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HouseBuddy is a startup that develops and operates 'Checkmate Korea,' an online real estate platform for foreigners. CEO Jieun Lim (25) established the company in April 2024.
CEO Lim graduated from Seoul National University with majors in Venture Management and Religious Studies, and from Daewon Foreign Language High School's Chinese Department, and possesses a certified real estate agent qualification.
“Having worked as a housing education instructor for youth, I developed a strong understanding of the real estate domain,” says Lim. “I launched HouseBuddy with the vision of helping foreigners settle comfortably in Korea.”
Checkmate Korea is an online real estate platform equipped with a non-face-to-face provisional contract system. It supports lease agreements for standard studio apartments and live-work apartments by connecting users to local hub real estate offices. By exploring local properties even before arriving in Korea, and through a provisional contract application and deposit payment via the system, this platform allows for quick and secure arrangements for residence prior to entry. The platform also facilitates confirmation of contract dates and provides guidance.
“This is more than just a housing platform—it’s a comprehensive residential support service,” Lim explains. "It is a subscription-based membership service where subscribers are paired with dedicated managers to assist with day-to-day challenges in Korea. We also partner with local small businesses to offer discounts and perks. We plan to enhance information accessibility for long-term foreign residents by connecting them with settlement-related service providers, such as administrative agencies, banks, and cleaning companies, and by bringing in existing market players from related industries such as cooking, tourism, and finance onto the platform."
CEO Lim stated, “According to interviews with international students, most relied on Korean-language domestic real estate platforms or stayed temporarily in Airbnb accommodations while visiting local real estate agencies in person to find housing. While these platforms allow users to browse property listings, they often lack multilingual support, and the most challenging part for foreigners—communicating with landlords—must still be done separately via text or phone, which presents a significant barrier.”
She continued, “Checkmate Korea addresses this issue by providing a non-face-to-face provisional contract system that allows users to apply for a lease, pay the provisional deposit, confirm the final contract schedule, and receive contract guidance, all within the platform before entering Korea.” “As a result, foreigners can finalize their housing arrangements before arrival and move in immediately upon entering the country, while real estate offices gain access to new foreign clientele. By providing multilingual contracts and assistance guides for foreigners, we empower real estate agents to handle international transactions easily. This win-win strategy uniquely enables rapid partnership formation, property acquisition, and regional expansion."
HouseBuddy plans to extend the initial customer touchpoint, formed during the ‘house-hunting’ phase of a foreigner’s settlement, into subscription-based memberships and broader settlement support services. CEO Lim emphasized, “What sets us apart is our ability to generate added value through data-driven business expansion in both B2B and B2G sectors, as well as by building public-private partnership models, all powered by the continuous accumulation of customer behavior data.”
Checkmate Korea primarily promotes its services through partnerships with universities and their affiliated student organizations, with international students as its main user base. “We have established cooperative relationships with international exchange offices and language institutes that manage international students, so that our service can be introduced to students who are unable to enter dormitories or must move out after a certain period and secure off-campus housing,” said Lim. “Through student exchange organizations, we also conduct joint offline events and provide information on our settlement support services during the academic semester.”
HouseBuddy is composed of the CEO, two development team members, and four operations team members. The development team consists of experienced professionals in fintech platform development, complemented by their backgrounds in the financial industry. The operations team, made up of university students, brings multilingual skills and strong networks with foreign residents.
Regarding their plans, CEO Lim stated, “Our vision is to make it easier and more comfortable for foreigners to settle in Korea. Our goal is to transform not only the real estate market, which remains largely closed to foreigners, but also the entire residential and daily living experience in Korea into one that is foreigner-friendly, so that those preparing for long-term stays in Korea instantly realize, ‘All I need is Checkmate Korea.’”
Established: April 2024
Core Business: Checkmate Korea, an online real estate and integrated housing platform for foreigners
Key Achievements: Completed 2024 Preliminary Startup Package (achieved "Excellent" performance), Selected for the 2024 Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition, Selected as a resident company for the 2025 Jeju Youth Startup Academy, Holds cooperative relationships with Seoul National University Office of International Affairs, Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyun Language Institute Korean Language Program, Soongsil University International Affairs Team, and others
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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