The RealReal (NASDAQ:REAL) Chief Financial Officer Ajay Gopal outlined the company’s view of the luxury resale market, recent growth trends, and key operational initiatives during a fireside chat, emphasizing supply acquisition, trust-driven demand, and increasing use of AI to improve efficiency and margins.
Positioning in a “supply-driven” luxury resale market
Gopal said The RealReal operates in what it considers a large and attractive market, which the company has quantified as a total addressable market of more than $200 billion. He said luxury resale is growing faster than the primary luxury market, citing estimates of roughly two to three times faster growth depending on the source.
On the demand side, he highlighted the importance of “expertise, curation, and trust,” noting the platform’s average order value is above $600 and that customers may buy high-ticket items such as handbags and watches in the $20,000 to $50,000 range. He attributed this to trust built through authentication and the company’s expertise.
Recent GMV acceleration and the “three-legged stool” for supply
Discussing recent performance, Gopal said the company posted 22% year-over-year gross merchandise value (GMV) growth in the fourth quarter, and that its first-quarter guidance midpoint implies 21% growth. He attributed the acceleration to execution against the company’s growth strategy, which he framed as a “three-legged stool” for unlocking supply:
- Sales: luxury managers in the field building consignor relationships
- Marketing: seeding demand and driving leads
- Stores: physical locations that amplify sales and marketing effectiveness
On sales execution, he said The RealReal changed the profile of reps it hires, bringing in people from the luxury industry with established client books. He also said the company adjusted compensation to incentivize value over unit volume, which he said has helped drive more “desirable supply” and increased mix toward mid- and high-value items, contributing to average order value growth.
On marketing, Gopal said the company invested in tools, technology, and capabilities, and now feels it has high conviction in ROI, which has supported increased spending to drive growth. He cited social marketing as a particularly successful tactic, saying the company had been “a little late” to that channel but that the category is a strong fit. He also highlighted referral programs “Real Friends” (consumer referrals) and “Real Partners” (industry professionals such as stylists referring clients).
Gopal also detailed network effects, stating that about 50% of sellers are also buyers, and 16% of buyers are also sellers. He said around 40% of new consignors come from existing buyers, and that customers who participate on both sides—internally referred to as “flywheelers”—have lifetime value two to three times higher than those who participate on only one side.
Salesforce tools and near real-time assortment shifts
Gopal said the company has about 400 luxury managers across major U.S. markets, describing them as a key differentiator. He said the company is deploying tools to increase their productivity, including “Smart Sales,” which he described as an AI-powered system that recommends which consignors reps should contact next using platform data such as buying and selling patterns.
He also said The RealReal is piloting a price estimation tool intended to provide consignors with an expected selling price range, helping reps convert leads more efficiently.
On assortment responsiveness, Gopal said the company can adjust sourcing “almost instantaneously,” using a team that monitors trends and searches and can relay demand signals to reps in near real time, including adjusting incentives to encourage certain categories.
Store strategy and market-level impact
While acknowledging that store-acquired supply can skew toward higher-value items, Gopal said stores are primarily used to amplify the effectiveness of sales and marketing rather than to build a large retail footprint. The company currently has 18 stores and plans to open one to three stores per year, with a long-term view of roughly 50 stores, “not 500.”
He cited Houston as an example of store impact, saying that after opening a store last year, the company saw nearly a 75% increase in new consignors compared with pre-opening levels.
AI initiatives, margin targets, and balance sheet priorities
Gopal said The RealReal has long used AI across pricing and authentication, enabled by its data set, which he said includes about 50 million items sold with associated images, attributes, and transaction history. He described the company’s pricing approach as market-driven, supported by an algorithm that uses more than 100 data points to set an initial price and then adjusts based on engagement signals such as views and “obsess” activity. He also noted resale can sometimes exceed primary pricing for scarce or hard-to-find items, while in other cases resale pricing may not keep pace when primary prices rise.
He provided an update on “Athena AI,” an initiative launched last year to accelerate intake workflows—from photos to identification, descriptions, pricing, condition scoring, and listing. Gopal said the company ended the year with 35% of items going through this faster process, up from 0% at the start, beginning with lower-priced ready-to-wear and moving into mid-value and eventually high-value categories as models are trained and validated against manual processes.
On profitability, Gopal said the company ended last year at 6% adjusted EBITDA margin and has communicated a medium-term target of 15% to 20% over roughly five years. He said operational efficiencies, including lowering per-item processing costs through Athena, are a key driver of that margin expansion, and noted higher per-unit savings are expected for categories like handbags versus lower-value apparel, though volumes differ by category.
He also pointed to fixed-cost leverage opportunities across G&A and fulfillment, including the use of AI in customer service to reduce costs. On capital deployment, he described The RealReal as capital-light due to its consignment model and favorable cash conversion cycle, with CapEx around 2% to 3% of sales directed largely toward fulfillment automation and technology. He said the company plans to implement an automated storage and retrieval system in one of its two fulfillment centers to densify storage and improve capacity utilization and variable costs.
Finally, Gopal said deleveraging remains a priority. He stated that since the beginning of 2024, the company has reduced debt by slightly more than $80 million, pushed out maturities, and intends to continue bringing leverage down over time while noting the business is growing, generating cash, and able to service its debt.
About RealReal (NASDAQ:REAL)
The RealReal, Inc (NASDAQ: REAL) operates an online marketplace specializing in the authenticated resale of luxury goods. Since its founding in 2011 by entrepreneur Julie Wainwright, the company has positioned itself as a leading platform for consignors and shoppers seeking designer fashion, fine jewelry, watches, art, and home décor. Headquartered in San Francisco, The RealReal combines e-commerce technology with an in-house team of experts to offer a seamless buying and selling experience for secondhand luxury items.
At the core of The RealReal’s business model is its consignment service, which enables individuals to sell pre-owned luxury products through a fully managed process.
