Team members: Daniela Chacón, Kimberly Jimenez, Fernanda Orviz, Krishanu Roy
Summary
As a result of outdated and unregulated real estate practices, Barcelona’s rental market has faced an increase in issues regarding security and efficiency. Problems such as fraudulent online listings, lack of transparency from landlords and agents, fierce competition among tenants, and the potential risk of squatters plague the rental market, causing challenges for all parties involved. Consequently, securing a rental flat in Barcelona has become a risky and time-consuming task—one which can result in frustration and create barriers to finding a home.
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Our team believes that having a home is a basic human right and finding it should not be a process riddled with scams, stress, and wasted time. For this reason, we chose to create Rentbee.
Rentbee is an innovative AI-driven rental agent platform that looks to put an end to the issues faced while renting in Barcelona. In this document, we discuss our process, methodologies, and outcomes for creating our solution.
Challenges & Objectives
General Objective:
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Understand the current state of the real estate market in Barcelona and deep dive into the problems tenants, landlords, and real estate agents face.
Specific Objectives:
01
Analyze trends in housing prices in Barcelona over the past decade and identify the factors that have influenced these trends.
02
Research the impact of tourism on the real estate market in Barcelona and the effects on the availability and prices of long-term rental properties.
03
Study the demand for different types of properties in Barcelona (e.g., apartments, houses, commercial buildings), and to identify the factors that have influenced this demand.
04
Examine the role of foreign buyers in the real estate market in Barcelona, and to assess the extent to which they have influenced market trends.
05
Analyze the impact of economic conditions, such as unemployment rates and GDP growth, on the real estate market in Barcelona.
06
Identify the problems and pain points experienced by people in the real estate market in Barcelona.
07
Assess the effectiveness of existing solutions in the Real estate market in Barcelona.
Research
After defining the objectives for our research, we began our investigations by conducting desk research. Afterwards, we were able to conduct two survey questionnaires with 150 respondents, a Reddit discussion post with +70 opinions, and expert interviews with over 30 tenants, agents, and landlords.
Desk research
We started by conducting desk research to understand the current state of renting in Barcelona and to discuss what issues were being faced by the players in the market. After collectively reviewing over 20 articles and reading about tenant and landlord rights and laws, we had a better understanding of the players involved within the market, glaring issues, possible factors that cause the issues, and currently available solutions.
Street interviews
​To gather more firsthand experiences, we conducted interviews with eight tenants directly on the streets of Barcelona. This user research was a crucial step in understanding the needs and experiences of renters in the local market. The feedback we got from these conversations helped shape the creation of our solution and ensured that we were solving real human issues.
Reddit discussion
As part of our research, we engaged with the Reddit community by posting 2 questions to gather reports of what users experienced when renting a home in Barcelona. This allowed us to tap into a diverse pool of renters and landlords and gave us access to a broad range of viewpoints. We were able to receive over 70 comments with personal anecdotes of challenges faced by renters and landlords.
1-on-1 interviews
​We consulted two industry experts—an agent and a landlord—and gathered insights from over 30 renters to inform the development of our AI rental agent app. We discussed topics such as pain points, user needs, and processes.
Surveys
​We conducted two surveys that generated a total of 150+ responses to become familiarized with tenants and their experiences with renting. The surveys allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of user preferences, pain points, and needs, which helped us optimization of our solution. The large number of responses ensured a wide range of perspectives, allowing us to create a user-centered experience.
Customer journey maps
Finally, we were able to perform 2 Customer Journey maps with 2 separate volunteers. We chose to do Customer Journey Maps because we found that they were effective in breaking down the entire rental process. Customer Journeys helped us to understand what emotions, thoughts, and feelings are present throughout each step of the process. We aim to understand where the user experiences negative emotions so we can pinpoint the steps within the process that require improvement. Moreover, customer journeys allow us to see what part of the process works well so that we can incorporate it into our idea
Customer Journey Maps
Learnings
01
​User Demographics ( Age, COO) for our target user
04
Interactions
02
User needs & Pain Points
05
Areas of improvement
03
Personal anecdotes of experiences & Common obstacles faced .
