Loading organizations...
Key people at RetailMLS.
RetailMLS was founded in 2009 by Ben Zises (Founder).
RetailMLS develops a specialized online marketplace tailored for commercial retail properties. This platform operates as a multiple listing service, providing a centralized and comprehensive resource for professionals to search for and advertise available retail spaces. Its core functionality streamlines the typically fragmented process of locating and leasing commercial storefronts by integrating listings onto a single, accessible digital system.
The company was established by Ben Zises in the early 2010s, building on his prior experience in real estate, including a role at Benchmark Real Estate Group. Zises identified a critical market inefficiency: the absence of a dedicated, efficient, and user-friendly online exchange for retail real estate. This insight prompted the creation of RetailMLS to centralize information and facilitate connections within the sector.
RetailMLS serves a broad user base including property owners, commercial real estate brokers, and businesses actively seeking new retail locations. The company's vision centered on becoming the definitive digital destination for retail space transactions, aiming to simplify the search, discovery, and leasing processes, thereby enhancing overall market transparency and efficiency for all stakeholders.
RetailMLS was founded in 2009 by Ben Zises (Founder).
RetailMLS is a defunct real estate technology startup founded by Ben Zises that built the first multiple listing service (MLS) platform specifically for searching and advertising vacant retail space, targeting brokers, landlords, mall owners, and tenants frustrated with inefficient manual processes.[4][6] It served commercial real estate professionals seeking storefronts, much like Zillow does for residential properties, solving the problem of fragmented retail space discovery by enabling nationwide listings and user traction.[4] The company gained early momentum from 2010-2014, attracting users across the U.S., angel investors, seed funds, and high-profile advisors like Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff, before Zises pivoted to angel investing.[4][6]
Ben Zises, a New York City entrepreneur and Boston University graduate, launched RetailMLS after early real estate experience leasing stores for clients like Verizon Wireless.[4][6] Frustrated by skating around Manhattan on rollerblades at night to scout vacant retail spaces—an inefficient model compared to residential search tools like Zillow or StreetEasy—he conceived RetailMLS as the first MLS for retail in 2010.[4] As a non-technical founder, Zises raised angel and seed funding, recruited a CTO, invested in custom software over four years, and launched the platform, achieving strong early traction with brokers, landlords, and mall owners nationwide.[4]
RetailMLS rode the early 2010s proptech wave, digitizing commercial real estate search amid Zillow's residential dominance, addressing a key market inefficiency in retail leasing during post-recession recovery.[4][6] Timing was ideal as mobile tech and marketplaces disrupted siloed industries, with retail vacancy rates high and tenants like Verizon expanding footprints.[4] It influenced proptech by proving MLS viability for non-residential spaces, paving the way for modern platforms in commercial brokerage, though its 2014 shutdown highlighted challenges like data standardization and competition from general CRE tools.[4][6]
RetailMLS marked Ben Zises' foundational startup journey, evolving him into a top angel investor via SuperAngel fund, backing D2C hits like quip (first investor) and CPG/eCommerce plays amid rising proptech and future-of-work trends.[6] While the company itself ended around 2014, its legacy endures in Zises' portfolio approach—targeting day-zero startups with strong unit economics—and underscores persistent retail MLS gaps in a post-pandemic world of hybrid retail and eCommerce.[4][6] As proptech matures with AI-driven listings, expect Zises' network to amplify similar innovations, potentially reviving retail-specific marketplaces tailored to experiential retail booms. This early pivot exemplifies how founder grit in niche marketplaces fuels broader ecosystem impact.
Key people at RetailMLS.
