Zumper first to modernize rental marketplace with in-app messaging

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --  Zumper, the third-largest rental real estate platform in North America, today released an in-app messaging experience that connects renters directly with leasing partners. This industry-first feature, available only on Zumper, is a landmark change for real estate, solving one of the industry's biggest problems: lack of responsiveness. By introducing the ability to send and receive messages directly from the app, Zumper has shown to improve communication response rates by 30%.

In the current rental market,  leasing partners face a number of obstacles that make it challenging to respond to rental inquiries: the overwhelming quantity of inbound requests from multiple platforms, the inability to easily screen and vet prospective renters, and the lack of effective tools to mitigate these challenges. As a result, renter correspondence frequently falls through the cracks, causing  frustration and inefficiency on both sides. Until today, this is a challenge that has been largely ignored by the rental industry as a whole.

"A lack of response is the single biggest and most consistent concern that we hear from renters. Truthfully, the rental market is plagued with communication problems," said Zumper's Chief Experience Officer, Shalin Amin. "Unanswered emails, lost applications, and ghosting, has created an endless cycle of disappointment for both renters and leasing partners alike. And yet no one in the industry has created a solution that adequately addresses these issues,"

"At  Zumper we're on a mission to remove the friction from the rental experience. Our messaging feature was built from the ground up with the sole purpose of building a responsive rental marketplace that finally solves the communication challenge, from the initial point of contact, through submitting an application."

The messaging experience has a familiar chat-like interface, enabling renters to store information and organize all rental conversations in one place and share application materials and rental documents. The first-of-its-kind feature was intentionally designed to help renters manage the rental process, using alerts to prompt renters when it's time to submit important information and documentation (e.g. credit scores). Plus, Zumper's secure platform provides a safe place for the exchange of such sensitive material, eliminating the risk factors associated with sharing it elsewhere.

The introduction of in-app messaging further demonstrates Zumper's commitment to the development of industry-first technology to remove pain points and deliver a better experience for renters and leasing partners alike.

Starting today, messaging will be available on all Zumper web and mobile platforms. For more information, visit Zumper.com.

About Zumper: The third-largest and fastest-growing rental platform in North America, Zumper supports over 90 million people a year and helps one in three Americans find their next place. Zumper is on a mission to change renting forever. By making it easier, faster, and more human, we're creating opportunity for everyone to make a fresh start.

Named a 2021 Best Startup Employer by Forbes and a 2021 Best Place to Work and Company with the Best Benefits by BuiltIn SF, Zumper is headquartered in San Francisco with hubs in Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Chicago, Miami, and Providence. To date, Zumper has raised over $150 million from Kleiner Perkins, Goodwater Capital, Headline, Dawn Capital, and the Blackstone Group. Learn more at www.zumper.com or email [email protected]

Interested in joining the Zumper team? Check out their open positions.

SOURCE Zumper