ABOUT PROJECT
At Roobykon, we’ve worked on numerous marketplace platforms, but HomeHak stands out as one of our most innovative and meaningful projects. What makes it special? We didn’t just build another property listing site – we helped reshape the entire approach to home renting. When HomeHak’s founder Pat Drinan first shared his vision with us, his words instantly resonated: “We are not about properties, we are about Tenants.” This simple yet powerful statement became our guiding principle throughout the development process. The traditional rental market had always focused on showcasing properties, treating potential tenants as mere observers in the process. HomeHak turned this model on its head.
Our team faced an interesting challenge: how do we create a platform that puts people first in a market that has always been property-centric? The solution emerged through careful consideration of the tenant’s journey. Instead of scrolling through endless property listings, hoping to find a match, we developed a system where tenants could take control of their home search narrative.
Key Challenges
Developing HomeHak was an exciting challenge for Roobykon, one that pushed us to think differently about the rental market, user experience, and trust in digital platforms. From the start, we knew this wasn’t just another property listing site. HomeHak had to flip the traditional rental model and put people first, not properties. But how do we turn that vision into a seamless, functional platform? That was no small task. One of the biggest challenges was balancing the many different requirements from the HomeHak team. Their vision was clear, but the details were vast and complex. We had to design a system that worked for multiple user roles (tenants, landlords, agents, employers, and more) while ensuring that everything came together in a single, intuitive product. Bridging these needs into a cohesive experience took careful planning, iteration, and countless brainstorming sessions.
Adding to the complexity was the dynamic nature of the Irish rental market. Regulations, tenant expectations, and industry practices were constantly evolving, which meant we had to build a flexible system that could adapt over time. The challenge wasn’t just to meet current market needs but to future-proof HomeHak so it could grow alongside the industry.
TECHNOLOGY STACK
Solution Highlights
At its core, HomeHak is powered by Sharetribe, providing a strong foundation for the marketplace. However, to ensure a dynamic and engaging user experience, we developed a custom CMS for managing a landing page, and content such as articles, news, guides, and more. This approach gave us the flexibility to keep the platform fresh and adaptable, enhancing both the user journey and marketing efforts. One of the most exciting aspects of the development was the number of integrations we implemented to enhance HomeHak’s functionality. Stripe Billing and Stripe ID Verification were essential for securing transactions and verifying tenant identities, ensuring trust between users.
On the AI front, we integrated AWS Bedrock, bringing advanced AI capabilities into the platform to refine user recommendations and interactions. Meanwhile, Amazon QuickSight provided powerful analytics to help HomeHak track performance and optimize operations.
For customer engagement and support, we incorporated HubSpot, HotJar, and Zendesk, ensuring seamless communication and an excellent user experience. These tools allowed HomeHak to gain valuable insights into user behavior while providing top-tier customer support. All of this runs on a solid AWS infrastructure, ensuring reliability, scalability, and security.
The process
01
Business analysis (09.2019 – 11.2019): The groundwork of HomeHak was set in an intensive business analysis phase. We explored requirements, user roles, and platform functionality in the greatest detail possible, so everything was considered before we moved forward. Wireframes were at the focal point during this phase, we worked through them in painstaking detail, refining every screen and interaction. In parallel, we captured it all within a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) ensuring clarity for future development.
02
Design (11.2019 – 01.2020): Once the planning was approved, we moved into the design phase. This was where HomeHak started to take shape visually. Every interface, every user flow – each element was carefully crafted to balance aesthetics with functionality. We iterated based on feedback, and as soon as the first designs were approved, we prepared to kick off development.
03
Development & milestones (01.2020 – release): With the designs in place, we transitioned to development, working in seven structured milestones. Each milestone focused on key platform components, ensuring that we built HomeHak in a logical, phased manner. The most exciting moment came after the fifth milestone, when we completed the first major release. This allowed HomeHak to go live while we continued refining and expanding its capabilities.
04
Ongoing development: Even after the launch, our work wasn’t done. HomeHak continues to evolve, with new features, optimizations, and integrations enhancing the platform. The rental market is always changing, and we ensure HomeHak stays ahead of the curve by continuously developing and improving the system.
