From Investment Banking to PropTech: An In-Depth Interview with Luigi Visconti, Founder & CEO of FreedHome

Luigi Visconti spent over a decade in corporate finance and investment banking before transitioning to entrepreneurship. His startup, FreedHome, addresses a problem he experienced firsthand: the challenge of managing rental properties remotely. What started as a personal frustration has evolved into a B2B platform that’s transforming the way property owners and managers collaborate.

We sat down with Luigi to discuss his journey from the corporate world to startup life, the evolution of his business model, and why he believes freedom is the ultimate driver of entrepreneurship.

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StartupReporter: You’ve had a distinguished career spanning over 10 years in corporate finance and investment banking. What ultimately motivated you to leave that world behind and venture into the startup ecosystem?

Luigi Visconti: The entrepreneurial drive has been with me since childhood. I’ve always had this innate instinct to build something, to organise and create structure. It’s not something that developed later in life – it’s been fundamental to who I am from the very beginning.

Even as a 6 or 7-year-old, I would sit beside my grandfather, who worked in tax collection – what would be the equivalent of the Inland Revenue today. I was fascinated by the idea of an office that was producing something, creating value. I wasn’t doing any calculations, but the concept of a system that generated results captivated me even at that young age.

This fascination continued throughout my youth. During middle school and the early years of secondary school, I started an e-commerce business selling video projectors. I was importing raw materials from China, and I’d even got my brother involved in handling the shipments – I was paying him small contributions for his work. In my small way, I’d created a functioning system, and this e-commerce business even expanded internationally.

At university, I was involved in international commodity trading, focusing on electronics, food, and beverages. These were all digital businesses initially, but they had strong commercial relationships at their core. I’ve always been drawn to structuring something that involves working with people and then translating it as quickly as possible into commerce and concrete economic returns.

I always saw myself in a transversal role across different disciplines, which is exactly what happens when you’re an entrepreneur – you have to learn everything incredibly quickly on the ground. The corporate experience in investment banking was valuable and taught me a great deal, but I was waiting for the right moment to test myself in the entrepreneurial field. It could have come earlier or later, but I was eager to prove myself in this arena.

That’s a fascinating entrepreneurial foundation. What problem is FreedHome solving, and how did you first identify this opportunity in the market?

Luigi: Interestingly, I’m not a real estate professional by background. FreedHome isn’t fundamentally a real estate model – it’s more of a fintech approach to real estate, which is an important distinction.

The idea came from a rather personal experience. I was working in investment banking when I received a promotion that required me to relocate to London. The challenge was that I’d just purchased an apartment in Milan a few months prior. From a financial mindset, I couldn’t consider leaving it empty and not exploiting its potential. Still, I quickly realised that managing a rental property from a distance is incredibly difficult.

Renting out a property, generally speaking, involves a whole series of hassles and tasks that someone can certainly do in person, but particularly in my case – and I believe for many other people who have a propensity to delegate – it can be extremely useful to find a professional who can handle all of this for you in exchange for a fee.

So I found myself facing this problem, which was an opportunity to exploit, and I began searching for someone who could manage the rental and maintenance of my property from a distance. What I discovered was that the market was very chaotic. There were countless operators with no sector certification, so the role of the so-called property manager is completely unstandardised. There is enormous heterogeneity in the market, which means that quality levels vary dramatically.

After weeks and months of research, I found a professional who seemed very capable — a property management company that had just emerged, particularly in the Milanese context. That’s when I had my revelation moment.

Can you elaborate on that revelation? What exactly did you discover?

Luigi: I realised that a house, when managed by a property manager, essentially becomes a financial asset. It yields the same result as an investment in a bond that generates returns over time but without any maintenance requirements, as everything is completely delegated. It’s similar to a variable-rate bond.

At the same time, it’s a bond that doesn’t have a material default risk, particularly when we’re talking about short-term rentals. There is no significant insolvency risk associated with this model. That was my moment of discovery.

Initially, I began thinking about this as a fund – an investment that would have these types of managed properties as underlying assets, which could then be securitised in the market. I aimed to create a fund and, consequently, a new financial product by combining this type of management approach.

Then I realised, as you see in various sectors, that the problem isn’t necessarily the financial engineering of something that works. The problem is creating a method – almost automated or very simple – for creating the underlying assets. The challenge then became creating a workflow for quickly originating these underlying assets so that a critical mass of properties could be reached, from which financial structures could be created – and that becomes the easier part.

