Online rental firm Residently is to create up to 30 jobs in Manchester after completing a £2.5 million funding round.
London-based Residently will recruit for its product and technology teams as well as in customer services.
Former eBay executive Sam Phillips is co-founder and chief technology officer of Residently and has held senior tech positions at the likes of Shutl, On the Beach, The Hut Group and the Co-op.
He leads the firm’s Manchester office, which employs 11 people.
“Having led technology teams in both London and Manchester, it was an easy decision to return to the North West to build out the Residently vision,” he said.
“Manchester has all of the advantages of London – it’s a thriving technology ecosystem for both start-ups and global companies and boasts transport links throughout the North, a wealth of talent and a fantastic standard of living.”
Tom Allason launched Residently in January 2017 after becoming frustrated when trying to rent homes in London, Silicon Valley and Seattle.
Residently allows dynamic scheduling of viewings, a seamless electronic sign-up process, no tenant fees and the provision of additional home services including furniture packages, cleaning and laundry services – all managed through the mobile web.
“I was surprised by how the rental market had failed to move with the times. Why was it you could book an Airbnb in seconds but renting your next home would take weeks full of friction, stress and hidden costs?” said Allason.
“I realised that generation rent would, for the rest of their lives, be spending the greatest proportion of their income on something that had a horrible customer experience and enjoyed no brand loyalty.
“The idea for Residently was formed from this insight, with the mission of building a rental brand designed around the renter but which also benefited landlords.”