Laing & Simmons Hornsby
Paul Jones Hornsby
Executive Summary
The property market is strongly linked to economic conditions here and abroad. The global financial crisis (GFC) and collapse of the US housing market have all have negative effects on the residential market for sales. Adapting to changing conditions is critical to survival for the many small and medium sized firms in the market.
Google collaborated on recent study into the on line search for real estate market in the US. In this report they conclude that 90% of buyers today rely on the internet for searching for real estate, it also notes that mobile is involved in around one-fifth of real estate (The National Association of ReAlToRS® and Google. 2013, p 2). It is expected that these trends would be mirrored in Australia. This makes a compelling argument for investing in the digital environment to support the sales of homes.
This report will provide a brief overview of macro and micro environment for real estate, this initial analysis will provide a context for a deeper analysis into two Hornsby based real estate agents. Laing & Simmons are part of a medium sized franchise with almost 40 offices spread throughout Sydney. In contrast, Paul Jones has been is a small family based business with offices in Hornsby and nearby Berowra.
The report will focus on the value proposition, products, strategy and effectiveness of the online presence for each real estate agent. It will rate these two competitors using criteria developed for the WebbyAwards. Lastly it will summarise some key ideas that may be used in the Digital Marketing Plan that will be developed for Ray White Hornsby.
Slide 1 – Background & Context
The decision to invest in the residential property market is a daunting proposition. The collapse of the US housing market has meant that residential sales have slowed due to decreased consumer confidence. An annual survey by
References: (Collier & Bienstock, 2006) Demographia. 2013. 9th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2013 Ratings for Metropolitan Markets. Retrieved on 3/11/2013 from http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf Cleary, P. 26/10/2013. Tangled web we weave in online market. Retrieved Oct from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/executive-living/tangled-web-we-weave-in-online-market/story-e6frg9zo-1226746243478 Collier, J. E., & Bienstock, C. C. (2006). Measuring Service Quality in E-Retailing. Journal of Service Research, 8(3), 260-275. doi: 10.1177/1094670505278867 Galloway, J & Adam, S. (20000 Online Property Markets In Australia: Industry Value Transformation Accessed on 3/11/2013, from http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw2k/papers/galloway/paper.html Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Malhotra, A. 2005. E-S-QUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Assessing Electronic Service Quality. Journal of Service Research, 7(3), 213-233. doi: 10.1177/1094670504271156 The National Association of ReAlToRS® and Google. 2013. The Digital House Hunt: Consumer and Market Trends in Real Estate. A Joint Study from The National Association of ReAlToRS® and Google. Downloaded Oct 2103 from http://realestatepartners.weebly.com/uploads/2/1/1/0/21101012/study-digital-house-hunt-2013-01.pdf Macquarie Relationship Banking. 2012. Residential Real Estate Benchmarking Report – Downloaded 3/11/2013 from http://static.macquarie.com/dafiles/Internet/mgl/au/business/documents/reports/benchmarking-real-estate.pdf?v=1 WebbyAwards. Judging Criteria. Accessed on 3/11/2013, from https://entries.webbyawards.com/pages/criteria