Houm
Houm is a Chilean proptech platform operating across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia that enables property owners to list, rent, sell, and manage residential properties via a digital marketplace with AI pricing, tenant screening, and insurance-backed rent guarantees. It serves 20,000+ property owners and individual renters through subscription and brokerage fee models.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSantiago, Chile
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Houm does
Houm is a Chilean proptech company founded in 2018 by Benjamín Labra (CEO) and Nicolás Knockaert (COO), operating an end-to-end digital real estate marketplace and property administration platform across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. The core Houm Marketplace enables property owners to list, rent, buy, and sell residential properties, while the Property Administration Service handles tenant screening, rent collection, payment guarantees, and maintenance coordination. The platform supports both a self-serve digital flow and an on-ground Houmer freelance agent network for property photography, showings, and tenant evaluation, claiming properties are rented 10x faster than traditional methods with an average of 15 days to rent.
The technology stack includes an AI-powered Pricing Calculator for rental and sale price recommendations, a Tenant Credit Evaluation system aggregating legal, commercial, pension, and income data, and a digital contract signing flow that eliminates notary visits. The platform publishes 600+ new listings per week and serves 20,000+ property owners across more than 8 cities. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer website and mobile app with country-specific domains (Chile, Mexico, Colombia), major real estate portal syndication, WhatsApp direct contact, and PR coverage in regional outlets.
Houm monetizes through transactional brokerage commissions (50% + IVA of one month's rent for rentals in Chile; 2% + IVA for both buyer and seller on sales in Chile; 3% + IVA in Colombia) and through recurring tiered subscription plans (Básico, Premium, Premium Plus) that add property management, insurance-backed rent guarantees up to 24 months via partner AVLA, legal eviction expense coverage, and protection against property damage and unpaid utilities. The company has raised USD 45 million total across pre-seed, seed (USD 8M, May 2021), and Series A (USD 35M, November 2021, led by Goodwater Capital and FifthWall) rounds, and was part of Y Combinator's W21 cohort.
Houm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Houm
- Legal name
- Houm
- Website
- https://houm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Houm is a Chilean proptech platform operating across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia that enables property owners to list, rent, sell, and manage residential properties via a digital marketplace with AI pricing, tenant screening, and insurance-backed rent guarantees. It serves 20,000+ property owners and individual renters through subscription and brokerage fee models.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Houm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real Estate Marketplace
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Residential Property Managers (531311), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)
Keywords
Where Houm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santiago
- HQ country
- Chile
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Houm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Brokerage Commission (Corretaje): One-time commission charged when a property is rented or sold. For Chile rental: 50% + IVA of one month's rent. For Colombia: percentage based on plan. For sales: 2% + IVA for seller and 2% + IVA for buyer in Chile
- Property Administration Services: Monthly recurring commission for property management services including tenant coordination, rent collection, maintenance management, and guaranteed payments. Premium and Premium Plus plans charge ongoing percentages of rental value
- Rental Guarantee Insurance: Insurance-backed rent payment guarantee services where Houm covers missed payments up to specified months (6-24 months depending on plan), with claims handled through insurance partner AVLA
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Solo Corretaje (Brokerage Only) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Plan Básico (Basic) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Plan Premium (Guaranteed Payment) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Plan Premium Plus (Maximum Protection) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Property Sale Commission (Chile) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Property Sale Commission (Colombia) |
| Other | One time | Tenant Fees (Chile) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Houm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Houm operates a digital proptech marketplace connecting individual property owners with tenants and buyers across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. The company combines an AI-powered listing platform with a freelance agent network (Houmers) to rent and sell residential properties, offering tenant screening, digital contract signing, online rent collection, and insurance-backed guaranteed rent payments.
Product overview
Houm is a Chilean proptech company operating a digital real estate marketplace across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. The core offering consists of the Houm Marketplace platform for property listings combined with comprehensive property administration services. Additional products include AI-powered pricing tools (Calculator and Simulator), rent payment and guarantee services, and tiered subscription plans (Solo Corretaje, Básico, Premium, Premium Plus). The platform enables property owners to list, rent, sell, and manage properties 10x faster than traditional methods, featuring professional photography, tenant screening, digital contract signing, and guaranteed rent payments through insurance partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Houm Marketplace Digital proptech marketplace platform that allows individual property owners to list residential properties for rent or sale and enables tenants and buyers to search, schedule visits, and complete transactions 100% online, including digital contract signing. Available across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia.
