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Delivering Demand-Side Business Intelligence for the Built World.

 

What is RCKRBX?

FROM GOLD TO DATA:
Actionable Intelligence is Today’s New Currency    

A “rockerbox” is a 19th century mining implement used for separating gold from gravel.

RCKRBX™ is a 21st century business intelligence platform for assessing markets, evaluating investment potential, and optimizing the programming, positioning and performance of multifamily real estate assets.

Award-Winning Technology

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RCKRBX Platform - MockupWhat If?

  1. You could spot market shifts before your competition and place capital where returns will outperform?

  2. You could accurately predict renter demand and competitive performance before you buy or build?

  3. You could drive faster lease-ups and higher rents by understanding who your high-propensity renters are, where they are, what they want, and how much they will pay for it?

How might such leading insights impact your decision-making as properties are acquired, developed/repositioned, marketed for lease-up, and managed over time?

 

What We Do

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THINKING AND KNOWING.

Difference Between Thinking & Knowing

The Difference Between Thinking & Knowing.

RCKRBX™ is the first SaaS data platform to deliver leading-indicator insights and predictive business intelligence for the built world.  

Platform harnesses proprietary data science, machine learning and probability-driven analytics to: 

  • Deliver actionable insight around the preferences, priorities, attitudes, and viewpoints that drive renter demand and decision-making;

  • Predict how these factors will shape markets over time and impact asset NOI, competitive performance, and liquidity/returns; and 

  • Enhance decision-making capability and confidence across the asset lifecycle 

Turn Questions
Into Answers.

01.

Assess Markets and Investment Opportunity

Want to spot the next market shift before your competitors do?

Compare and contrast renter demand across markets, asset/unit types, and population segments/demographics to assess product-market fitness and feasibility.  Track early market trends, shifts in renter preferences, and impact on demand, absorption, and premiums. Index renter demand vs. unit supply vs. rent premiums to assess product saturation levels, uncover future need, and evaluate investment performance potential.

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Identify Target
Audiences

Who is most likely to rent your units?

Identify, size and prioritize the prospective renter populations most likely to consider and choose your project. Understand who they are, when they will be in-market, how they differ from other renters, what they value most, what they are looking for in their next live-space, and to what extent these factors influence their decision-making around where they choose to live, what they choose to live in, and how much they will pay for it. 

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Understand Location
Drivers

What makes a location “right” for renters and why?

Characterize ideal neighborhood feel, desired area programming, and highest-demand elements by proximity to the project site as well as ratings of locational attributes (e.g., crime, school quality, transportation, walkability, etc.) relative to renter decision-criteria.

04.

Optimize Project Programming and Positioning

Is your project aligned with what renters want (and will pay for)?

Understand programming preferences and live-space priorities of your target renter populations as well as how such decision-criteria influence their property selection / lease likelihoods.  Use these leading indicators to: (1) stress-test acquisition and/or development theses against actual market appetite relative to supply; and (2) align project programming (unit mix, finishes, features and amenities) with target audience demand and premium drivers. 

05.

Accurately Forecast Project Performance

Want to know how your project will perform—before you buy/build?

Quantitatively evaluate project feasibility and fitness, identify the ideal risk-return balance down to the unit and audience levels, optimize proposed mix and project programming (relative to renter demand and population densities) to maximize returns, and accurately predict on-market asset performance. 

06.

Accelerate Lease-Up and Maximize Marketing ROI

How can you turn better targeting into faster lease-ups and higher returns?

Know who your high-propensity and premium-paying renters are (target audiences) based on projected capture rates/lease-up contribution.  See where they are, what they look like (personas), what product/unit types they are looking for, what property attributes matter most to them, and how these factors impact their leasing decisions.  Learn what to say to them (messaging), where (channels), when (sequencing), and how (tactics) based on their information consumption habits and what they value.

What Our Clients Say

    “Real estate development and its investment remains one of the few industries that regularly fails to use consumer research as a key input.  RCKRBX delivers demand-side insights which create guardrails for smarter investment strategies and tactical decision-making around renter preferences.”

