Looking to sublet this summer? This dating-like algorithm may be your solution
Referred to by its founder as the OkCupid for roommate finding, room.me wants to match you with the perfect roommate — and it has just come to Boston.
Max Kersting, the San Fransisco-based company’s CEO, said the idea came from his travels around the world and having to find new places to live. He knew that dating sites were becoming widely used and thought the same matching algorithm could be applied to people trying to find roommates.
“The idea is to build a pool of homes that people add personal preferences and personality,” Kersting told Boston.com. “Just like OkCupid, we calculate a matching coefficient and apply online dating to the real estate market.”
Boston is the first city with access to the site outside of California, where the company has about 100,000 members in large cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
“We want a solution for people subletting,” Kersting added. “It’s a selection tool to find people who are compatible with you.”
How does it work?
The interface is pretty simple to use. First you need to register — which includes uploading a photo, writing a little about yourself, and answering some matching questions. The site is free to use and can also be accessed by app if you have an Android phone.
Questions range from topics such as interests and opinions, to the more practical housing needs and accommodations. The questions not only ask what your answer is, but also what you want in a roommate.
Then you can choose to search for a room by looking at the current sublet listings in the area or, if you are trying to find a roommate for your current place, you can choose to list your apartment.
Though realtors can post a room on the site, the goal is mainly to help people looking to sublet or to find a room in an already occupied apartment.
Once you start connecting and getting matched with people and their apartments, you can private message through the site itself to figure out move-in dates, etc.
“Other [roommate apps] use filters,” he said. “But we do a real personality matching algorithm and that’s unique.”
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