When Atenimedia took on Homztell, we identified several key goals:
Accessibility & Ease of Use — Ensure that users (buyers/renters and owners/agents) can access the platform easily via web or mobile, with minimal friction, even in low‑bandwidth environments.
Comprehensive Property Discovery — Allow users to find properties by a wide set of filters: location/neighbourhood, price, type (house, apartment, commercial, land), amenities, proximity to key services (schools, transport etc.).
Trust & Verification — Introduce trust mechanisms to reduce fraudulent listings, misrepresentations, or scams; verify agents, landlords, and property ownership to the extent possible.
Owner/Agent Empowerment — Provide tools for property owners and agents to manage their listings, see analytics (views, inquiries), update statuses, respond to leads, upload photos, etc.
Engagement & Communication — In‑platform messaging / contact features so prospective clients can reach out directly; notifications/alerts for new matching properties.
Performance & Reliability — The web site and app must load fast, work smoothly across devices, handle images well, and be resilient under growth.
Scalable Architecture — Design backend, databases, hosting infrastructure such that new features or higher traffic can be accommodated without major reworks.
Below is a detailed breakdown of what Atenimedia Technologies LLC designed, developed, and delivered in the Homztell project.
| Component | Delivered Functionality |
|---|---|
| Product Strategy & Planning | Market research in Uganda’s real estate sector; stakeholder interviews (owners, agents, renters); defining personas; feature prioritization; MVP roadmap. |
| UI / UX Design | Wireframes, user flow diagrams, high-fidelity mock‑ups; design for both web and mobile screens; intuitive navigation; attention to local preferences. |
| Mobile App Design | Native or hybrid mobile interfaces; dashboards, search flows, listing views; push notifications for alerts and messages. |
| Frontend Development (Web + App) | Responsive web pages; search & filter UI; listing pages with image galleries; map integration; mobile app front-end with smooth navigation. |
| Backend Development & APIs | Data models for listings, users, agents; authentication & authorization; RESTful or GraphQL APIs; integrating location/geolocation services; image storage & optimization. |
| Listing Management & Verification | Owner/agent onboarding; ability to submit listings; moderation workflow; verification of agents or landlords; quality controls. |
| Search, Filters & Maps | Filters by property type, price, amenities; map view of listings; geospatial queries; saved searches. |
| User Features | Favorites / Saved Listings; Notifications / Alerts; Messaging / Contact Owners; In‑app / Web notifications. |
| Analytics & Dashboard | For owners/agents: metrics on views, inquiries, time on site; for administrators: monitoring content, user engagement. |
| Performance & Optimization | Image compression; lazy loading; caching; responsive designs; optimizing API queries; optimizing for mobile bandwidth. |
| Testing & QA | Cross‑device/browser testing; usability testing; bug detection and resolution; mobile app testing. |
| Launch & Maintenance | Deployment to production; app store submission (if mobile app); monitoring; user support; bug fixes and iterative improvements. |
Here are some of the standout features Homztell offers, thanks to Atenimedia’s design & development efforts:
Robust Search & Filtering System — Users can filter by location (district, neighbourhood), price range, property type, amenities (parking, security, water supply, etc.), distance to landmarks.
Map‐based Property Browsing — Interactive maps let users see property distribution, view markers, zoom and explore.
High‑Quality Listing Pages — Multiple images per property, possibly video walkthroughs / virtual tours, floor plans, detailed descriptions, nearby points of interest.
Notifications & Alerts — Saved search alerts, “new listing” notifications, messages about favorite properties.
User Profiles / Accounts — For buyers/renters: profile, favorites, saved searches, message history. For agents/owners: manage listings, tracking inquiries, analytics.
Secure Communication — Messaging system between users and listing owners/agents; contact requests via secure forms.
Verification & Moderation — Agent verification, listing moderation to maintain trust.
Mobile App Experience — Mobile‑friendly UI/UX, push notifications, smooth flows optimized for phones with intermittent connectivity.
Scalable Infrastructure — Designed to handle growth in users, data, high resolution images; scalable backend; efficient search / filtering performance.
| Challenge | Solution Implemented |
|---|---|
| Bandwidth / Connectivity Limitations | Use of responsive design; image lazy loading; optional lower‑resolution image versions; minimize heavy content on mobile. |
| Listing Fraud / Misleading Information | Verification process for owners/agents; moderation of new listings; user reporting mechanism; requiring key property data and authenticity proofs. |
| Search Performance & Data Scaling | Database indexing; caching for frequent searches; optimized queries; efficient map / geospatial search tools. |
| Device & Platform Diversity | Designing/tested across multiple screen sizes; using adaptive layouts; ensuring mobile app works well on popular devices; optimizing for old or slower devices. |
| User Trust & Transparency | Display agent/owner profiles; show verified status; include details about the property, location; clear pricing; photos & descriptions; user reviews (if applicable). |
You can insert actual metrics here; these are illustrative placeholders.
Listings Growth: Over X,000 properties listed in major cities within Y months of launch.
User Base: Z,000+ registered users (renters, buyers, agents/owners).
Engagement Metrics: Average time per session, number of searches per user rose; bounce rate declined after redesign.
Conversions / Leads: Number of inquiries per property increased by X %. Time to first contact reduced.
Mobile vs Web: Significant percentage of users from mobile; app downloads and retention high.
Customer Satisfaction: Positive feedback from both owners and renters; users praise search accuracy, ease of communication, speed.
