£2m cash boost for firm calling itself “a premium online lettings agency”

The online agency Home Made, which says it’s London’s only premium online platform for the rental sector, has raised a further £2 million in funding. 

The digital publication TechCrunch says much of the new funding comes from Athens-based venture capital firm VentureFriends, and follows the Home Made’s startup funding of £850,000 secured at the start of 2018.

Home Made says it offers “the superior end-to-end service of a top high-street estate agent but at a low online fee ... we are focused on mid to high value rental properties in London and charge a fixed, success based fee of £948 plus VAT, the lowest in the market.”

Its website claims the company invests heavily in data analytics “and this, combined with various proprietary property marketing tools, allows us to achieve an 8.0 to 10.0 per cent higher rental yield for our customers compared to other estate agencies.”

TechCrunch says Home Made will use the new funding to expand its offering and further develop its underlying technology, focusing on growing its customer base in London “and beyond”. 

This will include hiring 20 to 25 new staff in the coming months.

The company’s proprietary online platform allows landlords to manage their properties from marketing to move-in. This includes full control during the marketing phase – landlords can add or remove marketing photos on the portals, write or enhance existing descriptions and change the price – and visibility of progress during tenancy progression.