Capital City Times
Michael Kopeld’s path into real estate was not driven by trend or convenience but by firsthand frustration. As a student at Boston University studying International Business and Entrepreneurship, he experienced the same broken off campus housing system that millions of students face every year confusing listings, limited transparency, unresponsive brokers, and a process that often favors landlords over renters. Alongside his co founder Michael Gobran, who studied Finance, Kopeld recognized a clear gap in the student and young professional housing market and decided to build what was missing.
Kopeld earned his real estate license during his freshman year and became the youngest licensed real estate broker in Boston upon graduation. He later built institutional experience at Cushman and Wakefield and at a private equity real estate firm focused on value add industrial investments in the Midwest. That rare combination of ground level brokerage work and institutional exposure shaped the foundation of Z.V.I. Realty, a modern brokerage designed to apply professional standards, data driven thinking, and accountability to a segment long underserved by the industry.
Boston was the obvious starting point. As one of the largest student housing markets in the country, it is dense, competitive, and constantly turning over. Yet despite its scale, the off campus experience remains fragmented and stressful for students and parents alike. Z.V.I. Realty was built to bring clarity, transparency, and a higher level of service to that environment, bridging the gap between institutional quality real estate practices and the real needs of first time renters.
That same vision led to the creation of Zentro, a technology driven student housing platform designed to centralize the off campus experience. Instead of navigating scattered listings, inconsistent information, and disconnected brokers, students can engage with housing through a single platform that combines listings, leasing, guidance, and community. For parents, Zentro provides confidence and structure during one of the most significant financial decisions of their child’s college years.
What differentiates Kopeld’s approach is not just technology or market knowledge but empathy. The entire model is rooted in lived experience. Having gone through the process themselves, the founders understand both the emotional and logistical challenges students face. Through a partnership with Modern Real Estate, Z.V.I. Realty pairs that empathy with institutional infrastructure and credibility, delivering a white glove experience in a space where trust has historically been lacking.
The long term vision for Zentro is ambitious but focused. The goal is to become the default platform students turn to when searching for off campus housing, guidance, and support. Less like a service and more like a trusted companion, Zentro aims to remove confusion, reduce stress, and replace uncertainty with clarity. If successful, it will set a new national standard for student housing built on transparency, trust, and human connection.
This is not simply a startup story. It is a mission driven effort led by a new generation of founders who believe the system can be better because they have lived its failures. Michael Kopeld’s journey from student renter to the youngest broker in Boston to founder and CEO reflects that momentum. What Z.V.I. Realty and Zentro represent is the introduction of a higher standard in off campus housing one defined by professionalism, empathy, and a genuine commitment to the people it serves.
