While many have the capacity to save, sometimes an identified asset, a new generation of investors, whether they are first-time buyers or considering a first rental investment, are hesitant to take the plunge. At issue: the difficulty in mastering the financial and tax mechanisms that govern real estate.
In FW.MEDIA, we welcome Léa Paveze, co-founder and CEO of MoneyShape, a platform designed to simulate, compare and validate a real estate project before purchase. His ambition: “to regain some control over these investment decisions and to be better equipped to understand all these mechanisms behind the investment and make an informed decision”.
Documented financial paralysis
At the origin of MoneyShape, there is not only real estate, but a broader observation on the management of personal finances. Léa Paveze evokes “a form of paralysis or immobility that people tend to have when it comes to taking action on a financial subject”.
The team conducted a field study with around 200 people. “The observation, it is quite clear, is that 90% of the people with whom we speak have a financial project in mind, but do not do it. » The reasons put forward are multiple: excess information, lack of benchmarks, fear of error. “They feel under-equipped, under-tooled, because they do not understand the mechanisms behind an investment and because they are often advised from an angle which is not necessarily neutral or which is a little biased. »
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Excess of information as a brake
The issue is therefore not the absence of information, but its appropriation. The market today offers a wealth of simulators, educational content and analyses. However, this abundance can produce an opposite effect. “There is probably too much information today, too many channels, too much information, too much flow. »
Some of this content occurs outside of the decision-making moment. “Sometimes, there is information that is given very early on, at a time when we are not really in the active phase of thinking about a project. And so, when we move into the active phase, we have forgotten it or we no longer know how to concretely adapt it to our project. »
MoneyShape wants to position itself precisely at this stage, when the project becomes concrete.
Quantifying intuition
An investor may consider that a property is attractive, that the rent is reasonable or that a price seems justified. The platform offers to transform these perceptions into numerical scenarios.
“Typically, I have an intuition about this type of property, I have an intuition that I could rent it at a certain price, I have an intuition that I buy it at the right price. And we, with data, can quantify this intuition and therefore validate their project with them and provide reassurance so that they can take action calmly. »
The simulations integrate financing, taxation, charges, rental assumptions and yield projections. The objective is to provide an independent perspective. “We are not going to sell them a financial product, we are not going to sell them real estate. On the other hand, what we are going to sell them is reassurance. »
Simplify without sacrificing rigor
French tax regulations evolve regularly. A simulation that is relevant today may require adjustments “The challenge is to create a tool that is reliable in its calculations, reliable in its data, but which at the same time simplifies all these concepts linked to rental investment. »
The formulas are developed in-house and verified. Their updating constitutes ongoing work. However, the user interface remains deliberately refined. “Our goal is to reassure. (…) We deliberately excluded certain details (…) precisely to reduce complexity and reassure instead of intimidating. »
A controlled regulatory positioning
At this stage, the platform works exclusively on the analysis and validation of real estate projects. “For the moment, we are not subject to CIF type regulations, since we remain in the real estate sector. »
The company has surrounded itself with specialized legal advisors in order to anticipate its future developments, particularly if its scope expands to other asset classes.
From real estate to financial projects
The vision of the co-founders goes beyond rental investment alone. “Our ambition is to be a project expert. »
Three categories are identified: real estate projects, savings and investment projects, and professional projects intended for self-employed people and entrepreneurs, whose personal and professional finances are closely linked.
The approach consists of structuring a decision based on an objective, a horizon and a financial capacity, rather than promoting a specific product.
Economic model and outlook
The launch is based on long-term access to the platform. Additional modules, particularly dedicated to post-acquisition monitoring (real profitability, cash flow, costs) could integrate a subscription logic.
Exchanges also take place with brokers and financial players. They perceive the solution as a decision-making tool capable of strengthening their customer relationships. A B2B2C version is planned.
The project is currently in the seed phase, co-founded by Léa Pavese with multi-entrepreneur Denis Fayolle (La Fourchette, Habiteo, Singulart, etc.) Moneyshape is financed by business angels from finance and entrepreneurship. The next few months will be dedicated to growing the user base.
