SoftBank is making a big bet on real estate tech. The Japanese telecom giant invested $450 million in Compass, a $2.2 billion real estate company shaking up the industry. Rob Lehman, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass, was with us to discuss what the deal means for the company.
With investments ranging from Uber to WeWork, SoftBank is one of the most influential investors in the tech community. Lehman explains that his company appealed to SoftBank because they recognized a technology gap in the real estate market that Compass was filling. He also points out Compass was an attractive investment because real estate is the largest asset globally.
With the new funding, Lehman says the company will focus on growth and continued investments in technology. When it comes to emerging technologies, Compass doesn't have plans for virtual reality. Instead, the company is more focused on artificial intelligence, says Lehman. In addition to technology, the new funding will go to breaking into tier one cities such as Atlanta and Phoenix, he adds.
Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a historic screenwriters strike after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works for striking actors.
The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street. This week we're highlighting, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, the UAW strike, Fox Corp. and News Corp. shake-up, interest rate decision, and Cisco scooping up Splunk.
