Summary List PlacementTraditional ways of buying, selling, and managing real estate are fast becoming obsolete. The pandemic accelerated a dramatic shift to digital transactions and property management that boosted the financial and metaphorical fortunes of myriad buzzy real-estate tech startups. The proptech industry, as it's called, is a bright spot for both startup investors and the firms' ambitious founders. After all, residential and commercial deals that were once sealed over handshakes and lunch are now happening entirely online. Buyers are getting more comfortable scouting, negotiating, and closing home purchases remotely as prices and competition hit unprecedented highs.