Housing industry rallies behind new house and land matching website

Australia's leading residential builders and developers have jumped on board a new web-based house and land matching service which is set to slice months off the process of buying a new home.

Launched to the public today, houseandland.com.au has already been backed by major developers nationally including Australand, Devine and AVJennings, and leading builders including BGC Residential, ABN Group, Metricon and Fairmont Homes.

Developed over the past three years by Adelaide-based real estate agents, property developers and digital media marketers Mark Shearer and Dean Kyros, houseandland.com.au is set to replace the time-consuming chore of display village visits and land estate inspections for new homebuyers.

Mr Shearer says the intuitive site focuses on matching new home designs, land for sale and house and land packages, and “delivers a new way in which consumers can search for house and land”.

“The process of choosing and buying a new home has not kept pace with technology, so houseandland.com.au has been designed to deliver a step-change for new homebuyers,” said Mr Shearer, adding that the site is immediately ready for mobile devices.

“At last we are able to leave behind the endless weekends of visiting display homes and then finding a block on which it will fit, and vice-versa. Buyers can now do all of their research on houseandland.com.au and only have to venture out to display villages and land estates after they have made their short list.

“Crucially, the website allows buyers to match homes from Australia’s largest builders with land in leading estates, initially in South Australia and Western Australia and soon across the entire country.

“Already buyers can choose from more than 10,000 combinations of house and land packages indicating the widespread take-up we have experienced from builders and developers across the board.”

Through its exclusive interactive land estate section delivered in real-time, houseandland.com.au allows consumers to navigate land estates and choose their preferred block before clicking “Match with House” where they can create their own package options. Similarly, consumers can choose a preferred house design from a builder and click “Match to Land” where they can create tailored house and land packages to suit their individual requirements.

The website has also attracted the support of the nation’s peak housing industry body, the Housing Industry Association.

“houseandland.com.au’s unique offering has been created from the insight of time-poor consumers who do most of their research for major life purchases via the web,” said Robert Harding, Regional Executive Director of HIA SA.

“Because the site is easy to navigate and boasts South Australia and Western Australia’s most extensive house designs and land estate listings, consumers are likely to do their research here first before heading out to inspect their choice.

“I have no doubt that the site will benefit the building and property development industry as a whole, particularly during a tough time in the market. In effect, the site makes building a house from the ground up less daunting for consumers which is a very good thing.”

Mr Shearer said houseandland.com.au will soon expand nationally after such overwhelming support from the property industry in South Australia and Western Australia, with major commitments already in place in the eastern states.

As developers and co-directors of houseandland.com.au, Mr Shearer and Mr Kyros have almost 40 years of development and property marketing experience between them.

Mr Shearer has enjoyed an extensive career in real estate sales and developments, and specialised in project sales, acquisitions and advisory to many of Australia’s largest public, private and international development companies and government bodies.

Mr Kyros has an extensive property investment and development background having commenced his career as a property lawyer. With a Masters Degree in Project Management, he has worked in project management and development services throughout Australia and Asia and now manages his own residential land sub-divisions and retail shopping centre holdings in South Australia.

ISSUED BY HUGHES PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Kieran Hall on 08 8412 4100 or kieran@hughespr.com.au