Last June, U.K.-based mortgage broker Habito made an unusual move: It hired a new CEO who simultaneously became the startup’s biggest shareholder. Ying Tan, an entrepreneur who previously led mortgage advice startup Dynamo, invested his own money in Habito as he took the reins. At the time, 7-year-old Habito was struggling to turn a profit despite its focus on frustrated and overwhelmed first-time homebuyers—a population that is growing in the U.K., as in the United States. Habito offers them advice and online mortgage applications for free; users can also step up to Habito Plus, which includes appraisal and legal fees, starting at £2,000 (approximately $2,500). By September 2023, Habito had turned its first profit. In November, the company announced a new product, developed in partnership with AI startup Propflo, that helps homebuyers make their properties more energy efficient.
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