Comments on: Domain raises the bar – a little bit of love back to agents!

By: Paddy

Paddy — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:09:59 +0000

This is a very strategic move by Domain.

With rumours that RPData and REA will part company this year (www.propertyportalwatch.com), Data will become a key play.

More than likely, RPData will offer a portal based off their extensive Data products. With RPData having a greater market-share than APM already, this is probably a needed life line to APM.

REA will probably follow the other players (again), and will explore data options to add to their offering. However, given that they appear to be on a cost savings approach, they will more than likely attempt to acquire a smaller data player than invest in producing a totally new platform.

Of the small data players in the market, Property Data Solutions (PDS) seems the most likely player. They have some good penetration in QLD, and the company is owned by Tom White (Ray White family), which draws upon the existing relationship between REA and Ray White.

Property Data Online (PDOL) owned by the REIV would also be a good choice for REA to partner with to catch up to Domain. This would be a great opportunity for the Institutes as a whole, to come to the table and balance the equation.

It looks like Domain have jumped everyone else at the moment. It will be interesting to see if it’s a successful play.

By: Robert Simeon

Robert Simeon — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:50:19 +0000

I agree this is a very positive mood as Fairfax Digital have struggled to fully understand how to best utilise APM given that they have concentrated more on the Domain functionality and treated APM like a missing cousin. By bringing APM under the Domain umbrella this offers greater branding opportunities that benefits agents and consumers.

It would be interesting to know the rankings of Domain (APM), RPData and Residex?

From my discussions with Fairfax Digital management where they have set some very positive goals in place – all achievable. Refreshing to see a portal working on their business for the benefit of consumers and agents.

REA appear to only add third party advertisers to the detriment of agents and consumers.

By: PaulD

PaulD — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:15:08 +0000

You can be sure – if it was any good, they’d be talking about it.

By: Peter Ricci

Peter Ricci — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:19:19 +0000

Craig, a press release came out last week about how domain.com.au had taken the lead in NSW, but it was so vague it really wasn’t worth a comment. It didn’t give any real figures and I really was none the wiser after reading it – just a bit of fluff really.

I would imagine that Ninemsn would bring quite a few more visitors but it would be interesting to know how many.

By: Craig Adams

Craig Adams — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:56:49 +0000

Peter or Glenn,

While your on the things that Domain are doing how is the Nine MSN deal looking for them a few months in. I can’t remember who blogged about it but has there been an effect to the traffic numbers or have Domain done their dough?

By: Peter Ricci

Peter Ricci — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:31:09 +0000

Hi Snoop, I think it is a good strategy. Domain.com.au are definitely number 2, but by creating some goodwill to agents and obviously consumers by providing valuable data, I think it is a step in the right direction. It may well be 100 of these little measures that claws back some of the power of REA and that can only be good for the whole industry.

By: snoop

snoop — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:53:04 +0000

Another deparate strategy to compete.
They need to double traffic and nationaly to be a competitor to the number one
They already give consumers recent sales on domain listings
seems they are just destroying apms business after overpaying for the other half of it a year or so back

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:48:00 +0000

The real news would be if this information would be available for users/buyers of domain.com.au when searching for a home.