Tech-Driven Leasing Across New York City
Sam Rubin of EXR
New York City has roughly 3.3 million rental units, about 5% of which turn over every year. That’s the market EXR was built to serve… connecting management firms and developers with renters across all five boroughs through a leasing process that runs entirely online.
Co-founded in 2014 by Sam Rubin, EXR has grown from a two-person startup into one of the city’s largest residential leasing firms, with about 250 agents working from Manhattan to the Bronx.
Sam is the third generation in his family to work in real estate. His grandfather survived Auschwitz and was among the first to buy property after the war. His father became a developer. Sam started by working for his father, handling rentals to cut costs. “My biggest expense is paying my rental broker guys,” his father told him. “If you can take a piece of that, you’ll have a job.”
Later, Sam partnered with two NYU graduates — one with a technology background from LVMH — to launch EXR. The goal was to build a leasing company that could handle New York’s scale without drowning in paperwork. “The full leasing process is online,” Sam said. “From the owner adding the unit to the lease being signed.”
For large properties — 200 units or more — EXR assigns salaried leasing agents who work on site for three to nine months. Smaller buildings work with commission agents. Either way, the software keeps every deal moving. During the interview, Sam pulled up his phone to show deposits coming in live. “As we’re sitting here, deposits came in at 3:45, 3:55, 12:41,” he said.
The company’s top performers close 20 to 25 rentals a month. “If you want to be in real estate, this is your start,” Sam said. “You learn the markets — Bushwick, Bayside, Crown Heights, Williamsburg… every area is different.”
EXR has exhibited at OJBA in the past, and the connections have led to real business. “We’ve definitely seen deals come from here,” Sam said.
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