We believe it is a user driven revolution and it will transforms the real estate industry.
Mobile technology
is transforming the way we date, holiday, travel and now buy real estate.
In the last eight
years, Airbnb, Uber, Spotify and Tinder have made it easier than ever to date, travel,
listen to music and find accommodation. These companies are at the cutting edge
of disruptive technology that's changing how we do business and access
services.
It's a
'user-driven' revolution and it's coming to real estate. Early in 2015, the
biggest names in Australia's real estate industry joined Sir Richard Branson to
discuss the future of real estate. The topic of discussion? "Real estate
is a "ticking time bomb waiting to be decimated by an outside force".
Sir Richard's
perspectives on the impact of disruptive technology are compelling. This is a
man who has enjoyed the heights of success with Virgin Megastores around the
globe and now sells online and through a hand-full of stores in the Middle
East. Sir Richard has had a front row seat on the impacts of disruptive
technology and he believes real estate is next in the firing line.
FORGET TRADITION
"swamped by email alerts about unsuitable properties."
Traditionally,
hunting for a property has been a hard slog of wasted weekends inspecting
unsuitable or overpriced properties, searching websites, chasing agents for
information or inspections and being swamped by email alerts about unsuitable
properties. For sellers the story is similar.
The agents have
often made tens of thousands of dollars in commission for very little effort.
Even the "new" models of online real estate selling generally require the buyer
to do all the searching and to deal with an agent.
The industry has also
been made overly complicated by the use of jargon and industry buzz words. Sadly
it's an industry that plays on the fears of the vendors that they won't achieve
a fair price unless they use an agent who has a "big book of buyers" and knows
the tricks of the trade.
Next Address is
here and it's going to revolutionise the sale and purchase of property. The
Founder, Julie O'Donohue believes that property owners are the best advocates
for their own properties and that anyone can sell their own home at the right
price using the online tools and accessing support from partner affiliates.
Next Address is
like online dating, but it's for real estate and matches buyers to properties.
It works 24/7 to match the housing wish list of buyers with properties on the
site. It connects buyers directly with the sellers rather than waiting for
phone calls from Agents. You can be anywhere and buy anywhere.
It is a peer to
peer model for people who know there is a better, simpler and more cost
effective way to buy and sell real estate.
IN CONTROL
Most people use
the skills to necessary sell their own house on a regular basis. We negotiate,
make deals and meet new people constantly and yet when it comes to selling or
buying real estate, people often hand control of the process to an agent.
Yet even John
Cunningham, President of the Real Estate Institute of NSW recently warned that
"the barista who makes your coffee
has had more training than many real estate agents who are entrusted in selling
your biggest asset."
As the old saying
goes, "knowledge is power" and that's why Next Address is sharing the
industry's closely guarded secrets on buying and selling. The tools and
professional support required to buy and sell real estate are available through
the website's blogs and magazines.
POINT OF
DIFFERENCE
According to
Julie O'Donohue, the key to transforming the way real estate is bought and sold
was not simply setting a low list price and abolishing commission fees. The
point difference lies in the commitment to exceptional customer service,
integrity and philanthropy.
She said, real
estate agents are often regarded in a similar light to used car salesmen. It
was important that Next Address was different in the way customers are treated
and local communities are supported. Next Address has a strong commitment to
partnering and supporting charities with a percentage of profits directed to partner
charities each year.
Not only are the Next Address sellers saving time and money by selling directly to the buyer, they are contributing to key national and local charities.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/all-virgin-megastores-set-to-close-as-last-big-national-music-chain-folds-20090302
http://www.virgin.com/company/virgin-megastore
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/baristas-trained-longer-than-real-estate-agents-complains-new-industry-president/story-fngr8hax-1227629795725
