Online property rental has entered the true digital age, thanks to the newest online portal dedicated to matching prospective tenants and landlords, TheRoomLink.co.za.
One of the biggest reasons people are online is for time and convenience. The attraction of going digital is the real-time environment, meaning there is no struggle to meet print deadlines, waiting for the publication to be distributed, or being constrained by word count and number of photos. This is the age of electronics, and this convenience should be expected of all companies providing a service.
"We have found that online consumers often do not have time to spend on the internet scrolling through ads in hoping to find a match. We take the time factor out of the equation by doing the sorting process digitally for our members, and then emailing their matches directly to their inbox. There is no longer a need to log in every day to see if there are new listings, we do that for our clients. It is about doing things differently and finding the opportunities to make the experience easier," says Liezl Hesketh, Founder of TheRoomLink.co.za.
For this reason, TheRoomLink.co.za emails members a list of properties which match the area, criteria, and budget requirements right to their inbox. Landlords who have signed up receive a list of prospective renters who meet their criteria, and prospective renters receive a list of a properties available.
The site, which launched on 1 January 2014, already has almost 2,000 registered users and more than 1,000 listed properties. Students, professionals, couples or seniors who are looking for a room to rent complete a renter's profile which is a short online form explaining the renter's requirements. Landlords, homeowners, developers, property agents, B&B/guest house owners or student accommodation provider may now list an unlimited number of properties on TheRoomLink.co.za free of charge.
TheRoomLink.co.za caters for every phase of life: singles and couples, leaving home for the first time, student accommodation, young professionals, professional communal living, couples accommodation, and senior living. The website includes a regular blog featuring tips on budgeting for students, pointers for taking room photos for advertising, a selection of lease templates, and many more. Users can also specify the time frame, either renting by the week, month, or even a few days of the week.
