MoveMent adds a layer of legitimacy to rentals
What is the top problem with rental listings? You already know the answer – fake listings, old pictures, and false information, especially on classified-type sites that offer no real means of verification of any information. Sure, you could just go to a reliable real estate search site, but can you even be sure that the pictures uploaded aren’t a decade old? Nope.
Enter MoveMent, a New York based startup that adds legitimacy by rentals by working exclusively through smartphones. That’s right – no one can upload a listing unless they’re on a smartphone. Why? Because a smartphone has GPS, and the system can verify not only when the pictures were taken, but exactly where.
The app will soon launch in the iTunes store, and will not require any account or registration to use, and all listings are free to upload. Renters will be able to check out available units by videos and photos in real time and directly contact the person who posted the listing (be it a Realtor or landlord). If the listing goes live at 10:01am and a renter sees it at 10:02, there is a chance the agent is still in the unit, so connecting the two immediately through text or phone can improve the chances of the unit renting faster.
Speeding up the rental process
Agents and landlords get an email when they post a listing that generates HTML code so they can embed it in any platform and showcase the listings elsewhere, like a blog or website.
Additionally, renters will be able to save favorites and share them over email, text, Facebook, and Twitter, again emphasizing the speed of renting, which is particularly appealing to renters in markets where inventory is tight and getting a rental can be tough.
We don’t see this as any form of a substitute for real estate search sites, as it relies on users to upload rather than syndicating from major sources, but this niche app could enjoy some fanfare in big cities like New York, San Francisco, Houston, and the like, where there will be enough listings to make it worthwhile for a renter to remain engaged and interested.
