Proptech
Real Estate
↓
Operational costs
3mo
Delivered in
20+
Agents tested with
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Movebubble is a proptech startup designed to simplify the rental process, connecting renters with available properties through a mobile-first platform. As a startup, operational efficiency was critical to growth. Every manual process was a cost the business couldn't sustain at scale.
We started with phone calls and a team of human bookers. We ended with an app that became an integral part of the Movebubble experience — and I learned SQL along the way.
THE CHALLENGE
Movebubble was manually booking property viewings for renters via phone calls to estate agents. This required a dedicated team of bookers and introduced significant delays, during which renters would often go offline and contact agents directly, bypassing the platform entirely.
As a startup this model was unsustainable. It was expensive, slow, and would not allow the business to grow.
The hypothesis:
If we create a direct app for estate agents to pick up viewing requests from renters, then renters will get faster responses, agents will process enquiries more efficiently, and Movebubble will reduce its operational costs significantly.
MY APPROACH
Discovery:
I needed to deeply understand the day-to-day reality of an estate agent. I initially proposed embedding myself in an agency to conduct ethnographic research, observing agents in their workplace and on viewings. This was deemed too resource-intensive, so I adapted: I studied agent onboarding videos, career interviews, and industry resources to build an accurate picture of how agents work and what they need.
Key insight from research: agents qualify renters before accepting enquiries and need specific information to book viewings into their CMS. This shaped the core design decisions.
Design and development:
I took a lean approach, starting on paper, prototyping in Keynote, then moving to Sketch. The CTO built directly from the designs and had the app ready in TestFlight within weeks.
In-person testing:
Our operations team arranged a drinks evening for 20+ London estate agents. We used the event to demonstrate the prototype and run live testing sessions, gathering real feedback on what agents needed in their day to day and capturing their wish-list features.
RESULTS
We launched to a select group of London estate agents shortly after the in-person session. I went out with the sales team to onboard agents personally, gathering additional insight at each visit.
The app grew well beyond its original scope. What started as a viewing request tool expanded to include agent profiles, contextual chat with renters, and several additional features driven by ongoing research.
Key outcomes:
Operational costs reduced by removing the manual booking team dependency
Faster viewing responses for renters, no more phone call delays
App became an integral part of the Movebubble platform experience
I redesigned the app from scratch in my own time to align with the renter-facing brand, pitched it to the head of product, it was approved and added to the roadmap
WHAT I LEARNED
This project stretched me beyond pure UX design. To identify experience improvements that qualitative research alone wouldn't surface, I learned basic SQL and Python to work alongside our data scientist, querying user behaviour data to pinpoint friction points in the app.
It also taught me the value of creative research when ideal methods aren't available. Ethnographic research would have been ideal but wasn't feasible, so I found alternative ways to build genuine empathy with estate agents. The insight was just as valuable.
The in-person agent evening was one of the most effective research sessions I've run. Combining a social setting with structured prototype testing created an environment where agents were relaxed, honest, and genuinely engaged.
Ready to work together?
Available for remote contracts, fractional roles, and advisory work.