Hello host, we’re Alex & Mark. Before Padstage, we were just like you — investors trying to fill our PadSplit rooms with reliable tenants. Mark, a trusted friend and a seasoned CTO, brought a sharp technical perspective to our shared real estate projects, while I focused on optimizing operations and scaling. Together, we jumped headfirst into PadSplit real estate. And that’s when the real challenges began.

Our first few properties were completely empty. We spent thousands staging them and hiring professional photographers. We’d haul bedding from room to room, argue over touch-ups, and cross our fingers that everything looked right. But even when it did, the results weren’t always worth the hassle.

Then came the tougher challenge — occupied properties. Some rooms had tenants, others didn’t. Photographers wanted $100+ per room to come back and shoot the empties. Some even refused to stage rooms, even when we handed them the bedding. One photographer quoted $175, then upped the price to $509 when we asked for minimal help — and had already been given our lock codes. That experience was a security nightmare.

Worse, we’d upgraded our rooms — smart TVs, fridges, seating, decor — but our photos didn’t show it. We were paying for premium upgrades that weren’t even visible. And new photos taken by property managers didn’t cut it.

So we built Padstage.

To reflect rooms honestly — so what you see online is what members get.

To boost bookings without misleading photos.

To make staging fast, affordable, and frustration-free.

Our first test? We uploaded Padstage-edited photos for our own listings. Eight bookings in six hours. No confusion. No complaints. Just happy members and filled rooms.

We realized other AI staging tools were built for designers — not investors. They were slow, overly complex, and didn’t care if a fake amenity led to a bad review.