What is Realer Estate?

Realer Estate is an online platform created by 17-year-old Beckett Zahedi and his classmate Derrick Webster Jr. to help New Yorkers find affordable and rent-stabilized apartments.

How does Realer Estate work?

Realer Estate's algorithm scans active real estate listings, cross-references rent-stabilized building addresses, and calculates affordability to help users identify potential homes they can afford.

Why did Beckett Zahedi create Realer Estate?

Beckett was inspired to create Realer Estate after witnessing his family's struggles to find affordable housing in New York City, a problem he was determined to solve.

Home / Business and Economy / Teens Build Affordable Housing Platform to Tackle NYC Crisis

Teens Build Affordable Housing Platform to Tackle NYC Crisis

14 Nov

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Summary

Beckett Zahedi, 17, created Realer Estate to help people find rent-stabilized apartments
Platform combines public data and real estate listings to identify below-market rentals
Realer Estate has attracted over 27,000 visitors and praise from local officials

Teens Build Affordable Housing Platform to Tackle NYC Crisis

In November 2025, 17-year-old Beckett Zahedi is making waves with his innovative solution to New York City's affordable housing crisis. Inspired by his family's own experiences of struggling to find a suitable rental, Beckett has developed Realer Estate, an online platform that combines public data with real estate listings to help users search for rent-stabilized and below-market apartments.

Beckett's journey began in 2023 when, as a high school student, he witnessed firsthand the challenges his recently divorced father and younger sister faced during their frequent apartment hunts in Brooklyn. Determined to make the process easier, Beckett taught himself to code and, with the help of his classmate Derrick Webster Jr., launched Realer Estate in July 2024.