Michael Griffin
Dana Point, California, United States
5K followers
500+ connections
Articles by Michael
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AI and The Service Revival
AI and The Service Revival
If you listen to conversations about AI right now, one fear keeps surfacing. People are worried that humans are going…
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The Next Operating System for CRE
The Next Operating System for CRE
When I started my last company, ClientLook, the idea was simple: build a deal management tool that made it easier for…
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Did Technology Break CRE Brokerage?
Did Technology Break CRE Brokerage?
It never changes. The toughest sales objection I’ve faced in over 30 years of building CRE technology has never been…
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Turning Instinct Into Infrastructure
Turning Instinct Into Infrastructure
A friend of mine retired from brokerage a few years ago. He'd built a strong reputation—top producer, trusted…
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Signals in the Noise
Signals in the Noise
I’ve been thinking lately about how dealmaking used to feel. The pace was slower, sure—but there was also more clarity.
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Your Competitive Edge Has a Brain
Your Competitive Edge Has a Brain
I remember watching an old clip about Cold War-era radar tech—glass-paneled rooms, circular screens, operators hunched…
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The Silent Reset
The Silent Reset
Every January, something familiar happens in commercial real estate: we start from zero. Doesn’t matter how many deals…
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5K followers
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Michael Griffin shared thisThe Service Revival is my take on what an AI dividend could mean for commercial real estate: not fewer people, but better human service powered by smarter systems.
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Michael Griffin shared thisI’ve built CRE tech for a long time. But this feels different. Faster. More creative. More human. This post is about what happens when AI stops trying to replace brokers—and starts helping them rediscover the art of dealmaking.
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Michael Griffin shared thisI’ve spent decades building tech for CRE—and I’ve changed my mind about something big. This post isn’t about how to get brokers to change. It’s about what happens when we stop trying.
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Michael Griffin shared thisI’ve been thinking about how easy it is to stay busy in this business—but how hard it is to build something that lasts. I’m figuring out how AI can help turn day-to-day work into long-term leverage.
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Michael Griffin shared thisBefore dashboards and distractions, dealmakers relied on instinct. This post is about reviving that clarity—with a little help from the machine.
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Michael Griffin shared thisEver feel like your competitive edge depends on memory, caffeine, and a little luck? Same. But maybe it doesn’t have to. I’ve been working on something quietly ambitious—and a bit retro. This one’s for the momentum-minded.
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Michael Griffin shared thisEvery January, most CRE professionals quietly restart from zero. But what if that reset wasn’t inevitable? I’ve been exploring how AI could change that—and the possibilities are bigger than I expected. Curious what this could mean for your business?
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Michael Griffin posted thisThis wasn’t always obvious to me. But lately, it’s hit with full force: AI won’t just enhance CRE workflows—it will rebuild them from the ground up. And unlike blockchain, crypto, or other tech buzzwords of the past, this time is different. AI isn’t hype. It’s not a feature you bolt on. It’s a new foundation for how business will be done. After years in CRM and deal management, I see it clearly now: most legacy systems—even those layering on AI—are still trapped by outdated assumptions. It’s like putting jet engines on a train—you’ll move faster, but you’re still stuck on tracks laid for a different era. Real innovation isn’t speed along old lines. It’s freedom to forge new paths. I used to design product workflows by dreaming up the perfect process, then scaling it back based on what technology could actually do. Today, it’s the opposite. Workflows that once felt magical—even impossible—are now within reach. And the biggest shocker? I’m probably not thinking big enough. Imagine relying on a solution that doesn’t just assist you—it amplifies you. Whether you’re just getting started or have decades of experience, it learns your voice, your strategy, your goals, your vision. Every note, email and file you share, every deal you track, every insight you provide fuels it. The more you give, the smarter it gets—surfacing opportunities you didn’t even know to look for. It’s a living, evolving system—sharpening your strengths, bridging your gaps, and building a competitive edge no one else can replicate. And the best part is that it's never outdated. It never slows down. It never quits. It grows with you and is always eager to learn. We’re standing at the edge of something entirely new. These ideas are just beginning to take shape—that’s why I’m sharing them now. Privacy challenges? They’ll be solved. Technical limits? They’ll fall away. The real question is: what will we create when the barriers are gone? If this stirs something in you—whether you’re building, investing, advising, or simply thinking big—I’d love to connect. The future is unwritten. And I believe that it belongs to those bold enough to rethink from zero.
