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The Platform That Knows Where Tenants Want to Be—Meet SYTES and Rafael Weiss
This episode of Breaking New Ground dives deep into a platform—and a mindset—that’s reshaping commercial real estate.
Rafael Weiss is a real estate developer and entrepreneur who built SYTES to solve a problem we’ve all experienced: the inefficiency of site selection and leasing in a fragmented, opaque market. His AI-powered platform does what brokers and landlords have struggled to do for decades—it reveals where tenant demand actually exists, and filters the noise from meaningful opportunities.
This conversation matters if you’re a developer, broker, landlord, or investor trying to move faster and smarter in today’s market. Rafael breaks down how SYTES works, what’s changing in commercial real estate right now, and how AI is starting to reshape the way deals get done. His journey—from hiking the Appalachian Trail to producing music for Call of Duty to running a family real estate portfolio and a racehorse stable—makes this a fun and wide-ranging episode you don’t want to miss.
Episode Highlights
Why Rafael believes AI agents will eventually negotiate leases with each other—and what that means for brokers
How SYTES uses AI to automate site screening and save tenant reps hours of tedious work
The critical data partnerships (Placer.AI, SitesUSA, Leasecake) that make SYTES even more powerful
Rafael’s blunt take on the current market freeze, cap rate expectations, and what buyers/sellers need to face in 2025
How his background as a DJ and producer influences his creative approach to development and technology
Why horse racing, community building, and CRE all share more overlap than you’d think
Time-Stamped Show Highlights
⏱️ 01:14 – “Will AI leasing agents negotiate with each other?”
Rafael imagines a near future where tenant rep and landlord rep AI agents broker deals directly.
⏱️ 04:38 – “Rio reads every site submission—and filters the junk.”
How Rafael’s AI agent (named after his dog) parses deal docs and flags the best sites instantly.
⏱️ 08:25 – “I was tired of guessing where tenants wanted to be.”
The origin story of SYTES—and why Rafael knew tenant reps were the underserved key.
⏱️ 11:13 – “We know where tenants want to be. That’s powerful.”
Why SYTES adds a layer of demand data that complements existing location analytics tools.
⏱️ 12:10 – “Nobody wants a new product—until they can’t live without it.”
Lessons learned from early adoption struggles—and how SYTES overcame them.
⏱️ 13:45 – “LinkedIn exploded for us—it’s 90% of our business.”
How Rafael built traction through organic CRE engagement on LinkedIn.
⏱️ 21:38 – “Sellers are stuck in 2021. Buyers are in 2025.”
Rafael’s take on the bid/ask disconnect—and what really needs to change.
⏱️ 27:00 – “Real estate development is like producing a track.”
What music production taught Rafael about timing, creativity, and managing complexity.
Show Notes + Links
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts
🔗 SYTES: sytescre.com
👤 Guest: Rafael Weiss, Founder of SYTES and Managing Partner at JW Advance
📱 Connect: Rafael Weiss on LinkedIn
View all episodes
By John Pugh and Rachel WaltersThis episode of Breaking New Ground dives deep into a platform—and a mindset—that’s reshaping commercial real estate.
Rafael Weiss is a real estate developer and entrepreneur who built SYTES to solve a problem we’ve all experienced: the inefficiency of site selection and leasing in a fragmented, opaque market. His AI-powered platform does what brokers and landlords have struggled to do for decades—it reveals where tenant demand actually exists, and filters the noise from meaningful opportunities.
This conversation matters if you’re a developer, broker, landlord, or investor trying to move faster and smarter in today’s market. Rafael breaks down how SYTES works, what’s changing in commercial real estate right now, and how AI is starting to reshape the way deals get done. His journey—from hiking the Appalachian Trail to producing music for Call of Duty to running a family real estate portfolio and a racehorse stable—makes this a fun and wide-ranging episode you don’t want to miss.
Episode Highlights
Why Rafael believes AI agents will eventually negotiate leases with each other—and what that means for brokers
How SYTES uses AI to automate site screening and save tenant reps hours of tedious work
The critical data partnerships (Placer.AI, SitesUSA, Leasecake) that make SYTES even more powerful
Rafael’s blunt take on the current market freeze, cap rate expectations, and what buyers/sellers need to face in 2025
How his background as a DJ and producer influences his creative approach to development and technology
Why horse racing, community building, and CRE all share more overlap than you’d think
Time-Stamped Show Highlights
⏱️ 01:14 – “Will AI leasing agents negotiate with each other?”
Rafael imagines a near future where tenant rep and landlord rep AI agents broker deals directly.
⏱️ 04:38 – “Rio reads every site submission—and filters the junk.”
How Rafael’s AI agent (named after his dog) parses deal docs and flags the best sites instantly.
⏱️ 08:25 – “I was tired of guessing where tenants wanted to be.”
The origin story of SYTES—and why Rafael knew tenant reps were the underserved key.
⏱️ 11:13 – “We know where tenants want to be. That’s powerful.”
Why SYTES adds a layer of demand data that complements existing location analytics tools.
⏱️ 12:10 – “Nobody wants a new product—until they can’t live without it.”
Lessons learned from early adoption struggles—and how SYTES overcame them.
⏱️ 13:45 – “LinkedIn exploded for us—it’s 90% of our business.”
How Rafael built traction through organic CRE engagement on LinkedIn.
⏱️ 21:38 – “Sellers are stuck in 2021. Buyers are in 2025.”
Rafael’s take on the bid/ask disconnect—and what really needs to change.
⏱️ 27:00 – “Real estate development is like producing a track.”
What music production taught Rafael about timing, creativity, and managing complexity.
Show Notes + Links
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts
🔗 SYTES: sytescre.com
👤 Guest: Rafael Weiss, Founder of SYTES and Managing Partner at JW Advance
📱 Connect: Rafael Weiss on LinkedIn