Graham BoschOfferpad, an East Valley real estate tech company founded in 2015, held a “housewarming party” and ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the opening of its new 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Chandler.
“We’re super excited about this office because it represents what we stand for,” said Dave Haroldsen, head of brand at Offerpad. “One of our values here at Offerpad is ‘homes not houses.’ We’re beyond properties; we don’t talk about transactions. We’re about the homes and the people that live in [them]. Today, we’re celebrating what that represents to us, to Offerpad, and it’s an exciting moment.”
Offerpad is part of a growing PropTech trend in the Valley, using technology to make real estate transactions simpler and easier for customers. Offerpad worked closely with Gov. Doug Ducey and Rep. Jeff Weninger (LD-17) to help pass a bill supporting PropTech companies in Arizona.
“That’s a big deal,” Haroldsen said. “It’s a big deal for our state and our industry, and we’re super excited about all the work that’s being done.”
Brian Bair, CEO and founder of Offerpad, thanked the guests for joining the celebration.
“It really means a lot to us to share the moment of our new ‘house’ and to have you guys here and sharing it with us,” Bair said. “I’m so proud of the team and what we’ve done at Offerpad over the last few years — in a short period of time, really changing real estate.”
Before the ribbon-cutting, Offerpad’s most prominent guests offered a few words of praise.
“I think the success that you’ve enjoyed to date is a testament to the good people you have working here at Offerpad, and right now in Arizona things are booming,” Ducey said. “Maricopa County is the fastest-growing county for the third year running, in the entire nation. There are 3,144 counties in this country, so that is quite a victory to claim three years in a row.”
Ducey said the Phoenix metropolitan area, with a population of 4.8 million, is bigger than 26 other U.S. states.
“You know, 70 percent of the adults in Arizona were born somewhere else, and they moved to our state because it has a better quality of life, and it is one of the most welcoming and inviting places in the world, and now it is welcoming to entrepreneurs and businesses of the future,” Ducey said. “I couldn’t be more excited about what is ahead for Offerpad.”
Weninger said he wanted to thank Offerpad for its contribution to the East Valley community and the investment the company made in Chandler.
“On the PropTech, it is an amazing concept; it was a new concept to me, but you’re at the forefront of it, your company,” Weninger said. “What we’re doing — and what the governor has been working on since he got in there — is welcoming technology and other companies and saying ‘we’re open for business’ without this regulatory construct that is so limiting to you. We’re still safe, but we’re going to allow companies to grow, and we’re not going to just put up roadblocks and tell you that you’ve got to wait two years to do that.”
Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke said the Offerpad project is “very important to us” and that he was glad the company chose Chandler for its headquarters.
“We believe… this is not the last idea that’s going to come out of the very talented and intelligent group that you’ve assembled and will continue to assemble,” Hartke said. “We want to say that Chandler is open for business and that we’re excited to see how we can continue to work with you.”
Offerpad staff moved into the new headquarters in March from the company’s Gilbert office, where Offerpad has resided since summer of 2015 and has since outgrown.
Offerpad will run its corporate and Arizona market operations from the new headquarters, which is located on Germann Road between Loop-202 and Chandler Municipal Airport.
Noemi Santaella
Guest Contributor
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