A proptech start-up founded by a former investment banker who left the world of finance to pursue her goal of “bringing property letting and management into 21st century technology”, is set to launch in London and the South East this month.
Jess Ford co-founded Herddle – a technology-driven property management tool that links landlord, tenant, contractor and agent together on one platform – with her business partner James fforde in 2017 after experiencing first-hand “poor quality service” in both lettings and block management.
She resigned from her role as an investment banker to create a “modern technological solution to serve the property market better than the archaic system that had not changed in a century”.
Ford and fforde have spent the last two years testing and developing the Herddle platform which launches this month after an intensive development and testing phase. The company acquired Plumstead-based estate agency Alan Ives to run a two-year testing programme through the business to ensure that the technology employed stood up to all practical elements of a live business.
The mobile and desktop, app-based service allows landlords to track their property portfolio in real time including rent collection and financial metrics for each unit or a whole portfolio. For tenants the platform is one-stop-shop to access tenancy agreements, sign contracts, pay rent and view statements as well as providing personal access to a Herddle agent to report faults and repairs.
Herddle aims to replace trails of calls, emails, quotes and permissions through this single shared platform to simplify and streamline the process of property management.
Ford said: “We are seeking private and institutional landlords with large portfolios, single properties or block management contracts that are looking for a fresh, tech-enabled, approach to property management, with all the savings and transparency that the Herddle technology brings.”
Billy Farrant, managing director at Alan Ives, said: “It has taken a lot of hard work and a leap of faith to replace our paper files and records with a single platform. But it has brought tremendous rewards for all of us. The transparency simplifies our dealings with our landlords and tenants as well as being a huge advantage for our contractors.”
To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette
