Inspiration
In the current real estate landscape, many students and individuals face challenges in finding safe and legitimate rental options. With rising housing costs, the urgency to secure a property can lead to vulnerable situations where scams thrive. Unfortunately, many renters have fallen victim to fraudulent listings and deceptive practices, resulting in significant financial losses and distress. Below is a link from FBI which talks about the numbers of the scale of this scam. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/boston/news/press-releases/fbi-warns-of-spike-in-rental-and-real-estate-scams
What it does
SwipeNest is a web application that aims to redefine the rental property market by creating a more interactive and engaging experience for both tenants and landlords. Inspired by popular dating apps, SwipeNest uses a swipe-based interface that makes browsing rental properties not only easy but also enjoyable.
For tenants, the app streamlines the search process by allowing them to filter listings based on their preferences, such as budget, number of bedrooms, and location. With just a swipe, they can express interest in properties and save their favorites in a dedicated section. Plus, tenants can chat with landlords using preset topics or custom messages, ensuring clear communication throughout the rental process.
Landlords benefit from an easy sign-up process where they provide property details and verify their listings for authenticity. Once verified, they can upload photos to showcase their properties and manage tenant inquiries all in one place.
By blending user-friendly design with advanced technology, SwipeNest aims to make rental transactions more transparent, secure, and efficient. Our goal is to create a platform that not only simplifies the rental experience but also fosters genuine connections between tenants and landlords, making the entire process smoother and more accessible for everyone involved.
How we built it
We built our project using React for the frontend, Node.js and Express for the backend, with Firebase handling authentication and MongoDB Atlas managing data. We integrated the OpenAI API for message generation and the Melissa API for property verification, creating a secure and user-friendly platform for tenants and landlords. React Tinder Card enables a swipe-based property browsing experience, making it simple and intuitive to use.
Challenges we ran into
During the development of SwipeNest, we encountered several challenges, such as difficulties with fetching the appropriate date when queried to Melissa. We also faced obstacles in integrating the different parts of the project together. Additionally, achieving the swipe based interface for the user was complex.
What we learned
We learned the intricacies of linking the frontend interface with backend services, highlighting the need for clear API design and documentation. This was our first time working with such complex front end and using multiple mern stack. It improved our debugging skills to identify where we are going wrong and identifying the edge cases to match the real world scenarios.
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