How a rage post with 1M+ views on Reddit became an AI-powered real estate startup
Featured: Exclusive interview with CEO of Zown who is turning hidden real estate fees into buyer cash
Hey everyone 👋
Today, I wanted to publish a special featured interview on my newsletter that highlights the story and lessons from a founder friend of mine Rishard.
He's the founder and CEO of Zown — a platform that turns buyer-agent commissions into upfront cash for homebuyers. Instead of letting thousands disappear into back-end fees, Zown users get a cheque big enough (up to $25k) to cover closing costs or boost their down payment through one tech-powered platform.
After launching in Canada in 2024 and hitting $300M+ in transaction volume with 20% month-over-month growth, they're now expanding into the U.S. starting with California. What started as a frustrated Reddit post after losing his entire down payment to commissions has become a movement to put buyers first in real estate.
I was genuinely curious about his startup’s backstory and journey so far, so I sent him a few questions that turned into this interview.
Here's the transcript of my interview with Rishard. Enjoy!
In simple terms, what does Zown do?
We turn the built-in buyer-agent commission into upfront cash for homebuyers. Instead of letting thousands quietly disappear into back-end fees, our users purchase their home with a cheque big enough to cover closing costs or top-up their down payment. Zown offers everything they need to buy a home in one tech-powered platform — built to reward the buyer and put them first.
Give us a little backstory of how you got to this launch. What were a few inflection points in the journey?
In 2022, I sold my house and lost my entire down payment to commissions, so I rage-posted on Reddit. It hit 1M+ views and sparked the idea for Zown. We launched in Canada in 2024, closed 10 deals in our first 60 days, and quickly picked up momentum. By 2025, we’d reimagined the agent model, hit $300M+ in transaction volume, grew 20% MoM, and built customer service that could actually scale — paving the way for our California launch.
How does Zown stand out in your crowded market segment?
Our mission is to make homeownership radically more accessible by dismantling outdated real estate commission structures and putting billions back in buyers’ hands. Our AI-powered platform replaces the traditional agent model with a streamlined team approach, cutting costs by up to 70% and giving buyers up to 1.5% of the purchase price in cash — no loans, no equity share. We’ve built responsive, high-touch support that scales with every market we enter.
What was the most challenging aspect of building Zown so far?
Getting people to believe the upfront cash is real. When buyers hear they can get up to $25K back at closing, the first reaction is usually: what’s the catch? “Too good to be true” has basically become our unofficial brand slogan.
Can you share 1 example of a wild story or fun memory that you shared with your team in building Zown so far?
In our first month, we were so lean our CTO doubled as a showing agent. He live-debugged our app from the driveway while the buyers toured the home. By the time they reached the curb, he’d closed the offer on his phone.
What's been the most surprising or unexpected feedback from early users of Zown?
We thought the upfront cash would be the headline — but buyers can’t stop talking about our response time. One user literally said, “You answered my text in 4 minutes, that’s why I dumped my cousin’s realtor.” Apparently, we’re building the best long-distance relationship they’ve ever had.
Looking ahead into the future years, how do you see Zown evolve? What are some ways you’d expand your TAM?
Frontloading commission is just the wedge. We’re building a full-stack homebuying platform — from down payment financing to AI-driven pricing and one-click closings. The goal is simple: earn trust on the first purchase and become the go-to partner for every move buyers make after that.
What specific advice from your lived experience would you give to first-time founders starting their startup?
Solve a problem you can’t stop thinking about — rage is free fuel. Ship fast and in public. Your first 100 haters are your best product managers.
Where can people learn more about Zown and its latest PH launch?
We’re live on Product Hunt today — come explore our interactive demo, real-time affordability calculator, and streamlined home search tool. Try it at zownhomes.com, and follow us on Linkedin for updates as we rebuild real estate for buyers. If you believe homebuying should be fairer and more rewarding, we’d love your support on PH. 💛
That's a wrap on this week's featured interview — hope Rishard's journey from frustrated homebuyer to industry disruptor sparked some ideas for how you approach problems in your own space.
What can we learn from this story? Sometimes the best business ideas come from your worst customer experiences. Rishard's rage became rocket fuel, his personal pain became his unfair advantage, and his willingness to ship fast and build in public turned skeptics into believers.
The lesson? Don't just complain about broken systems — build the solution you wish existed. Thanks for reading!