Question 1

What is Mikasa, and how does it compare to Homegate, ImmoScout24, Comparis and Flatfox?

Accepted Answer

Mikasa is a Swiss property search platform that aggregates rentals and sales from 50+ agency sources into one search. Unlike Homegate or ImmoScout24, Mikasa is fully free for everyone (renters, buyers, agencies, private sellers), with map-first search and travel-time (isochrone) filtering. An AI agent that monitors the market 24/7 is in development.

Question 2

Is Mikasa a free alternative to Homegate and ImmoScout24 in Switzerland?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Mikasa is fully free for renters and buyers. You can browse, save, message and apply without paying. There is no commission when you rent or buy through Mikasa.

Question 3

What is the Mikasa AI agent, and when will it be available?

Accepted Answer

The Mikasa AI agent is an assistant that monitors the Swiss property market 24/7, qualifies opportunities on price, location and risk, manages your documents and automates communications with agencies. It will be accessible through the Mikasa web app, WhatsApp and Telegram. The MVP is targeted for mid-2026.

Question 4

How does Mikasa make money if it's free?

Accepted Answer

Mikasa's vision is a more transparent real estate market, like Google: free for everyone to be referenced. Future revenue may come from optional sponsored content (similar to Google Search ads) for agencies who want extra visibility. Mikasa never charges commission on transactions.

Question 5

Does Mikasa sell my personal data?

Accepted Answer

No. Mikasa does not sell user data and never will. Your account, searches and messages are not shared with third parties.

Question 6

What is the geographical coverage of Mikasa?

Accepted Answer

Mikasa is starting with a focus on Romandy (Vaud, Geneva, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Jura) and is rapidly expanding to the rest of Switzerland and to France. As a cross-border real estate search tool, Mikasa lets you compare listings on both sides of the border in a single search, which is especially useful for cross-border workers (frontaliers) and anyone living in border regions like Geneva, Basel or Ticino.

Question 7

Will I see the same apartment listed multiple times if it's published on several agency sites?

Accepted Answer

No. Mikasa automatically deduplicates listings by matching the same property across different sources, so you see one listing per property even when multiple agencies publish it.

Question 8

How do I contact a seller or agency about a listing on Mikasa?

Accepted Answer

It depends on who's selling. For listings posted by private advertisers, you can contact them directly via Mikasa's in-app messaging. For agency listings, you click through to the agency's own website and follow their application procedure: agencies handle inquiries through their own channels, not through Mikasa.

Question 9

How can a Swiss real estate agency list its properties on Mikasa for free?

Accepted Answer

To list your agency's properties on Mikasa for free, you can use one of three integration paths: (a) push a SwissRETS, IDX or other structured feed via SFTP, (b) authorize Mikasa to index your public website, or (c) request a custom integration. Listings keep your branding and link back to your site. To get started, contact us at contact@mksa.app.

Question 10

Is there really no fee, no commission and no lead fee?

Accepted Answer

Correct. Mikasa is and will remain free for agencies to be referenced, with no commission on rentals or sales and no per-lead fee. The only future paid option may be optional sponsored placements for extra visibility (similar to Google Search ads). Standard listings stay free.

Question 11

Can Mikasa help reduce my agency's dependency on costly portals like Homegate or ImmoScout24?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Mikasa offers free, branded distribution as an additional channel: pure incremental reach, no cannibalisation, since visitors browsing Mikasa typically aren't shopping on SMG portals at the same time. As Mikasa grows, agencies can reduce or eliminate their reliance on costly SMG subscriptions (Homegate, ImmoScout24, Comparis) and avoid being locked into a single provider.

Question 12

Will my agency's name and branding appear on listings, with a link back to my website?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each listing keeps your agency's attribution and a "View original" link to your own page. Mikasa never displays listings under its own brand alone.

Question 13

What feed formats does Mikasa support: SwissRETS, IDX, or custom?

Accepted Answer

Mikasa accepts SwissRETS (recommended), IDX, and other structured formats. We adapt to your existing exports. If you have a feed today, we can almost certainly read it.

Question 14

How does the SFTP integration work?

Accepted Answer

You upload a feed file to your dedicated sftp.mksa.app account (provided after onboarding). Mikasa reads new files automatically, parses them, and reconciles against existing listings. Push as often as your inventory changes.

