REA Group Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Mr Kul Singh said the company’s focus this year is on delivering “bigger, better results for our customers,” with new advertising options, improved data access, and a stronger support model all part of the strategy.
That feedback, gathered via REA’s Property Panel, leadership forums and upcoming state-based roadshows, has already led to new initiatives.
Among them is a $99 advertising product – Audience Maximiser Essentials – set to launch on 1 April.
“Our customers are saying it’s a no brainer, and we’re excited to see how that lands in market,” Mr Singh said.
He also pointed to growing flexibility in advertising packages, noting that agents now have more options to downgrade listing spend if needed.
“Up to one in three Premiere+ listings can be downgraded at a cheaper cost,” he said, adding that the shift helps agents manage vendors who may be struggling with costs, or listings that have lower value.
REA’s Pay on Sale product, originally introduced during the Covid period, also remains in place.
“You could, if you like, offer a vendor the ability to not pay any advertising costs unless the property sells,” Mr Singh said.
“One in five of your listings, if you’re a Premiere or Premiere+ customer, can have access to that product.”
Data remains a major focus, with Mr Singh pointing to enhancements in REA’s “propensity” tools and comparative market analysis (CMA) offering.
“We’ve got access to all of this data in our marketplace… having access to around 12 million unique visitors a month,” he said.
As part of REA’s Pro subscriptions and Premiere+ products, agents are receiving richer insights into likely buyers and sellers.
Mr Singh also said the company is encouraging greater use of its CMA tool.
“We’ve been probably a little bit apologetic in the way we’ve taken that product to market,” he said.
“But I think our customers need to know more about the access they’ve got to the demand data that’s already as part of their subscriptions.”
To support uptake, REA launched a new service model known as Hive, which went live in January.
The structure includes more support staff and specialist teams focused on areas like training, subscriptions, and troubleshooting.
The aim, Mr Singh said, is to help agents keep up with product rollouts, which is on average, two new enhancements per week.
“In the first quarter, we increased our contact rates by 66 per cent on the prior year,” he said. “And around 34 per cent more customers have a proactive relationship manager that didn’t have one before.”
Customer satisfaction under the new model is tracking at an average score of nine out of 10.
On a global scale, Mr Singh said REA aims to set the benchmark for property experiences.
He pointed to innovations like next-generation listings, which have already delivered a 92 per cent increase in consumers viewing all photos.
“We want to be the best property experience in the world,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr Singh confirmed the return of REA’s flagship customer event Ready25, which will be held on 21 August.
“Last year was an overwhelming success and we want to go bigger and better this year,” he said.
The event is expected to host 1700 attendees, with REA donating $500,000 to homelessness charities and initiatives.
Speakers include Simone Biles, Ned Brockmann, Cathy Freeman and Dom Price, with more to be announced.
“There’s plenty going on,” Mr Singh said. “We’re excited about the next generation of listings … and there’s more to come.”