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    Lisa Picard

    Managing Director, OxygenRE and Former CEO of Blackstone’s Investment Platform (EQ Office)

    “RCKRBX greatly enhances our ability to pressure-test investment theses, optimize project positioning, and capture higher returns for delivering the right asset, in the right place, to the right audiences.” 

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    Mark Taylor

    Managing Director-Residential, American Real Estate Partners (AREP)

    “In today’s economic landscape, it is imperative to go beyond traditional market studies and methodically assess opportunities with a forward-thinking, consumer-centric approach.  We believe the intelligence RCKRBX offers provides the degree of clarity and confidence to successfully position projects for the future and optimize investment outcomes.” 

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    Noel Bejarano

    CEO, Camino Capital Management

    “In commercial real estate, the most widely used data either tells you “what happened” or provides context for “what’s happening today”.  RCKRBX enables us to see “what’s next” to successfully position projects for the future and optimize investment outcomes.” 

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    Evan Regan-Levine

    Chief Strategy Officer, JBG SMITH

    “In my opinion, RCKRBX will become the gold-standard for demand-side data in the industry—whether evaluating investment opportunities or determining unit mix, amenity programming and pricing or positioning a project for lease-up—no other platform delivers this level of precision, granularity and insight.” 

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    Michael E. Muldowney

    Executive Vice President, CBRE | Capital Markets

    “We are always looking for innovative solutions to enhance the performance of our communities.  With RCKRBX, we gain access to extensive data that empowers us to closely examine the priorities of potential residents and create communities that cater to their preferences and demand drivers.” 

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    Mollie Fadule

    Chief Financial and Investment Officer, JPI

 

What We Offer

Platform Subscription and Enterprise SaaS

RCKRBX PLATFORM SUBSCRIPTION
ENTERPRISE SaaS DEPLOYMENTS

Reports and Custom Research

REPORTS
CUSTOM RESEARCH

Platform Modules Align to Specific Project Stages

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Market Selection + Feasibility

Market Evaluation + Demand Indexing

Assess product-market fitness and feasibility.  Identify and track early market trends and future impacts on occupancy and premiums.  Index renter demand vs. unit supply vs. achievable premiums by asset class, unit type and population segments to gauge saturation levels, unmet needs and investment opportunities.

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Site Selection + Acquisition

Renter Identification + Segmentation

Identify who your target renters are, what matters most to them (decision-criteria), what they are looking for (demand drivers), and how to prioritize by lease up contribution.

Area Amenities + Locational Attributes

Characterize ideal neighborhood feel and demand for desired area programming by proximity to the project site as well as ratings of locational attributes (e.g., crime, schools, walkability, etc.) relative to renter decision-criteria.

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Concept + Predevelopment

Unit Mix, Configuration, + Pricing

Understand renter demand by unit type, configuration preferences and rent premiums vs. existing supply to properly allocate mix.

Finishes, Features + Design

Align project finishes, features and design with target audience demand drivers. Understand how these preferences influence property consideration, lease likelihoods, and rent premiums.

Amenity Programming

Measure amenity preference and performance.  Rank 80+ amenities (including desired placement) by renter demand and impact on rent premiums.

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Capital Formation

Project Optimization + Performance Forecasting

Quantitatively evaluate project feasibility, identify the ideal risk-return balance down to the unit and audience levels, optimize project mix/programming to maximize alpha (premiums and returns), and accurately predict on-market asset performance.

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Design + Construction

Unit Mix + Configuration

Understand renter demand by unit type, configuration preferences and rent premiums vs. existing supply to properly allocate mix.

Finishes, Features + Design

Align project finishes, features and design with target audience demand drivers. Understand how these preferences influence property consideration, lease likelihoods, and rent premiums.

Amenity Programming

Measure amenity preference and performance.  Rank 80+ amenities (including desired placement) by renter demand and impact on rent premiums.

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Lease-Up + GTM

Target Marketing + Renter Engagement

Increase lead-to-lease conversions, shorten time-to-stabilization and drive greater performance by knowing who your high-propensity renters are, where they are, what they look like, what they are looking for, what product attributes matter most to them, what to say to them, and how to effectively reach them (based on their information consumption habits). 

