A decade ago, proptech was a grandiose catch-all term to describe the well-known tech players in the property market. All two of them: Rightmove and Zoopla.
Ten years on, while the original duo continue to thrive in property search, the wider sector has matured beyond recognition. "Proptech has moved on since the days of those first UK pathfinders," says Juliette Morgan, partner in global technology at property agent Cushman & Wakefield. "The market is being unbundled in ways the financial services industry was five years ago."
Here is WIRED's proptech picks.
Founded in 2015 by former Google staffer Gemma Young, Settled claims to save customers an average of £5,000 per sale by abolishing fees and enabling peer-to-peer negotiations.
Putting your flat on Airbnb? For a fee starting at £7.50 per month, you can use this startup'stablet to leave guests a welcome video and local guide with links to services such as cabs - then take a share of the profit from referrals.
This crowdfunding platform allows customers to invest in property with as little as £50 - and has attracted £26 million in funding since its 2014 launch. Founder Dan Gandesha, 33, claims investors can earn a return of ten per cent per year after fees.
Manage shared-household finances with this app, which will allow you to pay service providers directly. It has tracked £80 million worth of expenses since it launched in 2015. "It's a bar tab for the home," says co-founder Nick Katz, 33.
No one wants to live with dodgy internet. That's why 200 buildings in the UK have signed up to WiredScore's connectivity rating since October 2015. "Digital connectivity is fundamental - it's not going away," says UK director Tom Redmayne, 29.
Staying in San Francisco? Pay as you go for hotel rooms from $40 (£31) an hour - or even $1 a minute. CEO Emmanuel Bamfo sold Hitch, his previous startup, to Lyft before launching Recharge in May 2015. It has since pulled in $2.3 million in funding.
Hubble matches people looking for offices with those who own them. It has 20,000 desks and includes Jaguar Land Rover among its clients. "Big companies are increasingly looking for flexible space," says co-founder Rohan Silva, 36.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