So that’s where FreedHome was born. Can you walk us through how the platform works?

Luigi: FreedHome is the first platform that connects property owners with property managers to whom they can completely delegate the management of rentals and properties. This works for both short-term rentals and traditional medium to long-term rentals, where, in that case, there’s a guarantee on the property’s return.

We’re talking about two types of bonds: variable-rate and fixed-rate bonds, which provide a comprehensive solution to problems for property owners. These problems are mainly twofold: first, managing the rental by delegating it completely, transforming it into purely an opportunity rather than a stress; and second, eliminating the risk of not being paid and any other risks connected to renting, such as property damage or legal risks.

However, we solve these two problems for property owners with a model that’s completely business-to-business and, therefore, scalable. Our service is directed primarily at property managers, whom we select according to the standard due diligence that we conduct in the market. We offer them two main tools.

The first is software to efficiently organise rental operations, helping them automate property and rental management. The second is a module that allows them to find clients in the market automatically – property owners who come to the platform without them having to chase after them, essentially reversing the paradigm. It’s rather like Uber for property managers.

That’s a clever business model. How has FreedHome evolved since you first launched?

Luigi: We’ve changed the model countless times – and that’s one of the key discoveries in the startup world. You have to listen to the market almost obsessively and never fall in love with the product in your head because what matters is the vision. The vision is something that has never abandoned me, and I am confident that there’s never been a moment in the last four and a half years where I thought the vision had weaknesses. I’ve always been extremely convinced about the end goal.

However, I’ve had doubts many times about the model I was using to try to realise that vision, and that’s equally fundamental. There needs to be a lot of challenge in what you think, and you need to listen carefully to all stakeholders, including team members.

For the first two years, we had a very lightweight model where we essentially exchanged contacts between property owners and property managers after profiling them, but without providing operational tools to property managers. We were basically only earning from the consumption and sale of these contacts. It was a model that held, but we were missing the bigger slice – the one connected to the vision of transforming properties into assets through this system and, therefore, participating in the recurring rental income.

To cut to the current model directly, we’re now providing software, loading users and properties onto this software, which allows us to take a recurring fee linked to the property’s return month after month.

What are your current metrics and growth trajectory? How is the business performing?

Luigi: Speaking about the metrics for this latest model – launched 18 months ago – we reached approximately €1.8 million in transactions in the first year, with net revenue of about €115,000. This was growing at roughly 20% month-on-month from launch.

We’re already in June now and have almost surpassed the annual net revenue we achieved last year. Growth is still running between 15-20% month-on-month, and despite the fact that we’re not yet at a stage where the organisation has complete coverage for all the individual verticals that allow this product to perform at its full potential – we’re still integrating key team members – I feel confident saying we’ve entered the scale-up phase.

From that ecosystem, we’ve also developed ancillary products. For example, a payment system that allows property managers to collect their commissions automatically whilst property owners receive their rental income automatically. We’ve relieved property owners of any stress related to renting and any risk related to renting and made the rental process very quick in terms of timing. I can put my property on the market within a few days.

All of this happens in exchange for a percentage that’s then automatically deducted by the property manager because it’s a B2B model, and it’s obviously recurring revenue for both the platform and the property manager as long as the property remains on the rental market.

What’s been the most surprising lesson in your entrepreneurial journey so far?

Luigi: The complexity is exponentially higher than I anticipated. Despite everything I’d said before about feeling natural in the entrepreneurial world, coming from investment banking, I expected a difficulty level of 10 out of 10. It turned out to be 1,000 as a score. The set of variables that exist is infinite – something you can’t expect until you tackle it directly.

The first shock I had, depending on my background and previous experience, was that coming from a very selected environment in terms of professionalism – investment banking – I then contrasted with the so-called real world. 95% of the professional world doesn’t have the same level of selection in terms of professionalism, meeting deadlines, and quality of deliverables that you might take for granted if you’ve worked in sectors like investment banking or high-level consulting.

The first shock was not being able to understand how certain professionals, despite being paid and remunerated, had a level of deliverables and professionalism that was entirely at the opposite end of what I was accustomed to. That was the first frustration and shock.

The second significant learning was about marketing and customer acquisition – understanding that it’s something you learn and must confront early on. It’s very easy to associate the vision with the product, but you need to understand and separate these two things as quickly as possible. The vision is what drives you forward despite anything that happens, whilst the product is something that’s continuously the result of adjustments. The more stubborn and persistent you are about the vision, the more you can succeed.