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The value of place is determined by the people who desire it and what they’ll pay; not by comps or past market performance.

Michael Broder 
CEO, RCKRBX

Why We Exist

A New Era Demands
New Thinking.

For years, the commercial real estate industry has relied on backward-looking data to inform forward-looking decisions.  And what happened?  Hyper product commoditization…price and concession-driven rental markets…misaligned supply vs. actual market demand…and growing numbers of underperforming assets.

RCKRBX now makes it possible to paint far more holistic, accurate, and predictive pictures of a project’s future, the populations who will live there, and the premiums they will pay for what and why.

Turn leading indicator data into actionable decision intelligence.
Translate complex insights into clear, high-value investment, development and leasing strategies

Anticipate market shifts.
Predict renter demand, market trends, competitive pressures and performance impacts before they happen

Place capital with precision.
Position assets and investments where returns will outperform before the market responds

Outpace the competition.
Claim first-mover ground and proactively adapt projects/properties to modern renter wants and needs

See what others miss.
Position assets exactly where, when and why demand is forming

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Most firms analyze the past. We believe you should see the future.

Kevin Hudak
Chief Research Officer, RCKRBX

RCKRBX™ Data Model

Knowing “what happened” in a market or comp set is useful context but such information lacks causation—the critical consumer connections to understand:

 

  • “the why” (market forces driving change/outcomes); 
  • “what’s next” (future product needs/opportunity); and 
  • “how to capitalize on it” (investment alpha).  

RCKRBX’s machine learning algorithms and probability-driven analytics combine millions of renter polling data points (demand-side) with contextual market information (supply-side) to unlock market opportunity, predict renter decision-making, identify drivers of demand and premiums, forecast asset performance, and quantify the value of place. 

 

RCKRBX™ Data Model

The RCKRBX data model was born from the science and discipline of political campaign research and refined over 15+ years of fielding custom research studies across commercial office, multifamily and mixed-use sectors.

• Proprietary polling database (demand-side) is updated quarterly and includes statistically powered and representative survey samples for each market/zip-code mapped to census geo-demographics

• Secondary market information (supply-side) ingested into the platform is drawn from diverse sources including: Census, Moody’s, Bureau of Labor Statistics, MapBox, Spatial.AI, and others

RCKRBX™ Data Model

Primary Audience Research (demand-side data) is derived from specific populations and their preferences, attitudes and behaviors. 

 

It provides a quantifiable look into what is likely to happen based on what individuals say about particular desires, expectations and intentions. 

 

Primary audience insights are the purest form of actionable intelligence—particularly when used to predict market movement, extract critical insights from contextual big data, and properly account for the various factors impacting asset performance.

RCKRBX™ Data Model

Secondary Market Data (supply-side data) is mined for broad product and/or population trends, comparative benchmarking, etc. and suggests likelihoods based on the assumption that “what has been” will “continue to be”.  But, of course, things change.  

The real value of secondary market data is the history and context it provides.

RCKRBX™ Data Model

RCKRBX’s Analytics focus on understanding “the why” at the intersection of demand and supply data to inform “the how” and “what’s next”. 

 

The goodness from each data set complements the other and, together, provide a far more rich, true and complete understanding of “what actually is” and “what ought to be”.

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What We Deliver

Big Insights.
Bigger Outcomes.

  • More accurately predict investment opportunities with outsized performance potential and design new market-entry strategies;
  • Gain a holistic look at the way populations, assets and markets will perform over time and why;
  • Model investment risk-reward probabilities down to the unit/audience level and stress-test underwriting assumptions against actual market appetite (renter demand and achievable premiums by unit and product type);
  • Optimize asset programming, positioning and performance around who your high-propensity renters are, where they are, what matters most to them, and how much they will pay, for what and why; and
  • Increase marketing ROI (lead-gen, lead-to-lease conversion rates, etc.), shorten time-to-stabilization, and drive greater premium capture/competitive performance.
Big Insights

RCKRBX Products

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RCKRBX SUBSCRIPTION LEVELS:

RCKRBX™ was born from the science and discipline of political campaign research and we seek to leverage renter insights to democratize real estate development.

