Dare to Disrupt Episode 7 – Revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry with Sean Black

In 2005, Sean Black was part of the founding team for the online real estate marketplace site Trulia. After taking off during the mortgage crisis of 2008, Trulia was eventually acquired by Zillow for $2.5 billion. Now, Sean and his co-founder Jamie Glenn are focused on growing Knock.com, which helps with the friction-full side of selling your house.

In this episode, Sean talks about how his entrepreneurial career took off at an early age with a painting business in high school, followed by a nutrition supplement business in college. He talks about how now Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran became his mentor, showing him the ropes of the New York real estate market and helping him build the foundation for what would become online real-estate marketplace Trulia. He also shares how his latest, seller-focused real estate tech startup Knock.com is working towards getting the home purchase and selling transaction entirely online.

At the end of the episode, Nish Barot, a second-year student at Penn State studying human-centered design and development, joins the conversation. He is the founder of WeAreLiving, an all-in-one online marketplace for tenants to find roommates, resolve tenant disputes, exchange leases and learn important information about the housing process. Barot asks Black about trends in the real estate market with relation to tech, as well as how his startup can provide a positive experience for both renters and property owners.

Episode Chapters

• 0:00 – 5:29 A painting business and a vitamin supplement business to start
• 5:29 – 10:15 Running finance for The Vatican
• 10:15 – 19:55 Working with Barbara Corcoran, launching Trulia
• 19:55 – 23:17 Partnering with competitor Zillow
• 23:17 – 31:14 Solving the seller’s problem with Knock.com
• 31:14 – 38:12 The tumultuous real estate market
• 38:12 – 49:09 Student section

About Sean Black

Sean Black is the Co-founder & CEO of Knock.com, and he was part of the founding team for the online real estate marketplace site Trulia. He graduated from Penn State in 1996 with a degree in international business management. 

Download the full episode transcript

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

Dare to Disrupt is a podcast about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. Learn more.