Over the past decade technology has transformed the way we date, taxi, travel – and now the way we buy real estate – thanks to start-up Next Address.
Next Address Founder and Director Julie O’Donohue’s own experience working in real estate led her to create a platform that is transparent, offers a more affordable way of buying and selling property, saves people time and puts the customer in complete control.
“Australia’s inflated property market is overwhelming, and so is the traditional process of buying and selling a home, with many people feeling frustrated with high costs, inaccurate property valuations, and a lack of communication,” Julie said.
Next Address Founder and Director Julie O’Donohue
Next Address is essentially online dating for the property world that matches buyers direct to properties through a smart algorithm and works by matching a buyer’s housing wish list with properties on the site.
“Aussies spend $8 million on advertising and agent commissions each year, and it costs on average $12,000 to $60,000 to sell a property – Next Address will save people anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000 on these costs.
“In Australian cities, a property’s average time on market is 71 days and in regional areas 91 days, and Next Address will significantly reduce this listing time.
“In New Zealand, around 35 per cent of people sell their own home, while here in Australia that figure is five per cent, but through Next Address we want to increase that figure to 20 per cent within 10 years,” Julie added.
Next Address has 6,000 registered properties, with this number growing weekly, and the site offers Fyuse 360-degree 3D walkthrough technology not offered on any other real estate platform in the country.
Julie and the Next Address team have created a new vision of the real estate model by focusing on a truly community-minded marketplace in every sense.
“While Next Address allows you to buy and sell without an agent, there is also an opportunity for real estate agents to embrace Next Address as another marketing, sales and lead generation tool.
“For the first 90 days following our launch, agents can list their homes for free, and we’ll waive the $850 listing fee,” Julie said.
Next Address has also introduced an ‘agents in residence’ program where users on the site can receive guidance and services from the site’s list of trusted real estate agents.
With a strong philanthropic focus, Next Address will donate six per cent of net profits to charities, which are rotated every six months and selected by users on the site.
From real estate to real people, Next Address is transparent, honest and reachable, allowing the customer to be a part of the conversation and offering real-time availability 24/7.
“Next Address is completely customer focused and maximises the power of social media and the internet’s sharing economy opportunities, “Julie added.
Julie O’Donohue is a passionate changemaker who is dedicated to helping her community, and her commitment and creativity were recognised by taking out the Victorian winner of Australia Post’s Regional Pitchfest.
As a start-up, Next Address welcomes interest from investors to join them on a journey to change the way real estate is transacted in Australia.
Next Address has also partnered with Pozible’s new equity funding platform, Birchal where Australian investors can connect with start-up companies and share in the benefits.
Melbourne real estate agents Noel Jones have listed Sticks and Wombat’s house from The Block to help the duo get as many potential buyers as possible ahead of the TV show’s auctions in the coming weeks.