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Newcastle entrepreneur Bo Tsang’s property startup gains national intrigue

Road 51, a new letting portal that helps students find accommodation in university cities across the country, has attracted interest from a major independent property advisor.

Launched this summer by Newcastle businessman Bo Tsang, the startup has caught the attention of Knight Frank, a London-based independent real estate consultancy.

Giles Barrett, partner at Knight Frank, said: “We are interested in what Road 51 are doing and we have spoken to them about what they are doing.”

Chinese students, who are planning to study in Britain from this September, have signed up, while landlords are also registering.

Road 51 aims to bridge a housing gap by linking prospective students to private accommodation they may not otherwise be able to view, a benefit that has already generated interest from both students and landlords within just a week of its launch.

Plymouth private landlord and letting agent Dr Luke Zhou became the first landlord to sign up to Road 51.

He said: “I have a small property portfolio myself but I also look after 11 properties for clients through my letting agency, and we have been looking for a property letting portal where houses and flats can be seen in China as well as the UK.

“This is great news for landlords, who can advertise their property, and the other advantage is that it is a bilingual website, targeted at Chinese international students. If students are in China, they need to make a decision when they are still over there and this will enable them to do that. They can view the property online and make an application for a property before they come over here.”

Mr Tsang, an experienced private landlord and former international student himself, . He is has connections across Asia, which has provided Road 51 with a pipeline of incoming international students who are keen to live in private accommodation.

He said: “We have been delighted with the early response from students and landlords to the launch of the property letting portal. We have also had initial enquiries from national letting agents so we are very optimistic that Road 51 will take off.”

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