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Michael Griffin posted thisOver the past few months, I’ve had countless conversations, read extensively, thought deeply, and written more than expected. I had no set agenda—just a desire to spark creativity and strategic thinking. I'm still going strong. For better or worse, I know CRE tech inside and out, so that’s where I've been focusing. As a CRM founder, people often ask for my take, and in nearly every conversation, three questions come up: How can I use AI? What am I doing next? And—my personal favorite—what CRM should I use? Even after 30 years in this business, I’m surprised the CRM question is still unresolved. That tells me no one has truly nailed it. There’s no dominant solution, no “killer app,” and if you measure actual engaged users no solution has ever hit double digits in market penetration. Why? Is CRM too hard to use? Maybe—if it requires training, it’s already set up for failure. Is there no demand? Doubtful, given how often people ask about it. Or has no one really cracked the code? That seems more likely. So I’ve been taking a fresh look at CRM—how data is collected, how it fits into workflows, and whether the traditional model even makes sense anymore. AI is revealing possibilities I never imagined too. Maybe the old CRM playbook is flawed. Maybe it’s time for something different. I’m not sure if I’m on the right track, but exploring new ideas is so exciting. If you have any insights, I’d love to hear them.
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked thisCoStar Group is executing our proven playbook as we enter our next chapter of margin expansion and profitable growth, and we’re operating with conviction and confidence. We’ve engaged with our stockholders around the world and received strong support for our strategy. We've enhanced our Board, launched our transformative Homes Ai and technology initiatives, deepened our commitment to returning capital to stockholders, and aligned executive compensation more closely with long-term value creation. While a small number of activist investors were vocal, no stockholder nominations were submitted, allowing us to move forward without distractions. There’s more work ahead, but our path is clear. I’ve never been more confident in our strategic direction or our ability to unlock the tremendous value of our digital real estate ecosystem. Thank you to our broad base of stockholders for your continued support and engagement, and to the CoStar Group team whose dedication and execution make this progress possible.
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked this50 Years of Apple! What an incredible company. From the early days of the #iPod to bringing the #iPhone into the world, some of the most formative years of my career were at Apple. The teams and breakthroughs stay with you, and so does how Apple thinks. A few lessons that have held true across decades: 1) Start with the user, not the tech. The best products don’t begin with what can we build but what problem actually matters. Tech is the tool. 2) Focus is everything. Apple is as much about what it says no to as what it builds. Great products come from ruthless prioritization NOT feature accumulation. 3) End-to-end matters. Hardware, software, services, it all has to work together. You can’t hand off the experience and expect magic. 4) Details are the core memory unlock. The way something feels in your hand, how fast it responds, how intuitive it is. These seemingly small things are what users remember. 5) Great teams debate hard but commit fully. The best ideas don’t come from consensus. They come from passionate, hard, sometimes uncomfortable conversations and then unified execution. 6) Build for the long term. Trends come and go. Enduring products solve real human needs and stand the test of time. We’re in another moment of massive technological change right now. But the fundamentals haven't changed. The companies that win build something people actually use and can’t imagine living without. Congrats to everyone who has been a part of Apple's 50 years, the innovators, the leaders, the customers, the Apple lifers, the Macworld nerds (the feeling of reading those magazine from cover to cover will never be forgotten!)... The Apple community is one of a kind, and we all get to celebrate today how Apple has impacted our lives. Looking forward to what Apple will bring into the world next!
