Breaking Property News 20/02/25
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Roome celebrates four years of helping students and growing universities’ revenue
James Buck, co-founder of Roome sums up the 48-month journey so far,
‘Four years ago, we launched an app Owen Redman and I wished we had at university – a tool to make shared living not just easier, but better. From finding the right housemates (roomie’s) to managing bills, chores, and everything in between, we knew the student housing experience could be smarter, smoother, and more connected. That’s how Roome was born.
Since then, we’ve helped over 5,000 students find the right accommodation, the right people, and everything else needed to make off-campus student housing work. Along the way, we’ve learned:
Housemate connections matter: Living together isn’t just about sharing a space; it’s about building positive relationships. Clear expectations and communication make all the difference.
Universities are key partners: We’ve had the privilege of working with world-leading institutions to improve the holistic student experience. A stable home life leads to better well-being, friendships, and academic success.
Building for real people is everything: The best solutions come from lived experience. Every feature we’ve developed has been shaped by real student and housemate challenges, and we’re always evolving to meet their needs.’
Owen Redman, co-founder adds,
User Experience (UX) is all:
‘… companies focus on growth and revenue, which of course are key, but Roome focuses on the UX for the students, this is the core, if the service has a sticky usefulness then a business will scale.
Roome increases University revenue streams and safeguards them:
‘We realised that ‘the traditional business model of higher education is evolving. Because ‘Institutions can no longer rely solely on rising tuition among traditional students as the primary revenue source’ – (source Deloitte). This is Roome’s strength enhancing student engagement and support, which in turn means fewer students dropping out from their courses, increasing and de-risking University revenue and heightening the academic experience.
Roome is a student engagement app tailored specifically for universities. It is a housing platform that connects students with suitable accommodation options and at the same time unlocks value for universities by using the Roome bespoke tools to enhance student engagement and streamline housing processes.’
James Buck concludes, ‘Four years in and we’re just getting started. As one of our partners said: “Roome isn’t just a housing platform, it’s a solution that gives students a better chance at life.” A huge thank you to our users, partners, and everyone who’s been part of this journey. We can’t wait for what’s next!
Andrew Stanton Executive Editor – moving property and proptech forward. PropTech-X
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