Property rental market disruptor Verilet is recruiting 100 people to work at the company’s new operating base – a revamped 120-year-old mansion.
The firm, which also operates in New York and Brisbane, is currently based on Oxford Road in Manchester, and provides tenants with eligibility credit ratings so they can apply to rent a home while protecting application fees.
Founder Gavin Prince is now developing a ‘unique’ working environment for team members at offices in Penrhos Manor in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, which has been restored to its original features.
He has told first batch of 30 wannabe workers to ditch their CVs, and instead prepare to face a Cluedo-style psychometric session.
Rather than solving a murder, the job-seekers will be given a complex problem to crack with the help of clues and messages.
Those with the best solution skills will be shortlisted for one of the Team Verilet posts.
Prince, who is inspired by fellow Welsh entrepreneur Lawrence Jones of UKFast, said: “Having the opportunity to learn from individuals such as Lawrence and Phil Jones at Brother, I gained the inspiration and ability to make my business idea work.
“I have been fortunate to meet some amazing individuals, no more so than Chris Marsh of UKFast.
“He kindly took me under his wing and gave me the inspiration to not limit myself by what others thought I could or couldn’t achieve – so I’ve gone from living in a small seaside town to learning from some of the most successful and greatest minds in the country.”
Penrhos Manor was originally built as a summer home for Manchester businessman David Gamble in 1894 – he named it Ratonagh after the Irish birthplace of his ancestor, one of the founders of consumer goods giant Proctor and Gamble.
As well as a century-old professional-standard snooker table, the new offices will also feature Playstations, beanbag pods in the garden and away-days to the beach to encourage the team to think creatively.
Gavin also wants to help others kick-start their business careers, so the 36-year-old is planning a “hatchery” to nurture new start-ups in the stables of the Grade II listed Jacobethan-style building, which was previously a girl’s school.
There will also be a hot-desking space in the old orangery, for Manchester and Merseyside businesspeople having an away-day in North Wales.
He came up with the concept of Verilet after working with rental agencies that specialised in referencing tenants on behalf of letting agents. He realised that often people were paying out hundreds of pounds in referencing fees, only to find that their application had failed resulting in the loss of their non-refundable fee.
Verilet charges tenants a subscription fee of £9.99 to access their tenant eligibility report, which provides information surrounding the tenant’s eligibility to rent – with credit ratings and other personal information constantly updated – so they don’t miss out when their ideal property comes on the market.
Prince added: “At Verilet our aims are simple – we give tenants control over their own eligibility when it comes to renting the home they want, whilst giving letting agents and landlords high quality and completely free tenant referencing.
“Verilet helps people become the tenant that letting agents and landlords dream about.”
Gavin is also working on a property Tinder-style spin-off app, where those looking for rental homes can walk down a street and use their smart phone to see which properties are available, and what they are eligible for, then swiping left or right to show their interest.