figure out what actually needs to happen next. He has a strong operator's mindset, an incredible network, and a genuine desire to help the people around him succeed. If you're building a PropTech company, growing a real estate organization, working with Zillow, or simply need an experienced business operator who understands how sales and operations fit together, Michael is absolutely someone worth talking to. I know him personally, trust his judgment, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him.
I had the pleasure of working with Michael for several years as one of my very first Zillow Flex Advisors, and I can genuinely say he was also one of my favorites! Michael played a major role in helping me grow not only as a team leader, but also in building the foundation and operational structure that helped my team become the top-performing team we are today. He constantly challenged me to think bigger, expand my team, strengthen our systems, and create better processes around agent accountability, performance metrics, and overall operations. What I appreciated most about Michael was that he never just told me what I wanted to hear. He provided honest feedback, thoughtful suggestions, and introduced me to different tools and systems that helped take my business to the next level. His dedication to seeing my team succeed was always evident. Even today, although we no longer work together directly, we remain in communication, and I know that if I ever needed his advice or feedback, I could still reach out to him. To me, that speaks volumes about the relationship we built. Michael was truly a key contributor to my growth and success, and I will always appreciate the time, knowledge, and support he invested in me and my business. If you are looking for someone who will challenge you, hold you accountable, help you put the right systems in place, and genuinely support you in growing your team and your business, Michael is absolutely your guy!
KeAnna JonesZillow Preferred partner · Team owner5 star review on GoogleI had the pleasure of working closely with Michael during my time at a real estate brokerage, and I can't recommend him enough. Michael possesses a remarkable ability to focus on the big picture while never losing sight of the details that matter. His strategic mindset greatly contributed to our collective success. One of Michael's standout qualities is his commitment to maintaining a positive and inclusive culture. He genuinely listens to the concerns and ideas of those around him, advocating for team members and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued. This not only boosted morale but also enhanced collaboration across the board. As a consultant hired by the brokerage, Michael proved to be an invaluable asset. His insights and expertise were instrumental in driving our initiatives forward. Working with him was not only productive but also a truly enriching experience.
I met Michael when my business had 23 sales people. Michael architected a business game plan that opened my eyes to the possibility of expansion into new markets- new states- and many more sales people. With his vision and leadership we tripled our sales volume and grew to 90 sales people in 5 different locations. Michael is truly a world-class talent, a consummate professional, and remarkably approachable—someone who immediately earns your confidence as a trusted advisor.
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- Before you hire me
- About
- Background
- Case study: ChuckTown Homes
- Case study: Dwelli
- Common questions
- The second in command
- Zillow Flex vs Zillow Preferred
- Zillow Preferred leads not converting
- How to scale a Zillow Preferred team
- How to hire a fractional COO
- How I read a business
- Methodology
- Proof
- Recommendations
- Growth Partner in Atlanta
- Your bottleneck pattern
- What you're load-bearing for
- Media and talks