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked thisAfter 1 year, today marks my last day at Miro. I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished: - The team went from 33% of goal before I joined to 100%+ attainment each of the past three quarters - We executed a robust GTM strategy across four new products basically overnight that resulted in a record breaking FY26 - We generated millions in sourced pipeline & closed-won deals - We saw three BDR promotions vs 0 the year prior - We became the nerve center for innovation for our clients, changing how their teams collaborate and get work done To my leadership and cross-functional partners Christopher Demery, Amy Rivers, Michael Birch, Mark Treacy, Kevin Gillies, Ben Graf, Becky Erickson thank you for believing in me & for your partnership throughout. To my team Maggie Francis, Brie Wilder, Hani Salim, Riley McGerr, Nicholas Tang, Matthew Casanas, David Noonan, Mia Mihalic, Katherine Ince thank you for your relentless execution, adaptability, & drive. This team is special, and I’m incredibly proud of each of you. I’m excited to start a new journey on Monday as Director of Business Development at Braze. Thank you Zana Thaqi and Del Patara for the opportunity! Braze is on a mission to be absolutely engaging & transform the way brands interact with their customers. I’m excited to lead a team that plays a critical role in that growth and momentum. Grateful for this chapter & ready to get to work on what’s next! 💪
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked thisI haven’t been doing this - and I suffered. I just had to spend the whole day cleaning my tree. After spending thousands of hours building with AI, I kept seeing the same message when I’d go to commit or push. ‘Branch is dirty, I’m going to cherry pick the right files and push to main’ 🤷♂️ OK… Hint: not OK. I’d been powering through weeks of build sessions without managing my commits and clean up. So I dedicated an entire day and ran an testing and checking for every script to before cleaning. Finally have my house clean again. Call it a Spring Clean. I now add clarity when we start every session like this - “Sprinkle in checkpoint commits during this session and keep branches and main clean as you go.” So far… so tidy!
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked thisLightBox is headed to the 2026 Appraisal Institute Annual Conference and proud to support this year’s event. We are looking forward to connecting with appraisers and industry leaders to talk about the future of commercial real estate data, valuation, and technology. Join Jessica Alford, A-CSM, Senior Product Manager at LightBox, for the panel discussion—The Future of Commercial Appraisal Data: Control, Competition, and Consequences—Wednesday, April 15 at 9:15 AM CT This session takes a close look at how data ownership, sharing practices, and emerging technologies are reshaping the competitive landscape for commercial appraisal firms. From AMCs to proptech platforms, the conversation will focus on what is at stake and how firms can protect the value of their data. If you will be there, let’s connect! Message Paula Merrill or Jessica Alford, A-CSM to book time on-site. Get Started Today: https://hubs.la/Q04880V40 #CRE #CommercialRealEstate #Valuation #AppraisalInstitute #ValuationProfessionals #Appraisal #AppraisalData #Appraisers
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked thisClaude took 12 minutes to think about its bracket, which is more time than most humans devoted to this exercise, and crowned Illinois as its contrarian national champion. Gemini and ChatGPT played it safer by picking No. 1 seed Michigan. #goblue #bracketology #AIChatGPT, Claude and Gemini Entered the WSJ Bracket Pool. One Might Actually Win.ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini Entered the WSJ Bracket Pool. One Might Actually Win.
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Michael Griffin liked thisI hope you can join us when we come to your city.Michael Griffin liked thisThe next chapter of industry connection starts now. We’re excited to launch LightBox Roadshows: Insights and Innovation, a new regional event series bringing environmental due diligence professionals, lenders, and industry leaders together for a morning of market intelligence, practical innovation, and candid conversation. Across six cities, we’ll share: - A data-driven pulse check on national and local market conditions - Insights on emerging technology shaping environmental due diligence - Practical perspectives from industry leaders and lenders - A preview of LightBox product innovation and what’s coming next If you’re navigating shifting CRE conditions, evolving risk expectations, and rapid technology change, this series is designed for you. Atlanta, Georgia – Tuesday, April 21 Charlotte, North Carolina – Wednesday, April 22 Edison, New Jersey – Thursday, April 23 Chicago, Illinois – Tuesday, May 5 Irvine, California – Wednesday, May 6 Seattle, Washington – Thursday, May 7 Seats are limited, and attendance is complimentary. Learn More and Register: https://lnkd.in/e8_8SCsp
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Michael Griffin liked thisMichael Griffin liked thisDead Deal Data? In CRE, everyone tracks what sold. Nobody tracks what didn't and why. Dead deals are one of the most underutilized signals in commercial real estate. A property that went to market, attracted interest, and then quietly disappeared tells you something that no transaction comp can: where the bid-ask gap is, which markets are losing conviction, and which asset types are falling out of favor before the numbers reflect it. I’ve been thinking about this a lot. The data behind deals that fall through (the pricing expectations, the buyer drop-off, the timing) is arguably more predictive of where the market is heading than closed transactions, which by definition reflect decisions made 60–90 days ago. Imagine being able to see: → Which property types are seeing rising deal mortality → Where seller expectations are most disconnected from buyer appetite → Which markets are quietly softening before prices move That's the intelligence locked inside dead deals. I’m exploring whether this kind of "deal autopsy" data would be valuable to investors, lenders, and brokers who want to stay ahead of the market, not just react to it. Would you use this? Would it change how you underwrite, price, or allocate? Drop a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
Experience
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Alcee Corp
Publications
Honors & Awards
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Most Innovative Real Estate Tech Entrepreneur/CEO
CRE/Tech
I was awarded the Most Innovative Real Estate Tech Entrepreneur/CEO as part of the 2017 Real Estate Tech Awards (#RETAS) from CRE/Tech.
