Microshare names Michael Schoen to lead new global real estate practice

Smart Building and ESG data firm hires industry veterans to sharpen focus on commercial real estate sector and expand New York presence


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microshare, a leading Smart Building technology and sustainability data firm, announced today that it has named real estate veteran Michael Schoen to lead a new Global Real Estate practice and sharpen the company’s focus on the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) sector through an expanded New York City presence.

In the newly created role of Global Head of Real Estate, Schoen will help landlords and tenants realize the value of Microshare’s data solutions, which use cost-efficient wireless Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The Philadelphia-based company produces data feeds to monitor and analyze a variety of workplace environment conditions – such as occupancy and foot traffic, energy and water use, and indoor air quality – and to provide predictive cleaning, leak detection and feedback solutions.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, Microshare is doubling down on the core market for our solutions, which is commercial real estate – including office buildings and large multifamily properties,” said Ron Rock, CEO and Co-founder of the 9-year-old company. “We currently serve a wide array of corporate, institutional and governmental clients. This is about intensifying our focus on CRE even as we continue to grow our client list in hotels, healthcare and big-box retail.”

Microshare’s worldwide clients include large companies such as General Motors, hospitals, universities, and sports and entertainment venues, as well as facilities management firms like Aramark and Elis, which resell Microshare solutions under their own labels.

“It’s really about helping landlords start the journey to become smart buildings and helping them acquire the necessary data for ESG reporting and compliance,” said Schoen. “They have a pressing need to understand how their properties are being used and to reassure tenants they are taking measures to enhance tenant experience and safety.”

In New York City, for example, most buildings over 25,000 square feet will be required to meet new energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions limits by 2024 as a result of Local Law 97. Building owners will be required to report their annual greenhouse gas emissions to the city starting May 1, 2025, and those required to undertake prescriptive measures will also have to submit a report of compliance by May 1, 2025.

“If you haven’t started collecting data on occupancy and ESG, you’re now losing time on collecting historical data,” said Schoen. “A lot of landlords are hiring consultants to analyze their energy bills. Microshare enables you to collect actual usage data and compare it to what the consultants are estimating.”

Microshare’s EverSmart suite of products generates real-time, actionable data and includes advanced dashboards and telemetrics, recommendations, alerts and scoring. As a result, customers gain cost savings, greater efficiencies and new insights on a workplace’s health, safety, wellness and sustainability. EverSmart Clean, for example, provides new data and insight into what needs to be cleaned and how often so that facilities managers can allocate resources based on need – improving performance and reducing cost.

A real estate industry veteran

Schoen brings a unique perspective to the new role, with nearly 15 years’ experience representing both tenants and landlords in the NYC market. He understands the needs of both sides.

As a founding partner of The Schoen Group at full-service brokerage Savitt Partners since 2008, he represents a number of top advertising, fashion and creative agencies. He and his team have negotiated numerous high-profile deals, including approximately 1 million square feet of space for coworking giant WeWork. Other clients included Glossier, WME/IMG, Frame Denim, Bundesliga, Mother Advertising and Baron & Baron.

In 2017, he co-founded a data solutions company called A Retail Space, now ARS Data, which helps retailers, developers and landlords make property decisions by providing real estate foot traffic data and comparisons.

Schoen still serves as CEO of the firm. But when COVID hit, business dried up as companies stopped opening retail stores. After deciding to buy an apartment in London, where his wife is from, he met a neighbor, Alex Ainley, Microshare’s EU Director of Sales.

“He invited me over to watch a football match. I started talking about my company, he started talking about Microshare, and that got us into this really exciting conversation about ‘Why don’t we join forces?’” recalled Schoen, who is co-based in New York and London.

Since joining Microshare in May 2022, Schoen has already made a few experienced hires: Senior Sales executive Harrison Katzman, based in New York, followed him from the Schoen Group at Savitt Partners, where he was a managing director. Toronto-based Lindsay Pick, a three-year Microshare veteran, has also jumped to his team, bringing with her client Kilroy Realty Corporation, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment trust.

To learn more about Microshare and its EverSmart suite of products, visit www.microshare.io.

Media Inquiries
North America: Dave Fondiller, dfondiller@microshare.io
EMEA: Simon Redgate, sredgate@microshare.io

About Microshare
Microshare creates data where none existed before, enabling a full spectrum view into the performance, value, safety and sustainability of real estate assets. Our EverSmart suite of Smart Building solutions are deployed at scale around the world to drive cost savings, efficiency gains and labor savings in our clients’ operations, even as they produce valuable insights for sustainability and ESG programs. Philadelphia-based Microshare is a leader in LoRaWAN® applications and a proud member of the LoRa Alliance®.  www.microshare.io

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7805a068-77d0-4080-b76d-9dbd504c2d38


Michael Schoen photo