Gazing in to the Mirrior – I spy Homerenter:
Call it PropTech, shaking up the industry, entrepreneurial, mad investors, quick buck or simply a brilliant idea though what ever the term you wish to use there is another player on the market in the online / hybrid space – Homerenter.
Online property lettings is the service on offer and this team comes with the backing of Trinity Mirror the newspaper publisher.
What’s in it for consumers? Well, they wish to cut out the role of the traditional letting agency and remove weighty fees that are usually placed on tenants. This sounds good right? Saving money is always a route to quickly make an entrenchment within an industry?
Should estate agencies and letting agencies across the UK be fearful? Will this be another dent in their profits?
The website is currently in BETA mode, though looking clean and easy to use already. Will they be able to draw in the crowds and convert consumers to use their service? Can they ride along with the Government’s proposed banning of tenancy fees… ?
In the world of proptech and new startups in online / hybrid agencies there is plenty of money being thrown about and Homerenter can fall back on three quarters of a million pound coins thank to Trinity Mirror – This should keep them going for a few months at least and a possible carving out of a place within the ‘online high street‘ of estate and letting agencies alongside the likes of PurpleBricks, Gumtree, AirBNB etc, etc.
“High fees and poor service on offer from traditional agents created the momentum to build HomeRenter… ” Chief Executive Will Handley is quoted as saying.
There is currently 24 property to view on their website.