Question 15

How do interested users contact my agency, and can leads be forwarded to my CRM or email?

Accepted Answer

Interested users click through from Mikasa to your agency's own contact channel (phone, email, website) and follow your standard application procedure. We can also set up lead forwarding to your CRM or a dedicated email address. All of this is configured during onboarding.

Question 16

How do I get started: what's the onboarding process?

Accepted Answer

Email contact@mksa.app. Onboarding starts with a 30-minute call where we review your existing setup, agree on the integration path, and configure lead routing. Listings typically go live within 2-3 days of the call.

Question 17

How do I post a private listing on Mikasa: lease takeover, private rental, or sale?

Accepted Answer

To post a private listing on Mikasa for free, create an account, click "Publish a listing", and fill the form. Mikasa is built for the three private use cases in Switzerland, with the lease takeover (French: reprise de bail) being the most common rental scenario: lease takeover, where you are the current tenant of a flat and need to find a candidate to propose to your landlord, often under time pressure (notice period running out); private rental of a property you own; or sale of a property you own. Listings go live after a manual quality review. Mikasa never charges a commission. You stay in control of communication with interested candidates.

Question 18

Is publishing a private listing on Mikasa free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely free, and it always will be. No publishing fee, no commission on the sale or rental, no premium tier.

Question 19

Can Mikasa help me select candidates with the right profile and files for a lease takeover?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Mikasa acts as a trusted third party in the screening flow. When publishing your listing, you specify which documents applicants must provide: a debt-collection extract (extrait de poursuites) under 3 months old, the last 3 salary slips, ID, residency permit (B, C or L) for foreign residents, and a caution solidaire if relevant. Mikasa collects and verifies the dossiers directly from applicants. Only candidates with a complete, régie-receivable file can reach out to you, and you never see the documents yourself: Mikasa forwards them to the régie only once you select your candidate. This guarantees that every applicant contacting you already meets the standard Swiss criteria under Art. 264 CO (net monthly income of at least three times the rent, clean debt-collection extract, willingness to keep the lease conditions). This screening flow is currently in development.

Question 20

What information do I need to publish a listing?

Accepted Answer

Title (10-100 characters), description (50-5'000 characters), listing type (accommodation, flat-share, parking, business), transaction type (rental or sale), full address, price (with charges if rental), and at least one photo. Optional: number of rooms, surface, balcony, parking, available-from date.

Question 21

What of my address and personal info is public on my listing?

Accepted Answer

Only your profile picture and your name are public on your listing. Your email, phone number, and any other account information remain private until you choose to share them in a conversation. As for the address, you decide the level of detail: you can publish only the city (e.g. "Lausanne") or be precise down to the street and number. Mikasa displays exactly what you provide, and the map pin reflects the same precision. If privacy matters, give a less specific address.

Question 22

How long does my listing stay online, and how do I remove it once rented or sold?

Accepted Answer

Listings stay online for 14 days. Before expiry, Mikasa sends you a renewal notification: renewal is free and one click. The 14-day window exists so search results stay fresh and reflect properties that are actually still available. Once your property is rented or sold, delete the listing from your dashboard. Mikasa doesn't have a "mark as rented/sold" button: once sold, the property doesn't need to be discoverable through search. Users who saved your listing will see it marked "no longer available" the next time they open their saved page.

Question 23

How do interested people contact me about my listing?

Accepted Answer

Through Mikasa's built-in messaging. You receive messages in your Mikasa inbox and can reply from there. Your phone number and email are never shared until you choose to share them in chat. If your listing expires before you renew, the conversation stays accessible in read-only mode: both parties can still read past messages, but no new messages can be sent until the listing is renewed.

Question 24

How do I avoid scams when receiving messages?

Accepted Answer

Trust your instincts and watch for these Swiss-specific red flags: requests to TWINT or wire-transfer the deposit before any viewing; "I'm relocating from Dubai or abroad and my agent will pay" with overpayment-then-refund schemes; IBAN refund requests; contacts pushing you to switch to WhatsApp or Telegram only and refusing in-app messages; fake employer letters from Gmail or other free email domains; urgency tactics ("I need to sign tonight"); refusal to provide ID or proof of solvency. When in doubt, report at contact@mksa.app. The team reviews every report.

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