James Moore
COO, RCKRBX

Who We Are

 

Our Background

FIRST POLITICS.  NOW REAL ESTATE.  ALWAYS DATA.

 

 

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RCKRBX was founded in 2020 by the principals of Brightline Strategies, a leading research and advisory services firm.

For more than 20 years, Brightline helped some of the most recognized names (and many other “up and comers”) shape their business strategies, mitigate risk, maximize asset value and returns, and expand portfolios across markets and borders.

Past engagements span a diverse client base including technology, life science, energy, sports, real estate, banking, professional services and non-profits. This diversity ensured every client benefited from the cross-pollination of our lessons learned and results achieved.    

 

Our Philosophy

We believe real estate assets are candidates and every day is election day. Each day, prospects vote with their preferences. Renters with a “like” or “retweet”. Brokers with their recommendations. The media with their stories.

In today’s information democracy, all these constituencies affect asset demand, loyalty, premiums and advocacy. Just like assembling a winning election-day coalition, it’s all about the connections you find between what you want to build and what your target audiences want you to build for them to deliver better paths to growth. Simply put, we help companies win.

HYPERLOCAL DATA

Demographic Data, Topological Maps, Locational Attributes, Cellular Data, Geospatial Data

Data Mine

The RCKRBX™ data mine is made up of primary audience insights combined with secondary data including hyperlocal, web-based, economic and real estate market datasets.

WEB-BASED DATA

News Trends,
Advertising, Social
Media, Clickstream Data

Data
Focusing

RCKRBX

AI-Powered Predictive
Analytics

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Insight
Applications

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DATA

Rent, Occupancy,
Comps/Listings, New
Development, Portfolio Data

RCKRBX™ well-positions its users for future success and competitive advantage—particularly as they claim first-mover ground, proactively adapt projects to renter preferences and modern needs, and drive greater demand, loyalty, premiums, advocacy, and returns. That’s actionable intelligence.

LEARN MORE

Our Philosophy

We believe real estate assets are candidates and every day is election day. Each day, prospects vote with their preferences. Renters with a “like” or “retweet”. Brokers with their recommendations. The media with their stories.

In today’s information democracy, all these constituencies affect asset demand, loyalty, premiums and advocacy. Just like assembling a winning election-day coalition, it’s all about the connections you find between what you want to build and what your target audiences want you to build for them to deliver better paths to growth. Simply put, we help companies win.

HYPERLOCAL DATA

Demographic Data, Topological Maps, Locational Attributes, Cellular Data, Geospatial Data

Data Mine

The RCKRBX™ data mine is made up of primary audience insights combined with secondary data including hyperlocal, web-based, economic and real estate market datasets.

WEB-BASED DATA

News Trends,
Advertising, Social
Media, Clickstream Data

Data
Focusing

RCKRBX

AI-Powered Predictive
Analytics

R

Insight
Applications

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DATA

Rent, Occupancy,
Comps/Listings, New
Development, Portfolio Data

RCKRBX™ well-positions its users for future success and competitive advantage—particularly as they claim first-mover ground, proactively adapt projects to renter preferences and modern needs, and drive greater demand, loyalty, premiums, advocacy, and returns. That’s actionable intelligence.

LEARN MORE

Our Philosophy

We believe real estate assets are candidates and every day is election day. Each day, prospects vote with their preferences. Renters with a “like” or “retweet”. Brokers with their recommendations. The media with their stories.

In today’s information democracy, all these constituencies affect asset demand, loyalty, premiums and advocacy. Just like assembling a winning election-day coalition, it’s all about the connections you find between what you want to build and what your target audiences want you to build for them to deliver better paths to growth. Simply put, we help companies win.

HYPERLOCAL DATA

Demographic Data, Topological Maps, Locational Attributes, Cellular Data, Geospatial Data

Data Mine

The RCKRBX™ data mine is made up of primary audience insights combined with secondary data including hyperlocal, web-based, economic and real estate market datasets.

