The ideal flatmate app: better flatshares at the swipe of a finger

For a little while now, we’ve been building and nurturing something here at ideal flatmate. It’s like our baby, without all the excretion, and we’re pretty darn excited to say it’s time to release it into the world. Ladies and gents, it’s the ideal flatmate app! Same clever matches, same better flatshares — now at the swipe of a finger.

We caught up with Rob, one of ideal flatmate’s co-founders, to hear a bit about the process of building it.

Hey Rob! Tell us, what were the key motivations behind our shiny new app?

Well, on average 80% of our customers use the site on a mobile device. And maintaining high engagement throughout the transaction is key to providing a happy room rental experience on both sides (both for the room renter and the room advertiser). People are most engaged and available with their mobiles. We always planned to release an app after launching, but we wanted to build up traction and brand first. Now that we have over 300,000 users and more than 10,000 new listings being advertised per month, it’s the right time to give our flatmates and advertisers the exceptional mobile experience they’re looking for. 

Our first version is designed to make it easy for flatmates to find and message about rooms, and for property managers to manage theirs. The next version will integrate more of our features for landlords and agents.

And how will the ideal flatmate app change the flat-hunting game? Why is it different to what already exists in the over-saturated app-market?

We are the only platform that uses research-based matchmaking to help people find better flatmates. Since launching ideal flatmate, out of those people who have used our matching test and found a place to live, we have not had one unhappy flatmate. We still have a long way to go, but we genuinely believe it’s possible to enjoy living in a shared home, and that there is a ‘right’ place for everyone. No one else has invested as much as ideal flatmate in identifying what actually matters to people living in flatshares — and then gone and solved the problem.

It’s no easy feat building an app. Was it all plain-sailing, or were there problems?

There have been three main ‘issues’, as it were, to address in the process: why, what and how. The ‘why’ is something that Edd Read, our technical board member, forced us to address head on. Rather than building an app for the sake of it, we’ve built something based on very specific needs and desires raised by our customers, which could only be addressed in this way. Given that we already have a successful mobile site, the business and product case for the app needed to be crystal clear to justify the investment. Asking ‘why’ also helped us answer the question of ‘what’ to build. 

We spoke to our customers, reviewed their activity, and defined the specific tools they needed on the app. There’s a huge challenge when you have an active website because you need to define which features you are going to replicate on your mobile app. It effectively doubles or triples your development pipeline and maintenance requirements because you now have two or three babies to look after. This brings us to the ‘how’: we opted for React Native, which is a framework for building apps that allows us to release in iOS and Android simultaneously, while retaining most of the relevant native features that help make apps easy and enjoyable to use.

As you say, with over 300,000 users, the ideal flatmate website has seen great success. Why do you think the concept of compatibility-based flatseeking has resonated with people so well? 

It’s no secret that more of us are renting than ever before; in fact, more of us are sharing everything like never before. ideal flatmate is perfectly poised to ride this wave. 

Aside from this, though, we’ve also been helped by two trends which are changing the way people interact online and use the internet. The first is personalisation. First we had Google, but now the platforms we use most are centred around our own timeline, our own feed. It’s no longer acceptable to provide a homogeneous experience and expect to delight users. So we’re offering a hyper-personalised service: helping you find your ideal flatmate and your perfect room. For me, the idea of having something built specifically for me, my experience uniquely tailored according to my needs — that’s pretty intoxicating. Don’t you think?

The second trend that’s been helpful to observe is people’s comfort with connecting with strangers. Seeking ways to translate comfort with online meetings into offline experiences. So Tinder made it OK to do internet dating, Airbnb made it OK to stay in someone’s spare room… Now ideal flatmate is making it cool to find someone to share your home with long-term.

Pretty nuts that we’re living in an age where we can find romantic partners and flatmates at the swipe of a finger. Is there anything apps can’t do, do you think?

Apps are a conduit to interact with technology. What is possible and easy to do with technology is advancing at a deafening rate, so I think there’s still a long way to go. Proptech – the blanket term for technologically innovative products or new business models within the property market – is still in its very early days, and so much is still manual. As people get more comfortable, and the tech improves, I expect to see even more impressive changes in the way we use technology to augment and simplify our offline lives. You ain’t seen nothing yet!

OK, last question. While we’ve got you — if you were a Friends character, which one would you be and why?

I would want to be Ross because he’s smart and has integrity. In reality I am more like Joey because I’m always eating.

Download the ideal flatmate app today, and find your perfect flatshare!