HomeSwipe

Elevator pitch

This app distills the complicated process of finding an apartment into a few clicks and swipes. Filters like “building with elevators” or “allows pets” help you narrow your search, and HomeSwipe verifies each listing to eliminate duplicates and fakes.

When you finally see an apartment you love, swipe left to save it for later or to chat with the listing agent. Swiping right dismisses the listing. HomeSwipe is like Tinder for apartment hunting.

NYU connection

Michael Lisovetsky, founder and CEO of HomeSwipe, graduated from Stern last year with a degree in finance. While his coursework gave him the background information he used to start HomeSwipe, it was the experience of apartment hunting that lead Lisovetsky to the idea.

“Being in New York City and experiencing how difficult it is to find an apartment really made the problem obvious in my mind,” Lisovetsky said.

Advice to college entrepreneurs

When Lisovetsky looks back on his own college experience, he said that there are many things he wishes he’d done differently.

“Instead of reaching out to people like me — NYU alumni who were doing what I wanted to do and a few steps ahead — I decided to learn the hard way,” Lisovetsky said.   

While Lisovetsky regrets not learning from others’ mistakes, he said that students still shouldn’t be afraid to try something new.

“The way you learn is just by doing,” Lisovetsky said.   

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, March 7 print edition. Email Kendall Levison at [email protected].