Real estate is NOT a competitive industry in Australia when it comes to search engine results. Yes REA & Domain pretty much have a mortgage on the top couple spots for a lot of the major real estate related terms, however getting on the front page of results isn’t actually that difficult for most real estate related keywords.

I’m yet to come across an Australian real estate site which ticks off all of the major SEO elements needed. I’d happy to be proved wrong on this point, so if someone out thinks their site is fully SEO compliant, let me know.

Thanks for the article as it really shows how serious Google are about the Real Estate sector moving forward and the planning that has gone on before launch and now post launch.

They seem to have experienced a better than expected result and uptake in the first few weeks and as with anything it will be intersting to see how quickly the majority of agents in Australia become aware of what Google can do for them.

As you’d be aware from your own comments over time once agents are confident with a new provider or a new service then they move as a pack. If they are not then they remain with what they are comfortable with.

The name Google and the word ‘free’ should entice most to have a look at their current options particularly for those agents that do not get Vendor Paid Advertising.

Linking this in with Sal Espro’s comments about REA potentially raising their premium product price I would have thought the Google option would become even more of a slam dunk.

Looking forward to the August price rise conversation with your REA sales reps are you Robert and Sal?

Interesting points you raise. In the case of Fairfax well it is a media company and Google is the competition and we all know that competition is good. We all make our respective businesses competitive otherwise the alternatives are not that attractive.

It would be difficult for REA and Fairfax to be paying millions in Adwords only to see Google featuring their real estate roll out on the same page – quite cheeky.

REA has lost some big achievers from their pay roll so it will be interesting to watch what happens there. Eventually I’m sure that Fairfax and REA will appear on Google Maps.

There was a great interview on Business Spectator – Google Australia and New Zealand general manager Karim Temsamani. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/KGB-INTERROGATION-Karim-Temsamani-pd20090710-TSVZ4?OpenDocument&src=is&cat=property-al

Well worth reading to see where Google are coming from.

I think both REA and Domain are in shock mode as they knew the big G was coming but had not anticipated it this soon. Says something about their industry counterintelligence which they both used to be good at under Shaun Di Gregorio at REA and Sam Plowman at Domain.

Both of them used to tap into their customer base via their sales reps to find out from people like you and I what was going on. I see that Shaun is leaving REA and Sam left a while back but both current Management teams at these portals need to wake up and engage us in what we think . Maybe its too late and I’m just as surprised as you are.

My REA rep reckons REA revenues are flatlining and the majority of the Sales team haven’t made their targets for months. This will be a new problem for the Board who are not used to seeing limited growth. The Google Choo Choo Train could just run them over.

Where the worst kept secret was that Google was entering the Australian real estate market. I think REA and Domai would be well served to send another online quiz to their respective clients to ascertain what they think as it looks to me this Google entrance has left them gob smacked.

http://news.netcraft.com/

The home page is ok but any INTERNAL link I try after that just stalls badly.

It may have to do with the site being hosted in the USA.

Might help to identify the culprit if you get it again.