KeyPath Wins NAR's Inaugural PropTech Startup Showdown at SXSW 2026

KeyPath, an AI-powered resident rewards platform designed to help landlords retain tenants while building renters' savings toward homeownership, won the inaugural PropTech Startup Showdown at South by Southwest in Austin on March 13-14. The competition, organized by NAR's investment arm Second Century Ventures in partnership with Realtor.com, drew more than 200 applicants and was judged by a panel of real estate industry executives, venture capital investors, and technology leaders. The winner receives $15,000 and access to the NAR and Realtor.com partner network.

KeyPath's platform addresses one of residential real estate's persistent pain points: high tenant turnover. By rewarding renters for on-time payments, lease renewals, and property care with points redeemable for cash savings, the platform creates alignment between landlord retention goals and renter wealth-building objectives. The company reports that landlords using its platform have seen average tenant tenure increase by 14 months, translating to meaningful savings on vacancy and unit preparation costs.

The Crowd Favorite award, determined by live audience voting, went to QwikFix — an AI-powered home inspection and maintenance solution that uses computer vision to identify repair needs from photos and videos, then instantly connects homeowners with vetted contractors. The tool has clear applications for pre-listing home preparation and buyer due diligence in compressed-timeline transactions.

Other notable finalists included HouseQuest, which uses augmented reality to allow buyers to virtually stage and customize properties during tours; BreatheEV, which provides turnkey EV charging infrastructure for multifamily properties; and Contraca, a deal history platform that works without requiring agents to change their existing workflow tools.

The SXSW PropTech Showdown will return in 2027 with applications opening in October 2026. Industry watchers also noted the announcement of ICSC+PROPTECH, a new event connecting commercial real estate decision-makers and technology founders at ICSC Las Vegas in May 2026, signaling that the proptech conference calendar is expanding significantly.