06
Methods commonly used to find housing
User Personas
Pain Points
Renters
Lack of security
Fake Listings & Property Scams
High Competition
Too Many Applicants & Not Enough Flats
Lack of Communication
Unresponsive Landlords & Agents
Landlords
Predatory fees
Costly listing fees & Unregulated prices
Amount of applicants
Unmanageable amount of applicants
Shady renter practices
Unqualified tenants who do not pay the rent
Agents
Administration Issues
Too many properties to manage
Amount of applicants
Unmanageable amount of applicants
Shady renter practices
Unqualified tenants who do not pay the rent
Conclusion
After engaging in conversations with potential users and conducting thorough research, we discovered several common challenges people faced when renting. These included a lack of security due to scams, poor communication between renters and landlords, and intense competition for available properties. Landlords, on the other hand, struggled with managing a high volume of rental applications, expensive listing fees, and dealing with squatters. Agents, meanwhile, found it challenging to handle the administrative aspects of maintaining their clients. These problems were making the rental process unsafe, time-consuming, and stressful for all the players involved.
Ideation Process & Prototypes
To come up with a cohesive solution that would allow us to cater to our target user’s needs, we took part in a number of collaborative ideation exercises (Crazy 8´s, How might we´s, Empathy maps, worst idea possible, word clouds & Affinity maps). Combined with our research, we were able to brainstorm, wireframe and build a number of ideas.
Metasearch engine
Deposit escrow
"Bumble for renting"
RentBee V.1
The Product
​User testing
Our test plan for RentBee involved conducting moderated usability testing sessions. We began by asking participants a series of pretesting questions to gather insights about their renting experience and their familiarity with other platforms. Next, we presented them with a scenario and a set of tasks to complete while using the app. Throughout the session, we provided guidance and addressed any questions or concerns they had. Finally, we gathered their feedback through post-testing questions and concluded the session with a debriefing to discuss their overall experience.
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After conducting thorough testing sessions with 8 participants, we were able to gather valuable feedback. It was now time to analyze the feedback and use it to assess the flow and usability of our app. By carefully examining the insights we got, we were able to identify areas of improvement, refine the app's design, and ensure a seamless user experience that fulfills user needs and meets their expectations.
Findings
• Button placement makes it difficult to select city
• Search function should be NLM/AI
• Our entire flow was not self-explanatory and needed refining
• AI Chatbot is not as important of a feature
• Remove jargon
• Change navigation wording & placement
• Tenant Scoring's purpose was not clear to users
• The Booking/Pay task is confusing/difficult for users to finish
• Redundant questions on Onboarding
• Messages tab is overwhelming, needs condensing.
Traction & Milestones
In light of Rentbee's status as an unprecedented product in the market, we undertook a bold experiment: crafting a dedicated website to gauge public interest. Through this venture, our objective was to grasp and quantify the degree of enthusiasm among individuals for this innovative proposition. This strategic move not only provided valuable data but also laid the foundation for forthcoming actions, driven by concrete insights and direct user input.
The preliminary outcomes of the experiment yielded an impressive outcome: over 1,279 clicks and 13 sign-ups. These figures unequivocally affirm both the product's feasibility and the genuine interest it has sparked among the audience
Personal contributions
In the Rentbee endeavor, my role as both a UX researcher and designer has been instrumental in shaping the project's essence and enhancing user experience. My background in design and user experience seamlessly complement each other, allowing me to bridge research insights with visual ingenuity. As a UX researcher, I delved deep into user behaviors and pain points within the rental market, informing a brand identity that resonates with users' needs. Leveraging my design skills, I translated these insights into intuitive interfaces and visuals that foster transparency and ease of use. This integrated approach ensures that Rentbee not only tackles challenges head-on but also provides an engaging, trustworthy platform, driven by the synergy of design and user-focused expertise.
Personal learnings & challenges
Undertaking the Rentbee project as a UX designer has been an enriching journey rife with both personal growth and professional challenges. Notably, navigating this venture in a foreign country added a unique dimension to the experience. The most substantial hurdle I encountered was assembling participants for research and testing, compounded by the unfamiliar cultural landscape. This predicament necessitated resourcefulness and adaptability, pushing me to forge connections and establish rapport with locals in novel ways. The process underscored the universal language of user experience and taught me the importance of empathy, patience, and flexibility. By surmounting this recruitment challenge, I not only advanced my research and testing skills but also gained a profound appreciation for cross-cultural collaboration and the ability of design to transcend geographical boundaries.