What personal influences and experiences shaped your entrepreneurial approach?

Luigi: My family background is quite interesting in this regard. We never really had direct examples of entrepreneurship in the family. My father had an engineering firm, which was more of a professional services organisation, and the rest of the family was involved in more traditional corporate worlds. My mother was a housewife.

You couldn’t really breathe the air of true entrepreneurship; rather, there was more of a bourgeois atmosphere. The important thing was to reach a traditional job that provided security as quickly as possible – a somewhat predefined life path in terms of studies and everything that comes with that.

However, in terms of determination and perseverance, I owe enormous thanks to my father because he certainly influenced me in this regard. He’s one of the most determined people I’ve seen, almost to the point of being stubborn. I’ve certainly seen great solidity in this sense, and the reason I’m so determined is also due to that type of example.

From my mother, I inherited creativity, curiosity, thinking outside the box, and not taking anything for granted about the status quo. This is actually at the base of our culture and philosophy at FreedHome. We take traditional processes and innovate and simplify them. This somewhat rebellious, creative, and curious aspect of my character absolutely derives from my mother.

There’s also a fundamental concept of freedom that drives me. I’ve never seen my life as someone who should guarantee anything other than, as the primary aspect of self-care, the freedom to express one’s own opinion. Obviously, to do this in this world, you need to create certain conditions for yourself. Doing business and reaching a certain level of value creation allows you always to be free to express your opinion.

Interestingly, the company name itself, “FreedHome” came to mind during a brainstorming session I was having on the phone with my mother. It’s no coincidence that the name evokes the concept of freedom.

That’s a lovely story about the company name. What’s been the best advice you’ve received during this journey?

Luigi: I’ve received several pieces of valuable advice, but two stand out particularly.

The first relates to empathy and personal care. Having this type of drive and determination, sometimes you miss the aspect of caring for people – empathy with individuals, which I value tremendously. It’s that sometimes, due to concepts of urgency and speed, it might not be valued as much as it should be, though it could be overlooked.

When I’ve received advice in this regard, I’ve always greatly appreciated it and tried to make it part of my routine. Now, given how the organisation is structured and the feedback I’m receiving, it’s something I’ve implemented very precisely and recognisably. All the people who work with me perceive the aspect of care, support, and travelling together towards a common goal.

The second piece of advice, which is more technical, relates to co-founding. I’m a solo founder, and whilst it’s difficult to stop at the beginning and say you must find a co-founder – because obviously, it’s not something from a textbook – if you have an opportunity to do this type of work with two people rather than alone, it certainly reduces an enormous load of responsibility and stress significantly.

I’ve received advice in this regard, though it was obviously difficult to implement because the venture was already launched. I try to select people around me, starting from interns, who are essentially co-founders in terms of personality, approach to seeing things, and fit with our culture. It’s extremely difficult, but it’s possible, and it’s my workaround for this challenge.

Looking at your personal development, what talent do you feel you don’t utilise enough?

Luigi: Communication, definitely. I have a strong propensity for communication, extroversion, and building relationships, but unfortunately, partly due to my learning process, I find little time to explore and demonstrate this.

As you might have noticed at the beginning of our conversation, I don’t often prioritise this. Obviously, communication at this moment is very much tied to the team, and we’re in a very intense phase with all the other activities. It could be something I could prioritise more, at the expense of other activities that seem equally urgent, but giving it equal importance.

It’s undoubtedly important. I see many startups that focus everything on communication from the very beginning, without a functioning product, without revenues, without metrics, and that approach frightens me. I’d give that advice to many people because whilst communication is important, it’s absolutely distracting from the focus that you must have at the beginning on the product, then on commercial aspects, and then on processes.

Perhaps I see it too sequentially, but I’m very convinced that there’s a time for everything. The time for communication will come, and it may be due to my approach to the seriousness that must underlie communication. I feel free to communicate when things are in order at home when there’s this type of structure – then I’ll be able to express this talent even more explicitly.

What’s something you’ve done that you’re proud of but don’t often talk about?

Luigi: The volunteering work I’ve done. For example, when the war in Ukraine broke out – this was about three years ago now – after a few months I went there to help. I’d already had some volunteering experiences in Milan, but this felt different.

