Century 21 Australia, eChoice Home Loans and a number of Elders Real Estate branches have pages on Housenet.
Estate agents can upload statistics about their sales – prices, clearance rates, types of properties sold – which are then turned into charts on profile pages.
The site provides for the ability for others to rate and comment on listings, but also for the ability to switch off this function.
A basic subscription is free for both industry participants and consumers.
A free subscription includes the ability to join via Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, list property for sale with up to four images and create a profile page for a house or rental property.
Add-on features for consumers are charged at $20 per month and include the ability to create a featured listing with more photos and video content and send emails to others Housenet members.
A full industry sign-up is $79 per month or $49 for more restricted features.
Agents can also create their own ads and purchase traditional banner advertising on the site.
The site includes property news and hotspots features provided by Property Observer, industry news from SOLD magazine, mortgage news from Australian Broker and property information and trends provided by Residex.
In an interview with Greg Vincent of real estate technology site Business2, Moffatt said the aim of the site is to empower real estate agents and other property industry professionals and consumers and bring them all together in a way that has not happened before.
“We are trying to create a new category of social real estate…and bridge the gap between property portals and social media,” says Moffatt.
For estate agents, Moffatt says it’s a way for agents to brand themselves and tell their story online.
He says on the big property portals “everybody looks the same” and it’s very hard to get your own personal brand out there.
“It creates more depth for your digital identity and expands your digital footprint, which will help drive business your way,” he says.
For advice on navigating hotspots, download our free eBook: Tools for Getting Through the Hotspot Maze. This article first appeared on Property Observer.