Courtney's demos were impressive enough to inspire them to form another band after graduating and returning home to Ridgewood in 2008.

They were joined on drums by Etienne Pierre Duguay, who had formed a band called Predator Vision with Mondanile in Northampton and also played with Mondanile, Courtney and Bleeker as the backing band for Julian Lynch.

The quartet jammed in the basement of Courtney's parents' house, and when Bleeker moved to Philadelphia, the other three continued working on music.

[2] Most of Real Estate's debut album was recorded from January until June 2009 at Yeah Buddy HQ in Glen Rock, New Jersey, a studio operated by the band's childhood friend Sarim "Sam" Al-Rawi.

[4] Real Estate received largely positive reviews from contemporary music critics.