Any Barcelonian looking for an apartment in the violent jungle that the city’s real estate market has become will have felt the helplessness of going in blind, looking for apartments without having more information than the real estate agencies, the main parties interested in closing the transaction, want.
Perhaps that is why Barcelona is the city that has given birth to Reviú, an innovative app in the form of a housing portal that allows tenants to share and search for apartment reviews in Barcelona. This online platform offers detailed information about the community of neighbors, the area, the owner and the real estate agency, all anonymously.
In a context where the real estate market is totally out of control, the app takes on special relevance. From the exorbitant price of much of the real estate market to practices such as charging for visits, the opinion of users is becoming increasingly important.
The app, created by the Urban Research Institute of Barcelona (IDRA), was born from the effort to increase transparency in the housing rental market and fight against its opacity. As they themselves explain, “potential tenants find themselves navigating blindly, with access only to the information provided by real estate agencies on large advertising portals.
Reviu seeks to change this dynamic by providing a platform where users can share their experiences and obtain reliable information about rental properties. L studies conducted by IDRA revealed significant problems in the rental market, such as price increases due to real estate brokerage and the tendency of large landlords to raise rents more than small landlords.
How does the app work?
REVIU presents itself as a real estate portal, similar to the usual apartment search platforms. The app not only allows users to search for addresses in Barcelona and read reviews left by others, but also provides information about the qualities of the apartment, the price, the treatment received by the real estate agency or the owner, the community of neighbors and the conditions of the environment.
The portal, linked to the cadastre, allows you to search for a property and know data such as the quality of the apartment (light, temperature, noise, services, maintenance…), price of the apartment, deal with the real estate agency or the owner, community of neighbors and conditions of the staircase (for example, to know if there are tourist apartments) and to know details about the area and nearby services.
In addition, the portal includes a complementary page with practical resources, tips and explanatory videos about renting housing in the city. The aim of REVIU is to promote transparency and information between tenants and owners, ensuring compliance with current regulations and helping to avoid price speculation and abuses.
Do you want to collaborate in its financing?
Reviu was launched on April 3 on the crowdfunding website Goteo.org, and in just one day it has raised 60% of the minimum €11,000 funding it needs to be launched in May.
Whoever wants to collaborate by contributing to its financing only has to go to the project’s website on Goteo and contribute the amount they think is appropriate.
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T’imagines tenir ressenyes del pis que t'interessa abans d'anar-hi a viure?
Això serà possible a Barcelona amb @reviu_casa però necessitem el teu suport per aconseguir-ho.
👉🏽 Participa-hi: https://t.co/Jak87ueqcg pic.twitter.com/sUCFgEblKN
— IDRA (@idrabcn) April 3, 2024