It’s something I don’t really talk about much, not because I’m secretive about it, but because it feels quite instinctive to me – almost intimate to my personality. I genuinely couldn’t have done otherwise, if you know what I mean. So yes, it’s not something I particularly like discussing because I connect it to a very personal aspect of who I am. There have been other episodes like this, always related to helping other people, and I feel this quite deeply.

Can you recommend any books or films that have significantly changed your perspective on life or business?

Luigi: I’d mention two books and one film that have been particularly influential.

Starting with the film – this might seem a bit unusual, but “The Truman Show” really struck me. It’s quite an old film, but I watched it as a child and kept rewatching it because I saw this aspect of people’s detachment from reality. The film shows you how a person can live life mechanically, completely alienated from their everyday reality, and it’s presented almost ridiculously in the movie.

That’s become my battle – the solutions I’m giving myself against this, let’s call it, devil. In the work I’ve chosen, the hobbies I have, the people I spend time with – over time, I’ve always tried to make my life as far as possible from a concept of routine, from mechanical living that you perceive almost absurdly in that film.

As for books, two have been particularly influential.

The first is “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson- it was certainly a game-changing book for me. This work, dealing with a million variables already, obviously can’t be separated from having a personal life outside of it, however compressed it may be, because I’m someone who, if I don’t have outlets, tends towards alienation.

The book says that if you want to do one thing very well in life, you have to really dedicate yourself to it and don’t get influenced by the rest. It’s a very serious message. For me, it meant that in this phase of my life, this startup is the most important thing, because I’ve dedicated my heart and soul to this. This can change over time after this phase, but in this phase, it’s important to do only one thing well, to dedicate yourself completely to it, because you can only excel at one thing. All the rest may still come but spontaneously 

“Don’t Give a F*ck” prepares you psychologically for the concept that for everything else, you must assume a “don’t give a f*ck” mentality, and it’s vital and essential because otherwise, there can’t be survival if this is your mission.

The second book is “A Fortune – Teller Told Me” by Tiziano Terzani gives you the beauty of travel and discovery itself. The book is about this journalist who, because of a prophecy he received not to travel by plane, decides to spend a year completely stopping air travel and travelling across Asia only on foot or by train.

The story of this journey, incredibly connected with people and in search of peace, is something that has paradoxically characterised me greatly in recent years, precisely as a counterbalance to what’s on the other side of work. The search for this peace has become a guide for me – the moment when I feel happy is when I’m serene, and you can absolutely achieve this regardless of any context you’re living in, however frantic it may be.

Finally, what message would you like to leave for our readers, particularly those considering their own entrepreneurial journey?

Luigi: The most important advice I’d give to anyone approaching this world is to listen to the market almost obsessively and never fall in love with the product in your head because what matters is the vision. The vision is something that should never abandon you.

You need to be absolutely convinced about the end goal but equally prepared to have doubts about the model you’re using to try to realise that vision. This requires a lot of challenging what you think and listening carefully to all stakeholders.

Determination and perseverance are absolutely essential. It’s not possible to do this job without perseverance that overcomes everything and everyone and all feedback. If someone gets too frustrated by the feedback they receive – and frustration is absolutely the order of the day – and if it’s something that conditions them too much, then this isn’t the job for them. You have to discover this before approaching it, but you also see it in practice.

You essentially have to not give a damn about anything that happens to you and keep going like a train.

But beyond the business advice, I wish everyone to find their own freedom, in whatever form that takes. Feel free to find every possible way not to be alienated in life. Stay always in contact with people and relate to people. That’s the most important message I can leave.

Quick Fire Round

• Coffee or tea? – Coffee, definitely.
• Dogs or cats? – Dogs.
• Summer or winter? – Summer.
• Fiction or non-fiction? – Non fiction.
• Sweet or savoury? – Savoury.
• City life or countryside? – City life, for now.
• Comedy or drama? – Comedy.
• Which app do you use most? – Instagram.
• What’s your favourite productivity trick? – Planning and organising everything in advance.

What would you like to wish our readers? – I wish everyone to find their own freedom, in whatever form that takes. Feel free and find every possible way not to be alienated in life. Stay always in contact with people and relate to people. That’s the essential message.

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FreedHome is currently in its scale-up phase, growing 15-20% month-on-month whilst building out its team for full market coverage. The company’s B2B platform continues to bridge the gap between property owners seeking hassle-free rental income and certified property managers looking for streamlined operations and customer acquisition. With its unique approach of treating rental properties as financial assets, FreedHome is positioned to transform the PropTech landscape in Europe and beyond.