NAR REACH Awarded for Bringing Tech Innovation—Here’s What’s Coming Next

The National Association of REALTORS’ REACH technology growth program has received the "Innovation Catalyst Award" at the Global PropTech & ConTech Awards, recognizing its support for over 300 real estate tech companies globally. Operated by Second Century Ventures, the program is expanding its influence into the Middle East through a strategic partnership in Abu Dhabi to foster innovation in smart-city infrastructure and AI-driven tools. This development underscores the program's pivotal role in scaling PropTech solutions across residential and commercial sectors on an international scale.

NAR REACH, the tech accelerator operated by Second Century Ventures (SCV), was recently honored with the “Innovation Catalyst Award” by PropTech Connect for its significant contributions to the global real estate technology ecosystem. Since its inception in 2013, the program has supported more than 300 companies, including high-profile alumni like Docusign, CREtelligent, and BoxBrownie.com. The program provides emerging startups with mentorship, investor networks, and market exposure, focusing on diverse areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven analytics, marketing automation, and transaction management.

The recognition coincides with SCV’s strategic expansion into the Middle East through a partnership with Advanced Real Estate Services (ADRES) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This new initiative, REACH Middle East, aims to identify and support startups specializing in smart-city infrastructure, AI-powered property valuation, and next-generation urban development. By entering the Gulf Cooperation Council region, SCV positions itself within a market currently advancing over $3 trillion in large-scale giga projects and urban developments.

Dave Garland, managing partner of SCV and REACH, emphasized that the collaboration builds a bridge between their global portfolio and Abu Dhabi’s digital transformation agenda to help design the future of the region's real estate. Moath Maqbol of ADRES noted that the partnership will help import and adapt technologies to provide measurable benefits for developers, investors, and government stakeholders. Other industry leaders were also recognized at the event, including Century 21 London Central, which received the Digital Agency/Broker Award for its "high-tech, high-touch" approach to digital transformation in the property market.

SCV continues to be regarded as the most active venture fund in global real estate technology, operating specialized REACH programs across the U.S. residential and commercial sectors as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. The program's influence was further cemented when it was named Accelerator of the Year by PropTech Outlook in 2024. This global footprint allows SCV to scale innovations that simplify workflows and enhance data-driven solutions for the broader PropTech industry.