Should Housing.com prioritize increasing the number of property listings or improving the quality and accuracy of existing listings?

Introduction

The trade-off between increasing the number of property listings and improving the quality and accuracy of existing listings on Housing.com is a critical decision that will shape our product strategy and user experience. This scenario touches on the core value proposition of our platform and how we serve both property seekers and listers. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining its impact on key stakeholders, metrics, and long-term business goals.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm thinking about our current market position. Could you share our market share compared to competitors and how it's been trending over the past year?

Why it matters: Helps determine if quantity or quality is more pressing for competitiveness Expected answer: Moderate market share with slow growth Impact on approach: If lagging, might lean towards quantity to quickly boost visibility

• Business Context: Based on our revenue model, I assume we charge property listers. Is this correct, and are there any other significant revenue streams?

Why it matters: Aligns solution with primary revenue drivers Expected answer: Primarily lister fees, with some premium user features Impact on approach: Heavy lister focus might prioritize quantity for their benefit

• User Impact: I'm curious about our user retention rates. What percentage of users return to the platform within 30 days of their first visit?

Why it matters: Indicates current user satisfaction and engagement Expected answer: Moderate retention, room for improvement Impact on approach: Low retention might suggest focusing on quality to improve user experience

• Technical: Considering our current infrastructure, how scalable is our system for handling a significant increase in listings?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility of rapid listing growth Expected answer: Moderately scalable with some potential bottlenecks Impact on approach: Limited scalability might favor quality improvements in the short term

• Resource: What's our current team composition between those focused on acquisition (quantity) versus those on data quality and user experience?

Why it matters: Assesses our capability to execute on either strategy Expected answer: Balanced team with slight lean towards acquisition Impact on approach: Team composition might influence which strategy is more immediately actionable