Houm

The company's business model is centered on providing a comprehensive digital platform for property owners and seekers, disrupting the traditional realtor-based system. Houm digitizes the entire lifecycle of a real estate transaction, from listing and virtual tours to tenant screening, contract signing, and rent collection. For landlords, the platform offers services to manage properties, collect rent, and find tenants, with a key value proposition being a guaranteed monthly rent payment, regardless of whether the tenant pays. This is supported by an insurance policy that covers potential defaults and eviction processes. The company utilizes a freelance workforce, known as "Houmers," who are responsible for photographing, preparing, and showing properties, earning income for each successful rental or sale they facilitate. This model allows the company to show properties with high frequency, claiming a showing every 8 minutes.

Houm serves a diverse client base that includes individual property investors, small-scale landlords, and larger property management firms looking to digitize their operations. Tenants and buyers benefit from a simplified, faster, and more transparent process, with the company aiming to make renting and selling properties up to 10 times faster than conventional methods. Since its inception, Houm has seen significant growth, backed by substantial venture capital funding. The company participated in the Y Combinator accelerator program in Winter 2021 and has raised a total of $44.5 million over five funding rounds. A major milestone was its $35 million Series A round in November 2021, led by Goodwater Capital and Fifth Wall, intended to fuel expansion into new cities and triple its workforce.