Main Features
Tenant CV
One of HomeHak’s standout features is the Tenant CV, a dynamic profile that allows tenants to present themselves in a way that goes beyond just financial and rental history. Tenants have complete control over what information they share – choosing which sections to display and customizing the content within each. This flexibility ensures privacy while allowing users to highlight what makes them the ideal candidate for a home.
Tenant – agent communication
Similarly, we implemented a direct tenant-landlord communication system, giving landlords the ability to search for tenants and invite them to view properties. Landlords can engage with potential tenants, request more information, and assess suitability before even scheduling a viewing.
Employer’s module
The employer’s module adds a unique dimension to the HomeHak ecosystem. When filling out a Tenant CV, users can indicate their employer, creating a network of verified workplaces. Once an employer is verified, other tenants working at the same company can join, making it easier for landlords and agents to identify trustworthy professionals.
HomeHak for students
Recognizing that students have unique rental needs, we developed HomeHak for Students, a dedicated module with tailored features. The platform now includes dedicated features for students, such as a “Study Year” field in the Tenant Wizard, Start Here, and Profile Input pages, ensuring a smooth and tailored experience for student users. We also built a separate search page with university-specific descriptions and banners. A key addition was the Educator role, allowing students to request references from university staff, and making university locations visible to help landlords assess student applicants more easily.
Co-applicants module
Tenants can invite others to be co-applicants before a landlord even gets involved. When a tenant is invited for a viewing, the system checks if they have listed any co-applicants. If they do, the landlord is automatically notified and given the option to invite the entire group. A popup with tenant thumbnails and an email reminder help streamline the process, ensuring landlords don’t overlook potential co-applicants.
Extended ID verification
Security and trust are essential in the rental process, which is why we integrated Stripe ID Verification for extended identity checks. This feature allows tenants to verify their identities with ease, adding an extra layer of security to the platform. By automating ID verification, HomeHak ensures that landlords and agents can confidently interact with verified users, reducing fraud risks and building trust within the rental community.
Property imports from third-party services
To simplify property listings, we implemented import functionality that allows properties to be pulled from third-party sources. This integration helps landlords and agents avoid manual data entry, ensuring that listings remain accurate and up to date.
AI search for tenants
Finding the right tenant shouldn’t be a time-consuming process. That’s why we built an AI-powered search system using AWS Bedrock with additional data normalization from Verodat. This feature allows landlords and agents to search for tenants using simple text queries, rather than rigid filters.
AI suggestions for tenants
Creating a compelling rental application can be daunting, so we developed an AI-driven content generation tool to assist tenants. Using AWS Bedrock, this feature helps tenants craft their “About Me” sections and introduction letters with personalized, professional text.
RESULTS
The cooperation of Roobykon and HomeHak has been long-term, very prolific, and has resulted in a stable continuously developing platform. We built our approach based on consistent communication, which really helped to perform smooth project management and resolve emerging issues promptly. We have not missed a single week without meetings during the whole development cycle, except for holidays, of course, and this really keeps us on the same page in terms of priorities and progress.
Key to our collaboration, robustly secure infrastructure is at the heart of HomeHak. Third-party PenTesting has assured security and compliance to this platform, and it is strongly developed for defense against vulnerabilities. This proactive approach in security will instill confidence among users – today’s tenants, landlords, and agents – because it secures sensitive data and makes sure the platform works well. Working on HomeHak reminded us why we love software development – it’s not just about writing code, it’s about solving real human problems and making a positive impact on people’s lives. And sometimes, that impact starts with simply flipping an existing model on its head and asking, “What if we put people first?”
Lessons from HomeHak
HomeHak was a pretty complex project, with a lot of bespoke features. We had to learn quite fast that it’s not all about tailoring the solution for the specific needs of a client, but it’s equally about keeping usability at the forefront. Challenging but not impossible, striking the right balance between personalization (like Tenant CVs and the AI-driven search) and a user-friendly interface was invaluable while creating a powerful yet easy-to-use platform.
Then, of course, there was the ever-changing nature of the rental market, especially in Ireland. We had to constantly scale and adapt the platform to the evolving market demands. That taught us how important it is to design flexible systems that can be easily adjusted with changing requirements or emerging trends. The project of HomeHak contributed much to our deeper understanding of what it takes for a successful long-term product.
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