RealPage named Zahir Khoja as its first chief fintech officer to lead its financial technology strategy and operations, according to a Tuesday press release from the real estate software and data analytics giant. The fintech and payments veteran will head overall fintech strategy, including payments, financial services and emerging resident financial solutions.
Housing is one of the largest financial ecosystems in the world, but much of the financial experience is still fragmented with friction, Khoja told Multifamily Dive in an email.
“What drew me to RealPage is the opportunity to help modernize that infrastructure at scale, where improving how money moves can directly improve how people live,” Khoja said. “I’m most excited about building more seamless, trusted financial experiences for residents, operators/property managers, and owners, because when the system works better, everyone benefits.”
Khoja will focus on expanding secure and seamless financial experiences while strengthening operational excellence, risk management and regulatory compliance, per the release. As fintech becomes more embedded in housing, the expectations around security, resilience and compliance only increase, according to Khoja.
“Protecting sensitive data, preventing fraud, and ensuring payment integrity are foundational, not optional,” Khoja said. “At the same time, there’s a growing focus on consumer protection and transparency, especially with newer financial models. Innovation and responsibility go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.”
When financial experiences are designed well, they don’t just move money — they create stability, access and better outcomes across the entire ecosystem, according to Khoja.
“We’re seeing a clear shift toward more flexible, embedded financial experiences in housing. That includes things like flexible rent, deposit alternatives, and tools that help residents manage cash flow and build credit over time. The focus is simple: reduce friction for residents while improving predictability for operators,” Khoja said.
The creation of the role reflects RealPage’s continued expansion of financial services capabilities across its platform, helping operators streamline transactions, improve resident experiences and unlock new sources of economic value, per the release.
Khoja joins the executive management committee and reports directly to RealPage President and CEO Dirk Wakeham.
“Financial services are an essential layer of the modern real estate operating platform,” Wakeham said in the release. “Zahir brings deep experience building and scaling global fintech platforms, and he will accelerate how RealPage delivers secure, seamless financial experiences for operators and residents across our ecosystem.”
Khoja brings more than 20 years of global leadership experience in fintech and payments, most recently as CEO of Wave Financial, an H&R Block subsidiary. Earlier in his career, Khoja helped scale Afterpay in North America, and he held senior global leadership roles at Mastercard, according to the release. Khoja also led the development and growth of M-Paisa in Afghanistan.
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