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