NewRentals.
The all-in-one ecosystem designed to automate the rental lifecycle for owners and tenants.
Role
Product Designer
Duration
3 Weeks Sprint
Toolkit
Overview.
NewRentals is an all-in-one real estate ecosystem. It bridges the gap between disconnected manual processes and a seamless digital experience.
It aims to automate the process of renting, onboarding people to properties, and managing the tenants by the property owners.
The Problem.
In real estate, there's a need for a simple system that combines property rental management and a rental marketplace.
Traditional methods involve a lot of manual work and inefficiencies, causing delays and mistakes. This creates frustration for everyone involved.
User & Audience
Identifying the key players in the ecosystem.
Property Owners
Individuals who own rental properties and seek effective ways to efficiently onboard tenants, manage their properties, and address various challenges related to tenant management.
Tenants & Seekers
People who are searching for suitable homes to rent or who are currently renting properties. They need a streamlined way to find, apply, and manage their rental life.
The Process
From chaos to clarity: a 3-week sprint.
Research & Empathy
To understand the disconnect between property owners and tenants, I utilized Google Forms to survey 50+ participants. We mapped out pain points using Miro to visualize the friction.
Structure & Flow
Synthesized research into user personas and mapped out the ideal user journey. Trello was used to manage tasks and track the sprint progress.
Visual Design
Developed a cohesive design system in Figma. Created high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes using Adobe Illustrator for assets.
User Interviews
I conducted a screening survey to recruit a diverse mix of property owners and tenants. This helped to conduct two sets of deep-dive interviews.
Property Owners
- 1 Most time-consuming steps in listing?
- 2 Pain points during tenant onboarding?
- 3 Tools used for communication?
Tenants & Seekers
- 1 Process for finding and booking rentals?
- 2 Frustrations with searching online?
- 3 Communication methods with landlords?
Key Insights
Social media is primary but messy for owners.
Lack of tenant orientation leads to uncertainty.
Maintenance requests are hard to track.
Onboarding and move-out are manual chaos.
Disjointed platforms for booking vs managing.
Quantitative Research - User Survey
We did an online survey to find any pattern or what the potential user wants using Google Forms.
Tenants and people looking for next home to stay
A total of 37 potential tenants or people searching for next home responded which helped us validate our ideas.
How satisfied are you with the existing online platforms for finding rental properties? Very Easy | Easy | Neutral | Difficult | Very Difficult
How satisfied are you with the current process of communicating with your landlord or property manager regarding maintenance requests and concerns?
Property Owners
A total of 42 potential property owners responded which helped us validate our ideas.
How challenging is the current process of listing properties for rent and managing tenants?
How satisfied are you with the existing tools and methods for onboarding tenants and addressing their needs?
How much time, on average, do you spend per week manually managing tenant-related tasks and property maintenance?
Avg. hours in a week
4.1 Hours
Key Insights
There is a need for an all-in-one rental marketplace and system for property and booking management.
The booking process is manual and time-consuming.
There is a need for a maintenance request and management system, online payment system, and communication system for tenants.
There is a need for easy access to more accurate information on rental properties and tenants.
User Personas
I used data from interviews and surveys to craft an ideal user persona for two user groups, which provided deeper insights into user goals, frustrations, and overall personality, leading to improved solutions.
Cynthia P. Cinnamon
"I want a platform that makes it easy to connect with tenants, manage repairs smoothly, and handle properties more efficiently in my property management work."
Goals
- Simplify the process of listing properties for rent and managing tenants.
- Reduce time spent on handling tenant inquiries and incoming calls.
- Minimize uncertainties during tenant onboarding and move-out procedures.
Frustrations
- Struggles to manage the influx of calls and inquiries, even after properties are booked.
- Faces issues with tenant screening, leading to potential disruptions.
- Finds it challenging to manage property repair needs.
Cynthia is a 40-year-old professional and a property owner who manages multiple rental properties in her city. She works in marketing and has a keen interest in technology. She's been using social media platforms to list her properties for rent and is looking for ways to streamline her property management process.
John Cassius
"As someone actively in search of a new rental property, I truly value efficiency and convenience in my daily life. My quest is to find a rental experience that's seamlessly tailored to my needs."
Goals
- Find a suitable rental property quickly and easily.
- Experience a transparent and streamlined tenant onboarding process.
- Have an efficient mechanism for reporting and managing property repairs.
Frustrations
- Struggles to report and manage property repairs promptly.
- Finds the manual tenant onboarding and move-out processes to be challenging.
- Frustrated by the disjointed platforms for booking properties.
John is a 28-year-old professional working in the IT industry. He is a tech-savvy individual who is actively looking for a new rental property to move into. He values efficiency and convenience in his daily life and seeks a seamless renting experience.
Empathy Mapping
I used empathy mapping to define the target audience clearly, for property owners and users searching for properties to rent, showcasing their needs and actions by gaining insights into their thoughts and feelings through user interviews.
Says
- Managing tenant inquiries is overwhelming and time-consuming.
- I wish there was a clear process to welcome new tenants to my properties.
Thinks
- I need a solution to streamline property management tasks.
- An integrated platform could simplify tenant communication and repairs.
Feels
- Frustrated by the constant flow of incoming calls and inquiries.
- Uncertainty about the tenant orientation process bothers her.
Does
- Uses social media platforms to list properties for rent.
- Spends valuable time on managing calls, even after a property is booked.
Says
- I wish there was a clear process for moving into a new rental.
- I worry about unreliable screening leading to disruptive neighbors.
Thinks
- I need a convenient way to find a rental property quickly.
- A structured move-in process would make me feel more comfortable.
Feels
- Overwhelmed by the volume of calls and inquiries from landlords.
- Anxious about the uncertainties when moving into a new rental.
Does
- Utilizes social media platforms to search for available rental properties.
- Struggles with managing incoming calls and inquiries from landlords.
Information Architecture
Design System
Mini Style GuideTypography
Plus Jakarta Sans
Extra Bold / Bold / Medium
Color Palette
Visual Design
From skeletal blueprints to polished interfaces.
High Fidelity Screens
Polished designs incorporating the design system, ensuring accessibility and visual consistency across the web platform.
Rental Marketplace Searh
Advanced search and filtering for prospective tenants
Admin View
Comprehensive overview of properties, income, and tenant requests.
Conclusion
The NewRentals project aimed to improve real estate property management and rentals by creating an all-in-one system. This platform was designed for people looking to rent homes and for property owners wanting to list their rentals. Using modern technology and user-friendly design, the project sought to simplify the rental process and make it better for everyone involved.
The project created a rental marketplace with easy property searches, simple management for owners, automated rental processes, smooth tenant onboarding, efficient tenant management tools, and added features like online payments, background checks, and maintenance scheduling.
The project dealt with technical challenges like ensuring compatibility, scalability, and performance, while also managing time, budget, and skilled personnel limitations. Ensuring data privacy and meeting regulations were crucial, and integrating third-party services had its own challenges. Despite competition, NewRentals focused on unique features and following local regulations to succeed.
The successful completion of the NewRentals project marked a big improvement in real estate management. By meeting the needs of both property owners and renters, the platform's automation, smooth tenant onboarding, and combined management tools made the rental process more efficient, transparent, and satisfying for users.