Behind The Biz - VerbaFlo - SHI 0121 - (Student Housing Insight) Podcast Details

Description

🎙️Episode Summary

In this episode, recorded live from Lease Con / Turn Con in Charlotte, host Wesley Deese sits down with Dan Smith, co-founder of Verbaflo and host of the Housed podcast. While Dan is a familiar voice in the UK and European student housing sectors, he is making his debut in the US market with Verbaflo, an award-winning conversational AI platform designed specifically for student accommodations.

The conversation covers Dan's journey from operations and consultancy to tech entrepreneurship, driven by the need for better communication tools in the industry. Dan and Wes discuss the capabilities of Verbaflo—which supports 180 languages across voice, chat, and messaging apps—and how it achieved "PropTech of the Year" status in Europe. They also explore the company's strategy for the US market, including a risk-free pilot program designed to prove value to operators before they commit to contracts.

⏱️Timestamps & Segments

00:00:00 – Intro: The reality of speaking with AI agents.

00:03:20 – Introduction to the episode: Profiling Verbaflo.

00:06:45 – Interview begins: Welcoming Dan Smith to the US.

00:08:53 – Dan’s background: From gin distilleries to student housing operations.

00:09:50 – The origin of Verbaflo: Solving the communication problem.

00:15:30 – Operational efficiency vs. staff reduction: Enhancing the community manager role.

00:19:40 – US Expansion Strategy: The 3-month risk-free pilot program.

00:20:45 – Winning "PropTech of the Year" and managing 200,000 beds in Europe.

00:25:09 – Upcoming appearances: Interface Student Housing Conference 2026.

00:24:45 – The value of remaining an active consultant while selling tech.

00:27:30 – Contact information and the Housed podcast.