- Property Administration Service Full-service property management offering for property owners that includes tenant screening and credit evaluation, rent collection, insurance-backed rent guarantee (up to 24 months via partners such as AVLA), digital contract execution, eviction support, and property maintenance coordination. Sold as tiered plans (Básico, Premium, Premium Plus) and as a one-off Solo Corretaje brokerage option.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10x faster property rental compared to traditional methods
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Houm
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Houm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Houm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AVLA (Insurance Company)coreInsurance partner providing rental guarantee coverage for Houm's Premium and Premium Plus plans. AVLA is regulated by Chile's CMF (Comisión para el Mercado Financiero) and covers up to 6 months of unpaid rent and legal eviction expenses.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Houm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vivanuncios: Mexican real estate classifieds platform owned by Adevinta. Overlaps with Houm's Mexico operations as a listing destination and lead source, competing for owner attention in the same Mexican metros.
- QuintoAndar: Brazilian proptech offering end-to-end rental marketplace and guaranteed rent payments to landlords. Most directly comparable to Houm in business model (digital rental platform with insurance-backed owner guarantee), though operating at significantly larger scale in Brazil.
- Inmuebles24: Mexico's leading online real estate classifieds portal. Directly competes for property owner leads in Mexico City and other Mexican cities where Houm operates, though it operates primarily as a listings platform without Houm's management or guarantee layer.
- Properati: LATAM real estate marketplace operating across multiple Latin American countries including Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. Competes with Houm on the listings/lead-generation layer but does not offer the rent guarantee or property management services that Houm layers on top.
Broad incumbents
- Zillow: US-based digital real estate marketplace with AI-powered pricing (Zestimate) and end-to-end rental services. While not operating in Houm's markets, it is the global benchmark for the digital residential real estate model Houm is replicating in LATAM.
- MercadoLibre (real estate vertical): LATAM e-commerce marketplace operator that has been expanding into real estate listings across Mexico, Argentina, and other countries. As a broad incumbent with massive traffic, it represents both a competitive threat and a potential distribution partner for Houm.
Regional players
- Habi: Colombian proptech focused on instant liquidity for homeowners buying and reselling residential properties. Overlaps with Houm's Colombia operations but targets the sales/inventory side rather than rental management, making it a regional complement more than a head-to-head competitor.
- Casas y Terrenos: Mexican-focused property portal for rentals and sales. Provides Houm's Mexico team with a competing destination for listings but lacks Houm's management services and payment guarantees.
Emerging players
- Bienestar Raíz: Colombian proptech working on rental and property management solutions. Directly overlaps with Houm's Colombia operations and represents an emerging local competitor in the same Bogota/Medellin markets.
- Wink (previously LemonCash Real Estate): Chilean property management and rental platform. Direct competitor to Houm in the Chilean market, offering digital rental management services with overlapping target customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Houm social profiles
Digital presenceHoum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Houm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Houm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Houm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Houm
What does Houm do?
Houm operates a digital proptech marketplace connecting individual property owners with tenants and buyers across Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. The company combines an AI-powered listing platform with a freelance agent network (Houmers) to rent and sell residential properties, offering tenant screening, digital contract signing, online rent collection, and insurance-backed guaranteed rent payments.
Is Houm a public or private company?
Houm is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Houm founded?
Houm was founded in 2018. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Houm based?
Houm is headquartered in Santiago, Chile, in the Latin America region.
How does Houm make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Brokerage Commission (Corretaje) is the primary driver. The others are property Administration Services and rental Guarantee Insurance.
Who are Houm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vivanuncios, QuintoAndar, Inmuebles24 and Properati. Broad incumbents are Zillow and MercadoLibre (real estate vertical). Regional players are Habi and Casas y Terrenos. Emerging players are Bienestar Raíz and Wink (previously LemonCash Real Estate).
Does Houm have an API?
No public API is recorded for Houm.
What industry is Houm in?
Houm's product category is Real Estate Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAH, HOA / Condominium Association Management. Its NAICS code is 5312 and its SIC code is 6531.