BOXABL’s Big Bet on Affordable Housing

00:00 – The vision behind BOXABL and making housing affordable
02:00 – How a viral folding video turned into a billion views
05:00 – Owning the customer journey from start to finish
09:00 – Lessons from trolls, controversy, and an SEC investigation
12:00 – Moving beyond dealers to full project control
15:00 – Scaling like auto manufacturing: IPO and the road ahead

Galiano Tiramani is the co-founder of BOXABL, the company behind the foldable, factory-built casita. Since launching in 2017, BOXABL has grown from an idea and a drawing to 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Las Vegas and more than 100 employees.

With over a billion views on social media, BOXABL has tapped into viral content to generate attention and convert it into real demand. Today, the company is balancing direct-to-consumer sales, dealer relationships, and even large-scale projects with military and workforce housing

BOXABL’s big innovation was simple: a finished room module that folds into a shippable box. That early idea, combined with a simple website and product sketches, caught attention fast.

But real traction started with YouTube. Galiano began reaching out to housing-related content creators—and one video changed everything. It was a Zoom interview with a housing YouTuber, cut together with B-roll of the folding unit. The engagement beat every press hit or paid placement they’d tried.

Since then, BOXABL has leaned heavily into video content. One of their most viral clips was captured by chance—filming a casita folding up at a trade show, edited in reverse to show the “unfolding.” That video alone brought in massive traffic and inquiries.

Today, BOXABL has surpassed a billion views across social media platforms.

Unlike a typical building product sale, BOXABL is selling the full system—product, finishings, and delivery. That requires a more aggressive and persistent approach to marketing.

Galiano describes it as a long-tail sale that needs frequent engagement. Prospective customers see videos, visit the website, and get retargeted across platforms. They receive follow-up emails, texts, and remarketing ads over weeks or months.

“It’s not like a $10 widget,” he says. “You’ve got to keep hitting them with more and more information.”

That strategy has helped BOXABL keep demand high even as it works through regulatory and operational scaling.

With massive visibility comes pushback. BOXABL has dealt with skeptics, critics, and online trolls who question the business model or product claims. Some even spread misinformation.

Instead of trying to fight every comment, Galiano lets the algorithm do the work. “If they’re engaging with our stuff—even negatively—they get more of it,” he says.

But there’s a serious side to the criticism. At one point, BOXABL was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) based on unverified internet rumors. While no charges were filed, Galiano says every subpoena referenced online speculation. It was a wake-up call that visibility, while valuable, needs to be managed carefully.

In the company’s early days, BOXABL worked with third-party dealers to help manage sales and distribution. But over time, that model created more friction than value.

Galiano’s team realized they wanted full control—over marketing, messaging, the sales process, and customer experience. So they brought everything in-house.

Now, BOXABL handles every project directly. Dealers can still purchase product, but they’re no longer relied on for fulfillment or customer hand-holding. The result is tighter communication, faster execution, and more accurate marketing attribution.

The move also positions BOXABL for what’s next: not just selling units, but selling finished homes and entire developments.

Galiano outlines the company’s three-phase evolution:

1. Sell individual room modules to builders and homeowners
2. Act as the developer on customer projects
3. Buy land and build BOXABL communities from the ground up

Phase two is already underway. BOXABL is managing full installations and selling directly to individual customers, larger buyers, and even government clients.

Phase three is starting now—with the team evaluating joint venture opportunities that combine land, financing, and BOXABL’s building system. The goal is to sell finished homes at scale and ultimately reduce housing costs through vertical integration and repeatable manufacturing.

The endgame? “We want to build our own cities,” Galiano says.

To reach that scale, BOXABL needs serious capital. That’s where their public offering comes in.

Galiano views the IPO as a strategic move that gives BOXABL access to the kind of funding required to expand manufacturing, purchase land, and build entire communities.

The comparison he draws is to Tesla—where the factory output model creates efficiency, speed, and affordability. If BOXABL can match that level of output, they believe they can shift the economics of homebuilding at a national (and eventually global) level.

For anyone considering a startup in the building products or housing space, Galiano’s advice is straightforward:

Don’t underestimate the cost and time it will take to navigate regulations.

From zoning to permitting to housing code, regulatory barriers can delay or derail even the best ideas. That reality has shaped every part of BOXABL’s strategy—from manufacturing to marketing.

Still, Galiano remains optimistic. “If we’re successful, the upside is huge,” he says. And based on the growth so far, BOXABL is well on its way.

You can learn more at BOXABL.com, follow BOXABL on social media, or email the team directly at hello@boxabl.com. Factory tours are available in Las Vegas for those who want to see the process firsthand.

The Smarter Building Materials Marketing podcast helps sales and marketing professionals find better ways to grow leads, sales and outperform the competition. It gives insights, examples and shares stories about how to create a results-driven digital marketing strategy for building products and construction companies of any size. SBMM is co-hosted by Venveo’s Founder, Zach Williams and Venveo’s CEO, Beth PopNikolov.

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