Modern Homesharing: How Technology is Making it Easier to Find your Roommate Match
Technology plays a pivotal role in many of our everyday activities and often makes our lives easier. Whether we’re ordering groceries online, tracking our health metrics on our watches, paying with our phones, or getting nudged back into a highway lane by our cars, technology is closely integrated into many aspects of our everyday lives. Often, technology makes tasks safer and simpler–and homesharing is no exception!
In the case of homesharing, technology has made it much easier to find and manage roommate relationships and conduct background cheks. Online platforms, like Odd Couples Housing, give users information, autonomy, and privacy as they embark on their homesharing journey. The role of technology helps homesharers explore their options, stay organized, and make informed choices.
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Consider these 4 benefits of using technology for homesharing:
Expand your Reach:
Historically, if you were looking for a trusted roommate, you might ask around your social network or cast a wider net in your community through a local message board or newspaper. One benefit of using a tech platform, instead of these methods, is that it allows for a much broader reach. Online portals give Seekers and Homeowners the ability to match with people outside their immediate network. With more options for connections, both parties can access a wider variety of homesharing opportunities and find a good fit for a housemate.
Know what to Expect:
No one likes surprises when it comes to their living situation. Technology can help take some of the mystery out of your housing search through personal descriptions, photos, and matching surveys! On homesharing platforms, both Seekers and Homeowners are able create profiles where they can share information about themselves. This is a great chance for both parties to be transparent about who they are and what they’re looking for in a housemate. It also means you’re less likely to waste time talking to someone who might not be a good fit.
Another benefit of using a formal platform is that there is often a place to upload pictures. Photos can also play an important role in the homesharing hunt! For Seekers, seeing pictures of their prospective home, room, or neighborhood can be hugely helpful as they narrow their housing search.
Let the Matching Algorithm do the Work:
Tech can also help take some of the guesswork out of your roommate search! In addition to a personal profile, many platforms ask users to take a brief survey, which is used to suggest housemates that might be particularly compatible. At Odd Couples Housing, we worked with experts in aging, psychologists, and social workers to develop a roommate matching survey. The survey asks about each users’ preferences, personality, and priorities. Then, a proprietary algorithm uses this information to give users a compatibility rating with potential housemates. The higher the rating, the more the two people have in common. Having lower matching scores doesn’t suggest a problem, it just gives the users an idea that they may have more to talk through as roommates.
Fun Fact: Our most successful and longest-lasting roommate pairs have all had over a 90% compatibility match!
Convenient Platforms Keep you Organized:
Forget stacks of paper and post-its! Many homesharing organizations use an online platform that keeps all your homesharing information together. You can log on to search for a roommate, review correspondences, access important documents, and even transfer homesharing expenses. These easy-to-use platforms mean that everything you need to keep track of your homesharing arrangement is stored securely in one place.
Plus, with many online platforms, you can request and review a background check from a potential housemate. It’s quick, easy and can bring peace of mind with a new housemate!
The Human Touch
Obviously, using technology to assist you in your roommate search has many benefits! But with something as personal as housing, sometimes you need a little more support than technology can offer. At Odd Couples Housing, we know that personalized assistance can have a big impact. This is why our Match Team is available to support Homeowners and Seekers from sign-up to move-in via email, phone, and in-person meetings.
Access to tech with a personalized touch? It’s the perfect match!
