In a bid to empower property buyers and provide vendors with a unique opportunity, a new real estate listing portal called View.com.au has made its debut with substantial backing from the mass media industry.
View.com.au, developed by View Media Group (VMG), represents the culmination of years of dedicated effort, as explained by VMG’s Group Executive Chairman, Antony Catalano. This online portal, accessible through both its website and app stores, boasts a comprehensive database featuring approximately 11 million Australian properties, irrespective of their sale status, offering customers a holistic perspective of the market.
For property sellers, View.com.au introduces a ‘Freemium’ listings model, allowing vendors to list their properties for free, with the option to upgrade for additional promotional features or branding opportunities. According to Mr. Catalano, this innovative approach addresses concerns within the real estate industry regarding the rising costs of advertising. He stated, “We’ve heeded the industry’s feedback, and now is the right time to introduce an alternative model.”
Mr. Catalano further emphasized, “We believe that limiting consumers to search only for properties currently on sale is highly restrictive,” likening it to “advertising a job vacancy exclusively to the unemployed.” Drawing a parallel, he noted that the best candidate might already be employed, and the same logic can apply to the property market.
One standout feature of the portal is its ability to allow buyers to explore all properties, including those not currently listed for sale. Mr. Catalano believes that enabling users to express interest in unlisted properties can potentially stimulate the market and facilitate transactions that might not have otherwise occurred.
Toby Balazs, CEO of View, explained that extensive research revealed that users prefer a map-based search experience over a list view. Therefore, View.com.au defaults to presenting search results on a map. This approach offers the advantage of seamlessly displaying both listed and unlisted properties on a unified platform, enabling consumers to buy, rent, sell, or research properties in context.
Vlad Gagovic, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at Nearmap, the map provider for the portal, expressed excitement about the functionality being developed. He believes it will become an indispensable tool for finding, exploring, and selecting properties and suburbs.
The launch of View.com.au coincides with a brand, positioning, and marketing campaign by View, set to premiere during the AFL grand final day broadcast on Channel 7, 7plus, and print wraps across the ACM network. Paul Tyrrell, VMG’s Chief Marketing Officer, emphasized their unconventional approach, stating, “We want to do things a bit differently from traditional property marketing.” The campaign slogan, “See All,” symbolizes the comprehensive market view that View.com.au offers.
Developed in partnership with The Monkeys in Melbourne, the campaign employs humor to convey the message while ensuring clarity about the product’s uniqueness.
Ant Keogh, Chief Creative Officer at The Monkeys, commented on the competitive nature of the real estate industry, emphasizing the need for View.com.au to stand out as a distinctive player in the market.
VMG’s ambitions extend beyond the portal’s launch. Antony Catalano revealed that the company is actively working toward creating a global-first conglomerate of proptech assets, bringing together industry experts to disrupt the rapidly evolving proptech sector.
This platform’s introduction follows a $50 million investment from ANZ Group Holdings earlier in the year and the announcement of Seven West Media’s support for the View Media Group. Seven West Media’s Managing Director and CEO, James Warburton, expressed excitement about VMG’s potential to revolutionize the property industry, solidifying their commitment to its success.
