Julie O'Donohue and the Next Address Story
It was a typical August late afternoon in Ballarat, and as usual, I was walking my dog, Tilly. By typical I mean a tad cold! No jokes please!
I was reflecting on a my own and a friend's real estate experiences: they were both unpleasant stories - poor service and advice,
minimal communication, no control or trust and high costs.
One major problem for her had been the property valuation. Her property had been over-valued by more than 20% and then marketed by three real estate agents at this price or just below. The result being the home was on the market for over six months.
I was pretty angry on her behalf. She was stressed, anxious and had bought another home. At the same time, I was buying a property. The Agent undersold this home to me. He wanted it sold, and within 24 hours of making an offer, I had a signed contract at $30K less than the asking price. I didn't even have to make a second offer.
All this made me reflect on the real estate industry in general. Its methods and approaches, lack transparenc and choice, and there is undoubtedly not much collaboration with the property owner.
I also need to mention I had worked in the real estate industry for a couple of years. So all these client scenarios were familiar to me. I had seen this plus more all before.
As I continued to walk, I had an idea.....
What if we could
As I walked, the idea grew. How could we
I also thought the business could give back as soon as it could to worthy charities and social enterprises.
When I got back home, I announced to anyone who wanted to listen (just the dog did) that I thought I had come up with a pretty good idea:
"What if there was a way to match and connect buyers and sellers, a website with virtual tours, a communication dashboard and clever automation."
What if we could substantially reduce all the friction and enable the buyers and sellers to communicate directly with each other. And have a team of highly skilled property professionals ready to provide the correct advice and support when needed.
Was this possible?
It would be like a ride-sharing or accommodation booking website.
I sat around my kitchen with my kids and brainstormed the concept and name. I registered the domain name www.nextaddress.com.au that very night. We even registered the website nextpaddock.com.au!
I continue to be very excited about what we are and can achieve for buyers and sellers with Next Address.
For more about my journey and me, check out https://nextaddress.com.au/blog/julie-and-the-next-address-story.
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