i recently met a founder building a neobank specifically for real estate agents in the US. he spent the last 15 years as a real estate broker, and noticed something pretty obvious: real estate agents have a completely unique financial life, yet every bank treats them like everyone else. many agents are essentially one-person businesses: they constantly spend on Zillow, lead gen, marketing, client dinners, photography, travel, etc. but their income is entirely dependent on when deals close. an agent might make $100k one month, $0 the next, then $50k a few months later. so he’s building a neobank around how agents actually operate: > credit underwritten against commissions and upcoming closings > merchant-funded rewards for Zillow ads and other major expenses > automated tax reserves every time a commission hits but his biggest advantage is distribution: after 15 years as a broker, he already knows all the agencies, brokers, and agents he needs to reach. IMO this is the real playbook for vertical neobanks. pick an industry where you already have a unique distribution advantage, understand exactly how they make and spend money, then build the financial stack specifically for them.