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13 people have recommended Michael
Join now to viewExplore more posts
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Jeffrey Berman
For our latest episode of the Tangent 💚 Proptech podcast, Edward Cohen, Zach Aarons and I spoke to Jason Griffith, co-founder & co-CEO of Synco (not a Camber Creek portfolio company). Synco is working on tackling a massive (but often overlooked) challenge: the fractured way property management teams communicate. By centralizing messages across office staff, on-site teams, and vendors, Synco is helping companies replace noise with real-time, streamlined collaboration. This isn’t Jason’s first impact play. He previously co-founded SiteCompli, a compliance automation platform that became indispensable for over 1 million residential units and the majority of NYC’s Class A office space — and eventually joined the Inhabit portfolio, backed by Insight Partners and Goldman Sachs. This matters because real estate is built on infrastructure - not just physical, but operational. Jason is trying to prove that modernizing the workflows behind the walls is just as critical as building them and that communication is the next frontier. Take a listen - link to the episode in comments. #realestate #innovation #communication #propertymanagement
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Kevin Spain
I’ve been talking with founders about how painful enterprise customization still is — even in 2025. David Dworsky and Gordon Ritter just put words to what we’ve been seeing: the age of point-and-click configuration is ending, and the next category winners will make customization conversational. For early-stage founders, this is the wedge: - Own one painful workflow - Capture the data - Build toward becoming a system of record If you’re building in this space, I’d love to hear how you’re approaching it. Link to the full article on this in the comments.
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Keyona Meeks
For the GTM-obsessed: here’s a tool that can give you a bucket load of insights. If there’s a data point, there are at least ten ways to interpret it. One way: inform how you deploy strategies in similar cities. Say a GTM strategy worked in Birmingham, AL. By identifying the most crucial indicators (GDP per capita? industry clusters? population density?)you can adjust these visualizations to find similar cities where that strategy is likely to succeed again. Birmingham mirrors Shreveport, Des Moines, and Worcester across key economic metrics: familiar customer profiles, likely similar pain points. Use it as a gut check for where your business goes next. How would you slice this data to uncover new GTM opportunities? Tool: Metroverse by Harvard (link in comments)
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Michael Beckerman
Whether this will be your 10th CREtech or your very first—prepare for an experience that is unrivaled in the commercial real estate industry. At CREtech, we are reimagining the conference experience for the entire Commercial Real Estate and Technology ecosystem. We are no longer just connecting the tech sector with the industry—we are reinventing our platform to connect the ENTIRE commercial real estate landscape in one room. In the Age of AI, the health and vibrancy of our industry depends on high-level, cross-functional connectivity. At CREtech NYC (October 20-21 at the Javits Center), we are facilitating the vital connections that will drive the market forward. Through our partnership with Personatech, we are delivering the largest and most sophisticated meetings program in the industry. This isn’t just a conference; it’s a marketplace. We have created the ultimate environment to find your next customer, your next deal, your newest investors, or your next advisor. Between our world-class C-Suite content and the unmatched networking energy of the greatest city in the world, this is the one event you cannot afford to miss. The time to act is now. Pricing is currently at its lowest level. Join the entire industry at the Javits Center this October for the most important business development and networking event in CRE. Secure your ticket at early-bird rates: https://lnkd.in/eeDFqn5G Bree-Anna Vaughn Lindsey Imperatore Kyle Halls T.J. Murphy
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Chris J S.