WEB-BASED DATA

News Trends,
Advertising, Social
Media, Clickstream Data

Data
Focusing

RCKRBX

AI-Powered Predictive
Analytics

R

Insight
Applications

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DATA

Rent, Occupancy,
Comps/Listings, New
Development, Portfolio Data

RCKRBX™ well-positions its users for future success and competitive advantage—particularly as they claim first-mover ground, proactively adapt projects to renter preferences and modern needs, and drive greater demand, loyalty, premiums, advocacy, and returns. That’s actionable intelligence.

LEARN MORE
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RCKRBX™ Returns

Insight to drive the 5 R’s: recruitment, retention, recommendation, rent and returns

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High propensity target audiences

“Know your audience.” Everyone says it, but few truly know how to do it. And, we should know, we cut our teeth in the most competitive arena there is—the political one—where one-day sales are the difference between being “in” or “out” of business.

At the core of the RCKRBX™ platform is an understanding of who your target audiences really are and what’s important to them (their decision-drivers). When paired with contextual market data, the platform enables users to exploit the collective power of audience insights and, then, relentlessly focus on the underlying triggers of demand, advocacy, premiums and loyalty.

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Enhanced audience understanding

RCKRBX™ combines the expressed preferences of renter populations (both prospective and current), the unique characteristics of their environments and related behaviors to capture enhanced audience insight.

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Opportunity sizing, segmentation and scoping

Stratify existing and prospective renter populations by their typologies, the motivational context behind their preferences, behaviors and decisions, and what wants/needs will drive future demand in order to meet them where they are and move where they will be.

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The metrics that matter

Align “what target audiences want” with “what you deliver” to drive growth across leading indicators of asset performance that ultimately increase NOI, mitigate risk and maximize investment returns.

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Actionable intelligence to drive quantifiable outcomes

Better understand (and act upon) renter populations and their preferences, the programming and positioning they value most and the premiums they are willing to pay for the places, spaces and experiences they want.

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First politics.
Now real estate.
Always data.
RCKRBX™ was born from the science and discipline of political campaign research, and we seek to leverage renter insights to democratize real estate development.
  • Address the growing evidence gap in the high-stakes business of real estate investment, development, marketing and management;
  • Meet increasing market demand for the Company’s proprietary research models and analytics; and
  • Deliver such insights faster and at a lower cost basis than bespoke research projects.

Look Forward To Future Outcomes.

Brightline

Our Philosophy

WE BELIEVE REAL ESTATE ASSETS ARE CANDIDATES AND EVERY DAY IS ELECTION DAY.

Each day, prospects vote with their preferences.  Renters with a “like” or “retweet”.  Brokers with their recommendations.  Investors with their capital.  Policy makers with their issue positions.  The media with their stories.
 
In today’s information democracy, all these constituencies affect market response (interest and engagement) and overall asset performance (demand, pace and premiums).  

Just like assembling a winning election-day coalition, it’s all about the connections you find between what you want to build and what your target audiences want you to build for them to deliver better paths to growth.  
 
Simply put, we help projects win.

Our Clients:

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RCKRBX™
Leadership Team

Michael H. Broder

Chief Executive Officer

James Moore

Chief Operating Officer

Kevin Hudak

Chief Research Officer

Michael Goodgold

Chief Marketing Officer

Caroline Nordt

Chief Technology Officer

Kris Broder

EVP Business Development

Samantha Rubenstein

VP Industry & Investor Relations

RCKRBX™ Strategic
Advisory Board Members

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Lisa Picard

Managing Partner, OxygenRE and former CEO of
Blackstone’s CRE Investment Platform (EQ Office)

Evan Regan-Levine

Chief Strategy Officer
JBG Smith

Chris Ballard

Principal
McWilliams | Ballard

Scott Gassen

CEO
Perceptive Places

Paul Schulman

Principal & COO
American Real Estate Partners (AREP)

Marnie Abramson

Principal
Lightility

Nora Dweck

Former CEO
Dweck Properties

Darren Farber

Managing Partner
Albion River

Frank Cappello

Co-Founder
New Growth Living

Matthew Huber

Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University and Co-Founder
Urban Equations Lab

Marc Schlesinger

Principal
Landmarc Asset Advisors