Meet Kucing: The Carousell of property that lets you buy or sell without agents

The Kucing app gives Singaporeans the tools to list properties and complete transactions independently

Let’s face it—Singapore has no shortage of property apps. But most platforms only allow certified agents to create listings, leaving everyday users dependent on them and paying thousands of dollars in fees.

A new player, Kucing, aims to change that. Founded in Aug 2023, the proptech app acts as a “property copilot,” providing users with the tools to list, manage, and complete transactions independently—completely cutting out the middleman. In many ways, it can be likened to Carousell, but for buying and selling property.

We spoke with the platform’s founders, Mathieu Goarant and Guillaume Garagnon, about how they aim to transform the proptech landscape in Singapore with Kucing.

Providing a “unified” property experience

Mathieu and Guillaume, who are both French nationals and Singapore Permanent Residents, have lived in Asia for over 20 years. They first met 18 years ago while working at aircraft manufacturing company Airbus, forging a lasting friendship.

Over the years, they worked in various companies before venturing into their own businesses. However, they realised that their individual ventures lacked scalability.

A conversation over coffee in 2022 sparked a shared interest in creating a scalable startup, combining Guillaume’s expertise in marketing with Mathieu’s knowledge of the property sector and project management. Together, they envisioned a platform that could “unify the property experience” for all users.

Kucing is built on data. It integrates with government APIs such as URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and HDB (Housing Development Board) for accurate pricing and real-time market insights. 

“There are so many government tech initiatives—cloud security, data analytics, visualisations—that make these possibilities feasible now,” said Guillaume. 

By harnessing these APIs, Kucing transforms raw government data into practical, actionable tools for homeowners and buyers, making real estate information more transparent and accessible.

How it works

Users can download Kucing on the Play Store or App Store to get started, though they will need to sign in with Singpass for secure user verification.

Within the app, they can toggle between resale and rental data, geolocate nearby listings, or post a listing directly from the map. It is free for users with a single listing, while those with two or more listings can subscribe to a paid plan at S$115 per month, with no annual commitment.

Kucing verifies listed properties against title deeds, awarding a trust badge to authenticated listings. If you’re keen on viewing a property, the app’s viewing management system lets you request time slots, track appointments through a built-in calendar, and chat directly with homeowners.

In the app, users can track all pending, accepted, and rejected offers, helping them revisit properties, manage negotiations, and review favourites.

Kucing also features an interactive price map, displaying 12 months of past resale and rental transactions. Users can zoom into specific districts to compare land prices and property types—whether landed, non-landed, or HDB—helping them make informed property decisions. The map is accessible on the Kucing website, too.

Empowering homeowners while overcoming startup hurdles

So far, Kucing has attracted over 1,000 users.

According to Mathieu, one user was able to save “thousands of dollars” when selling their S$2 million property after listing it on Kucing for “just a few months.”

The app’s monthly subscription model allows users to pay only for what they need, making it more affordable and accessible than traditional property platforms, where agencies may charge extra for property management, lease renewals, tenant coordination, and other services. 

Mathieu added that this approach empowers consumers in ways conventional portals cannot.

But building a proptech app from scratch hasn’t been an easy journey.

Initially bootstrapped, Mathieu and Guillaume had to carefully manage limited resources, growing resourcefully until an angel investor contributed over S$300,000 this year. The funds helped them scale operations and improve their app.

Recently, a global outage of Amazon’s cloud services, which Kucing relied on, briefly disrupted operations, but the small team of about 10 managed to restore the platform within two weeks. 

As entrepreneurs, the founders have also learned the importance of focus. 

Friends and advisors suggested incorporating services like conveyancing, mortgage brokering, and insurance directly into the app. While they experimented with these features, they soon realised it was too much to manage alone.

Instead, Kucing is looking to partner with these specialised providers, giving users access to such expert solutions while keeping the platform clean and user-centric. 

Kucing’s ambitious roadmap

Kucing hasn’t broken even yet, however, the platform is looking to secure a Series A funding round next year, with an ambitious roadmap aiming for 10,000 users. 

Upcoming updates include refining the process of making offers and increasing the listing threshold in the paid plan to accommodate agents with multiple properties, which can be expected as early as Dec.

Rather than replacing agents, Kucing seeks to “redefine and complement their roles within a tech-enabled ecosystem.” The app he app can help them manage clients’ transactions at a more affordable rate rather than paying thousands to boost listings on traditional property portals each year.

Kucing is also developing an AI-powered digital assistant to act as a “true property copilot”—suggesting listings, analysing market data, and supporting data-driven decision-making to make property hunting and listing easier. 

Ultimately, Guillaume emphasised that the platform’s end goal is to be “a unified property space where everyone has equal opportunities and can interact seamlessly.”

Featured Image Credit: Kucing