Case study · Web portal · UK property investment

Portal for property investors and deal sourcers in the UK – Aquila Connect

Q: How much does a portal with user accounts like Aquila Connect cost?

An MVP – a first version to test the idea – usually costs €7,100–21,200 net, and a customer portal €11,800–30,600 net. The price depends on the number of account types, payments, integrations and languages. More on our web application development page. The estimate is free.

Q: How do you design a portal for two user groups, e.g. investors and intermediaries?

Each group should follow its own path from the start. On Aquila Connect users choose one of 2 account types when registering – "Investor" or "Property Deal Sourcer" – and the home page has separate sections and "Find Sourcers" and "Find Investors" shortcuts.

Q: How do you build trust between users of a portal?

Profiles, reviews and visible verification help. On Aquila Connect deal sourcers build a reputation through reviews and, after a 5-step verification, receive the "Compliance Verified" badge, which is shown on their profile and next to every deal.

Q: How can a portal earn from subscriptions and referrals?

Aquila Connect has 3 subscription plans – a free "Basic", "Standard" and "Unlimited" – with credits for messages and listings and a choice of monthly or quarterly billing. On top of that there is a referral programme in which users invite others with their code and receive a share of their subscription revenue.

Q: Do you build portals for companies in the UK and other markets?

Yes. Aquila Connect operates on the UK property market and the whole service is in English. We usually talk to clients abroad online and show progress on a test server. More about how we work on our web application development page.

Aquila Connect is a UK platform that connects property investors with deal sourcers – specialists who find investment opportunities. We built it with 2 account types, separate journeys for each group, 3 subscription plans, a "Compliance Verified" badge and a referral programme. Aquila Connect was a finalist of the Blue Bricks Magazine Property Awards 2024.

Let's talk about a similar project Visit aquilaconnect.co.uk

Home page of aquilaconnect.co.uk on a desktop – hero section

Home page of aquilaconnect.co.uk on a phone

Client: Aquila Connect
Industry: Property investment (platform for investors and deal sourcers)
Countries: United Kingdom
Website: aquilaconnect.co.uk

Scope

Web portal Web application

2024finalist of the Blue Bricks Magazine Property Awards

2account types: investor and deal sourcer

3subscription plans: Basic, Standard and Unlimited

5steps to the "Compliance Verified" badge

In this case study

About the client
Challenge
Solution
FAQ

What is Aquila Connect and who is it for?

Aquila Connect is a UK platform that connects property investors with deal sourcers, the specialists who find and prepare investment opportunities. Investors search one place for deals that match their strategy, set alerts and contact deal sourcers directly. Deal sourcers publish deals, build a profile and a reputation through reviews, and can confirm their compliance with a "Compliance Verified" badge.

Our job was to turn the platform's assumptions and the specifics of the UK property market into a working service: with filters, a clear structure for deals and an easy way to check who is who. Aquila Connect was a finalist of the Blue Bricks Magazine Property Awards 2024.

Challenge: one platform for both sides of the market

Challenge

Two user groups, two different goals

Solution

When registering, users choose one of 2 account types: "Investor" or "Property Deal Sourcer". The home page has separate sections for both groups and "Find Sourcers" and "Find Investors" shortcuts.

Challenge

Trust in deal sourcers

Solution

Deal sourcers build profiles and a reputation through reviews, and receive the "Compliance Verified" badge after a 5-step verification. The badge is shown on the profile and next to every published deal.

Challenge

Plans and payments that both groups understand

Solution

There are 3 plans: a free "Basic", "Standard" and "Unlimited". Credits in each plan cover a set number of messages and listings, and a "Pay Monthly" / "Pay Quarterly" switch shows prices for both billing periods.

Challenge

Growing the community

Solution

The "Referral Programme" page explains the rules: users recommend the platform with their unique code, the referred person gets a discount and the referrer receives a share of their subscription revenue.

Challenge

The language and terms of the UK market

Solution

The service is in English and uses the terms UK investors work with every day: "deal sourcer", "compliance", below-market-value deals. Plan prices are in pounds.

Solution: key features

A home page for both sides of the market

The hero with the headline "Find your next UK property investment" leads straight to 3 shortcuts: "Search all properties", "Find Sourcers" and "Find Investors". The "Our Services" menu opens with links to creating a listing, the referral programme and the directories of deal sourcers and investors, and a "Create Listing" button sits at the right edge of the hero.

The "Our Services" menu opened on the aquilaconnect.co.uk home page — The "Our Services" drop-down menu, desktop version.

A slider for investors and deal sourcers

Below the hero a slider shows the benefits for both groups. The "Create your free account" slide tells investors about deals up to 20% below market value and year-round support, and the "Are you a property deal sourcer?" slide covers presenting deals to the investor community, compliance support and building a reputation through reviews. Slides change with arrows and each ends with a "Sign Up Today" button.

The "Create your free account" slide on the Aquila Connect home page — Changing slides with arrows, desktop version.

The "Compliance Verified" badge for deal sourcers

A separate page explains how a deal sourcer earns the "Compliance Verified" badge. The "How does it work?" section goes through 5 steps: "Payment", "Download a PDF File", "Submit your Information", "Review" and "Confirmation". The badge appears on the deal sourcer's profile and next to each of their deals, so investors can see at once who has been verified.

The "How does it work?" section with 5 steps to the "Compliance Verified" badge on aquilaconnect.co.uk — Badge page and the 5 verification steps, desktop version.

The "Referral Programme"

The referral programme page shows on a timeline how referrals work: "Get your unique code", "Share and Refer", "Earn Lifetime Rewards" and "Track Your Success". Referred users get a discount, and referrers receive a share of their subscription revenue for as long as they remain customers.

Pricing: 3 plans, monthly or quarterly billing

The pricing page compares 3 plans: a free "Investor&Sourcer Basic", "Standard" and "Unlimited". Each plan shows its monthly credits and how many messages they cover. The "Pay Monthly" / "Pay Quarterly" switch changes the prices and shows the saving on quarterly billing, and expandable "Frequently Asked Questions" below answer questions about payments, changing plans and credits.

Aquila Connect pricing with 3 plans and a "Pay Monthly" / "Pay Quarterly" switch — Billing period switch and expandable questions, desktop version.

The "Property Investors" section opened on the Aquila Connect home page on a phone — Menu → "Our Services" → "Property Investors" and "Property Deal Sourcers" sections, mobile version.

Easy to use on a phone

On a phone the menu opens in a side panel, with "Our Services" as a submenu. The "Property Investors" and "Property Deal Sourcers" sections become expandable panels, so each group opens only its own part and the page stays short. The "Search all properties", "Find Sourcers" and "Find Investors" buttons are full width.