Stacked
About the Company
Stacked is a media company based in Singapore that specializes in real estate content aimed at educating and guiding potential buyers and sellers. The company provides detailed editorial reviews and videos, focusing on condo developments, neighborhoods, and trends in the real estate market. Its content is designed to fill a gap in the market, where other real estate outlets often offer superficial or sales-driven material. Stacked’s offerings include comprehensive condo reviews, which are the company’s signature content, showcasing both the positives and negatives of properties. Through its website, YouTube channel, and social media platforms, Stacked reaches a growing audience interested in unbiased and objective real estate information.
Idea Behind Company
The idea for Stacked was born out of Druce’s previous failed startup experience, which led him to understand the importance of adding value through high-quality content. Initially, Stacked aimed to disrupt the traditional real estate market by eliminating the need for agents, offering a platform that allowed sellers to list properties directly with better visuals and 3D tours. However, the market’s lack of readiness for 3D tours, combined with strong competition from established property portals, made it clear that a different approach was needed. Instead of focusing on the technology of real estate transactions, Druce and his team decided to double down on content, offering informative, unbiased, and comprehensive reviews to help buyers make informed decisions.
Creating the Company
Druce and his team initially launched Stacked as a real estate portal in 2017 with the goal of cutting out the middleman—real estate agents—by offering a direct platform for buying and selling properties. They even invested in a 3D Matterport camera, which was a novel concept at the time, to help sellers present their properties with virtual tours. However, despite these efforts, the platform did not gain traction, largely because the market in Singapore wasn’t ready for such a technology-driven solution. Through trial and error, Druce realized that the true competition wasn’t other DIY platforms, but rather the big, established property portals with strong SEO advantages. This realization led to the decision to shift focus towards creating editorial content, a move that ultimately set Stacked apart from competitors.
Launching the Business
After the initial launch, Stacked went through a significant pivot in 2019/2020, shifting from a property portal to an editorially focused real estate media company. The relaunch involved a rebranding of the website, logo, and content strategy, with an emphasis on creating a more serious, professional look that matched the gravity of real estate transactions. The company focused on long-tail SEO and comprehensive condo reviews to differentiate itself from the competition. Despite facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stacked saw significant growth in its traffic and social media following during the lockdown period, as more people turned to online resources for information. This shift in strategy helped Stacked build a loyal audience and positioned the company as a trusted voice in the real estate space.
Earnings
Stacked generates revenue through a lead-sharing model rather than relying on traditional advertising. Unlike many media companies, Stacked chose not to monetize through ads or sponsored content, opting instead for a cleaner, more distraction-free user experience. The company works with trusted real estate agents and earns a commission on deals that result from leads generated through its content. This model ensures that Stacked maintains its credibility and objectivity, which is essential in the real estate industry. By focusing on trust and offering valuable content, the company has built a sustainable revenue model that avoids the conflicts of interest associated with traditional ad-based monetization. Since its relaunch, Stacked has grown rapidly, reaching over 700,000 monthly page views and nearly 40,000 email subscribers, with future plans to expand further into video content on YouTube.
