Beckerman turns to climate, sustainability as next frontier for CREtech platform

For Michael Beckerman, the conversation began as a means of brainstorming for virtual conferences in the midst of the pandemic. Soon it would become a full-fledged epiphany.

That’s how Beckerman — the commercial real estate technology guru, trade show host and former public relations maven — describes his discussions in 2020 with entrepreneurs Lindsay Baker and Brendan Wallace. As he recalls, the startup founders pointed to how real estate was affecting climate change, noting that the industry is the source of nearly 40 percent of all carbon emissions.