Location is supposed to be the guiding concept of real estate, but Bilt is hoping loyalty can work its way into the conversation about housing.
Bilt has created a platform that works as an “ecosystem” where landlords and residents, along with merchants near and far, can connect for doing business and building loyalty, says Jehan Luth, Bilt’s head of neighborhood commerce & retail media. He joined the company in early 2025, when it acquired Banyan, a merchant-data company of which he was CEO.
“The way we look at it is: How can we help our members go through their housing journey much more efficiently, seamlessly, and more rewardingly?” says Luth. The company has a three-pronged approach, he says: “We look at ourselves and the primary focus is: How do we drive value for our members, for our property and housing partners, and for the local merchants we work with?”
Launched in 2021, Bilt was based on a simple concept: Housing is the single largest monthly expense for most U.S. consumers, but it is often a lost expense for households. Not only was the category untouched by loyalty programs, but the rent payments don’t count toward consumers’ credit history.
“Housing is the largest spend for pretty much most people – it’s either rent or mortgage or whatever that might be – yet it is the least rewarding, and the most fragmented experience users go through,” Luth says. As property managers and building owners have integrated Bilt into their resident experience, it’s addressed that fragmentation and allowed consumers to access a better experience through Bilt, he says.
“We look at our membership holistically,” Luth explains. “How do we drive the most amount of value for our members, but also for our housing partners, but also for our merchant partners?”
Bilt developed a network that now spans over 6 million consumers who pay their rent through its platform, and a growing number of homeowners who pay their mortgages, as well. While it offers members a suite of 3 co-branded Bilt credit cards, the vast majority of members engage in the ecosystem using any linked card, and the platform has evolved into a much wider tool for managing relationships with property managers and local merchants both within and beyond the neighborhood.
“An end-to-end hospitality platform”
In February, Bilt launched its Neighborhood Concierge, a complimentary service built into the Bilt app and web experience that connects Bilt users’ home activity to local merchants and member-exclusive rewards: acting on a member’s behalf as they desire across their building, their neighborhood and beyond. It can handle maintenance requests or book amenities at participating Bilt properties, or even plan and book travel using Bilt Points and recommendations from neighborhoods around the world.
“We really look at ourselves as the end-to-end hospitality platform for our housing and restaurant partners,” Luth says. “The entire journey for the member is taking place on the Bilt platform: they pay their rent, they earn their rewards, then they can utilize their rewards in the Bilt ecosystem in a variety of different ways including dining, fitness and more.”
Bilt also broadened its horizons last summer with the launch of Home Away from Home, a travel platform available to Gold and Platinum Bilt members. The program offers hotel bookings in partnership with the luxury travel network Virtuoso, as well as exclusive perks such as room upgrades, concierge service and is exploring adding neighborhood travel guides.
The logic is both aspirational and practical. Travel is a desirable perk for loyalty programs, says Luth, but the selection of hotels that are cultural landmarks and fit into the spirit of their neighborhoods also fits into Bilt’s local focus.
“A vast majority of your everyday commerce takes place within a few miles of your home. So as important as travel is, driving spend in your neighborhood is just as important” says Luth. Bilt has expanded its network to include more than 45,000 local merchants nationwide, who connect with tenants via the platform with services and benefits.
The local focus and housing connection are among the ways Bilt sets itself apart from concierge services offered by major credit cards. Bilt powers experiences traditionally handled by property managers, says Luth. He noted Bilt’s concierge will be able to take care of many daily tasks – such as submitting maintenance requests – along with handling other functions.
“We are the end-to-end hospitality platform for our housing partners,” he says.
Home, where it all starts
Merchant data is used to improve experiences – powering personalization, streamlining interactions, and connecting members with relevant partners. The goal is not to interrupt the customer journey, but to enhance it.
“That’s the lens we’ve taken: How do we power seamless experiences for our members that, at the end of the day, they really need to make their lives a little bit better?” says Luth.
The Concierge launch was one of the most significant company-wide initiatives in Bilt’s history, because of how interconnected the service is with all Bilt’s other products and services.
“Almost everyone in the company has had a role to play in launching Concierge,” he said. “Scaling that out, getting members to use it, share their feedback, is something we’re pretty excited about.”
And the company expects to keep filling white space in the housing and neighborhood markets. Once it absorbs the Concierge launch, it has additional initiatives planned for 2026.
“There’s always opportunity for exciting collaborations,” he said.
