new initiative is giving Detroiters a chance to
own a “slice” of collectible art.
Broder & Sachse Real Estate, a Detroit-
based real estate development company
behind residential buildings such as The
Hamilton, The Albert and The Scott,
is partnering with Ann Arbor-based
augmented reality platform BrandXR and
three Detroit artists to create NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, for
building residents.
Rolling out this month, the NFT initiative will see original
canvas art pieces by Detroit artists Olivia Guterson (Teach Me
How To Listen at The Albert), Chris Turner (Homefront at The
Hamilton) and Eric “El Cappy” Lowry (Warm at The Scott)
debut within their new homes and be distributed to residents to
collect as exclusive NFTs.
Rich Broder and Todd Sachse, who both serve as partners at
Broder & Sachse and are heavily involved in the Metro Detroit
Jewish community, see the initiative as a way to generate
excitement among building residents, inspire community and
directly benefit Detroit artists involved in creating the artwork.
Each piece of art will be displayed in the common spaces of
the three real estate properties at the core of the project, where
visitors and residents can bring the artwork to life through an
app called Electrifly. Electrifly, the work of BrandXR, allows
people to play and interact with artwork in augmented reality
directly on their smartphones.
Plus, residents will get an identical physical “twin” of the
artwork in their building, in addition to the unique NFT
provided by Broder & Sachse. Both are received free of charge, a
complimentary investment for Detroiters in these spaces to take
advantage of.
Yet the question remains: What exactly are NFTs, how do they
work, and why do they matter for Detroiters? Rich Broder and
Todd Sachse of Broder & Sachse and Moody Mattan, CEO of
BrandXR, explain exactly how the new program will roll out.

WHAT ARE NFTS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
Moody Mattan: One of the best use cases for blockchain
technology are NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. These are digital
collectibles that have guaranteed proof of origination and
ownership. In the art world, this is called provenance. This is the
difference between the value of a guaranteed original Mona Lisa
painting versus the value of a Mona Lisa painting that you can
buy at Target.
Rich Broder: The NFT space is a community. People are
investing time in it, sharing ideas, collaborating, and buying into
each other’s art and projects. When we looked at the space, we
knew we could contribute to this community and introduce our
residents to a new way for them to connect and interact.

continued on page 14

Eric Lowry

Eric “El Cappy”
Lowry’s Warm
will be at The
Scott.

MAY 12 • 2022 | 13