Case Study: Platform for rental self-service

1. Challenge & context

A rental company wanted to digitize, simplify, and make the rental process for its tenants more efficient - regardless of location and completely online, from finding the apartment to drawing up and managing the contract. Previously, rental contracts were sent by post, and it took days or even weeks for the contract to be signed. The aim was to create a scalable, maintainable portal that works without a real estate agency or paperwork.

2. Our solution

Leafworks developed a streamlined platform that combines the following features:

• Apartment search & presentation: Users can discover available rooms in modern apartments
• Self-service process from exposé to signature:
  • Online viewing → Enquiry via form
  • Sending the rental agreement by email for digital completion & signing
• Technology stack:
  • Strapi as a headless CMS/backend
  • Stripe for flexible payment processing (e.g., deposit, rent)
  • DocuSign for legally compliant digital signatures
  • Management tool for rental properties – all in one modular, scalable system.

3. Added value for the rental company & tenants

• For tenants: 

  • Fast, convenient, seamless process - from search to signature.  

  • Accessible at any time, mobile or desktop. 

• For the company: 

  • Massive relief for support - fewer queries, more automation. 

  • Scalability: an enlarged portfolio can be handled more efficiently digitally.  

  • Minimal maintenance effort due to its modern, modular architecture.

4. Architecture & Workflow

Procedure:

1. User visits the portal and browses (rooms, descriptions, prices).  

2. Request via form - backend (Strapi) processes the data.  

3. Rental contract is automatically created & sent by email. 

4. Tenant signs digitally via DocuSign (legally secure).  

5. Stripe integrates payments (e.g., SEPA direct debit for deposit).  

6. The administration tool takes over the property management.

5. Insights & lessons learned

• Modular structure (headless CMS + API) enables rapid customization.

• Integration of proven services (Stripe, DocuSign) reduces complexity and development effort.

• UX focus enables intuitive processes and reduces support requirements.

• Data protection & legal security through DocuSign integration and clearly defined workflows.

6. Conclusion

The platform demonstrates how a sensibly designed and implemented customer self-service platform can operate effectively in the real estate sector - scalable, flexible, and entirely digital. 

Do you need a similar solution? We can design your self-service portal across all sectors, including claims reporting, onboarding, billing, or document management.

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