Buying a home has long been considered part of the American Dream. But for many first-time buyers today, the process feels anything but straightforward. Between agents, lenders, paperwork, negotiations, and closing costs, it’s easy to feel like you’re navigating a system that wasn’t built for you.
For Navy veteran and VroomBrick founder Leland Remias, that realization came while buying his own homes. After purchasing his second property without a traditional real estate agent, he began asking a simple question: Why couldn’t technology make buying and selling a home easier, more transparent, and more affordable?
That question eventually became VroomBrick.
Based in Hampton Roads, the company is building a technology platform that guides buyers and sellers through the homeownership journey while helping them keep more of their money. Instead of treating the process like a “black box,” VroomBrick gives users a clear roadmap of every step, along with access to trusted professionals when they need support.
Remias says Hampton Roads has been the ideal place to build the company. With one of the nation’s largest military populations, the region is home to thousands of service members and veterans navigating frequent moves and home purchases. At the same time, organizations like REaKTOR, Lighthouse Network, 757 Accelerate, ICAP, and VIPC helped provide the mentorship and resources needed to grow the business.
That momentum has continued to build.
Over the past year, VroomBrick has expanded beyond Virginia into Maryland and North Carolina while establishing a presence in Delaware. The company has also begun partnering with credit unions, giving members access to the platform as a benefit—an important validation of its mission to make homeownership more accessible and affordable.
Next, VroomBrick is launching its Claim the Key initiative, a collection of tools designed to help future homeowners prepare for one of life’s biggest financial decisions, whether they’re ready to buy in three months or three years.
For Remias, however, the mission extends well beyond real estate transactions.
He believes the goal is to restore confidence in a process that too many people find intimidating, giving families the knowledge and transparency to make one of the biggest investments of their lives with confidence. It’s a vision rooted not just in technology, but in expanding access to homeownership for the next generation.
To hear the full story—from Remias’s journey as a naval officer to the lessons learned building a startup in Hampton Roads—watch the latest episode of Disrupting the Tide, where Leland and the VroomBrick team share how they’re working to reshape the future of home buying and selling.