There is a "New Map of Compute" in the commercial real estate investment market, and Ben Reinberg Alliance Consolidated Group of Companies, LLC., and I dove deep into it with this latest chapter in the Alliance Intelligence AI Super-cycle Research Report. AI infrastructure isn’t just a tech story—it’s a real estate story. On Substack here for deep dive or the TL:DR is below https://lnkd.in/gMWyDdxS Chapter 8 of the Alliance Intelligence Special Research Report digs into how the AI build‑out is quietly redrawing the map of value in the U.S.: stranded urban office towers are being reimagined as vertical data centers, while rural power corridors and Opportunity Zones are becoming the backbone of the global compute grid. The chapter walks through real projects, evolving policy tailwinds, and a four‑quadrant strategy matrix that shows how institutional and accredited investors can stack returns across core infrastructure, land, renewables, and workforce housing ecosystems. If you’re thinking about where to position capital for the next decade of AI‑driven demand—not just the next quarter’s hype—the full deep dive is now live on Substack. https://lnkd.in/gcC7caBz
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David Jegen
Living at the dawn of a technological shift is exhilarating. Agentic Commerce -- AI agents searching, evaluating, and transacting on behalf of humans -- is a clear vision, but the 'how' is literally being built right now. Last week we had the joy of dining with an exceptional group of founders and executives building that future. Over dinner, several themes stood out. 🧨𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰. It's early, chicken and egg dynamics exist, but the infrastructure IS being built today to enable volumes and use cases to follow. 🎈𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭. Because the exact users and use cases will take time to emerge. Bet on B2B as the earlier adopters. 🪄𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. AP2, A2A, ATXP, ACP... all offer valuable frameworks with alternative and complementary aspects, but just like Internet 1.0, big players need to agree and implement core protocols in their tech stacks. Third-party developers have a thumb on the scale, but are necessary, not sufficient. Right now, the largest players like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic are not in a consensus mood. They would rather win the full-stack themselves than assign core roles like trust and identity to a third party. This will change. 🔒𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 the 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞? Through brilliant execution VERISIGN became THE arbiter of trust on the internet as the leading issuer of trust certificates (think 🔒on URLs). They had winner-take-most (for a while), and the consolidation accelerated payments on the internet. 💳𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. It's not easy to earn -- neither for incumbents with a track record (invariably mixed) nor startups with no track record. But trust is not all or nothing. Solutions will also need to lower the need for trust -- cap risk, clarify dispute handling and revocation, etc. 🪙𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐱402 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 be 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭. Founders at the table were building the infrastructure for wallets, checkout, security, identity, intent verification, and more. A big thanks to my partner Abdul Abdirahman, our friend and co-host Vivek Krishnamurthy (Commerce Ventures), and to everyone for the great conversation. And to Blue Hill for one of my best dinners of 2025! F-Prime Mitchell Jones Ayal Karmi 🔵 Sean Neville Louis Amira Arjun Bhargava Robin Gandhi Donald Gossen Alfonso Gómez-Jordana Mañas Akash Desai Chris Blackburn Andrew Hungate Michael Duane Teddy Riker Randall Davies
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Shan Srikanthan
"With AI we're turning bullet points into reports, and then someone else turns that report back into bullet points." We were invited to attend Proptech Collective's Growth Summit where we heard from leaders in the built world like Brad Hargreaves (3x founder). That was one of his comments ^. In his words, there is a ton of opportunity in unstructured data in the built world. Companies should be looking at new ways to use this data. With AI inserting itself into our workflows, we'll have to start rethinking workflows completely. (Thanks Rachel Hay-Ching Yuen, Stephanie Wood for the invite!)
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