Meet the neighbours before you buy: The real estate portal taking buyers behind the scenes
Co-founder of Homely, Jason Spencer, discusses how his own experience of a failed property purchase led to a lightbulb moment, and the birth of a new property platform
5 min
Jason Spencer is passionate about technology, but not for the sake of it. Instead, Spencer’s focus is the kind of ‘life changing’ technologies that make a difference in the way we live and do business. His most recent obsession is Homely, a real estate platform with a difference, offering reviews of suburbs and streets — by the people who live there. Founded with Adam Spencer, it’s the kind of game changer Jason wished was around when he was on his home buying journey, tapping into a desire from buyers to take a deep dive before purchasing, as well as giving locals the opportunity to share what they love about their area. The Homely story starts with a very personal experience, as Jason Spencer explains.
Kanebridge News: The Homely story comes out of your personal experience of moving to a suburb in inner Melbourne. What happened? Why did you hate it?
Jason Spencer: Homely was created out of my own frustrations with real estate. After buying my home in a nice leafy suburb in Melbourne, I quickly realised that the street wasn’t for me. Almost immediately after we moved in, we had all sorts of issues. First it was the neighbours, who we didn’t get along with, then it was the cut-through traffic and noise, the flooding and — the final straw—the swarms of bats that flew over our house each night, settling in our backyard! One night I remember saying to my co-founder, “If only I knew about this street before I bought the house”. And that was the lightbulb moment. That was when Homely was born.
KN: What would you have liked to have known before buying?
JS: The inspiration for Homely was the truth that “finding the right neighbourhood is just as important as finding the right home.” I’d like to have known what the locals thought, not just of suburbs but of individual streets as well. Before Homely, the majority of people would rely on generic suburb information available on Google and if lucky they’d find a static local guide page, census data or Wikipedia entry. To address this gap, we established a forum and community where real locals could openly share their experiences, insights, and history about their streets, suburbs, and towns. This kind of information is invaluable for making an informed decision about property, especially considering it’s one of the most significant decisions someone can make.
KN: Did you move? If so, what did you do differently the next time you were in the property market?
JS: Yes I did. I moved to something a little further out from the city but with more land and a bigger home for a similar price. This time, I did a lot more research on Homely and by asking locals what they thought. People were more than happy to share what they loved about their home suburb and streets, which is why we have the wealth of content on Homely we do.
KN: How did that personal experience spur you and Adam on to found Homely?
JS: For most of us, finding a home is one of the most difficult and stressful decisions we can make. As founders, we felt the combination of useful local information written by those that live in the neighbourhood combined with the access and utility of a real estate portal would make for a very unique way to find a home online. We wanted to create for real estate what sites like TripAdvisor had done to travel.
KN: You’re starting to build a substantial database of suburb reviews now. Where are the reviewers drawn from?
JS: Our reviews come from all over Australia. When we launched the site, we received some great media coverage, which generated an initial base of content. This encouraged locals to have their say about areas they knew well, which in turn created a sense of community on the Homely platform that grew, along with relevant property listings from all over Australia. We have seen some intense debate about suburbs, which is always interesting!
KN: What has surprised you, if anything, about the reviews?
JS: The amount of information (and passion) that locals are prepared to share about where they live. People love to talk about the great schools in a suburb, the best restaurants and shopping. Of course, crime and safety are always hot topics.
KN: What can a review on Homely give a buyer that a visit to a suburb cannot?
JS: Homely gives you immediate access to reach out to a community and unlock secrets and truths about the neighbourhood that you just can’t do easily by visiting the suburb. You can also ask questions and join local forums. We’ve had feedback that Homely reviews have saved people time and money, as they’ve been able to refine their property search and time spent on inspections.
KN: How specific can reviews get? Is it possible to read a street review?
JS: We pride ourselves on being the first in Australia to offer reviews down to the street level, delivering “hyperlocal” content that even includes vendors reviewing their own streets to give potential buyers a sense of what drew them to the area initially.
KN: What have buyers said about the value of the reviews?
JS: Buyers consistently tell us that Homely is a great starting point to the home buying journey. Whether they’re investors seeking information to bolster their decisions, or families searching for the perfect suburb, Homely reviews often serve as a first stop, offering valuable information they can’t get anywhere else. We find many buyers land on our street and suburb reviews via Google after searching for a specific location. While reviews can be diverse it’s the nuggets of information contained within the reviews that really help buyers.
KN: You’ve been in property for 25 years. What still excites you about the residential market?
JS: The untapped opportunities for innovation in the proptech space and the property seeking journey are what excites me most. From the birth of the first property websites in the early 2000s, to the innovations that Web 2.0 and Google Maps brought to portals in 2007, to the role of smartphone technology in the search experience, I’m now very excited to be a part of how AI and blockchain can enhance the home search experience.
KN: What’s next for Homely?
JS: We have a strong pipeline of innovations to make the home search experience better for every consumer. We are looking forward to a big 2024 with an increase in residential listings hitting the market and a forecast record number of home buyers and renters looking on Homely to discover their next perfect place to call home.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
A Sydney site with a questionable past is reborn as a luxe residential environment ideal for indulging in dining out
2 min
Long-term Sydney residents always had handful of not-so-glamourous nicknames for the building on the corner of Cleveland and Baptist Streets straddling Redfern and Surry Hills, but after a modern rebirth that’s all changed.
Once known as “Murder Mall” or “Methadone Mall”, the 1960s-built Surry Hills Shopping Centre was a magnet for colourful characters and questionable behaviour. Today, however, a $500 million facelift of the site — alongside a slow and steady gentrification of the two neighbouring suburbs — the prime corner property has been transformed into a luxury apartment complex Surry Hills Village by developer Toga Group.
The crowning feature of the 122-apartment project is the three-bedroom penthouse, fully completed and just released to market with a $7.5 million price guide.
Measuring 211sqm of internal space, with a 136sqm terrace complete with landscaping, the penthouse is the brand new brainchild of Surry Hills local Adam Haddow, director of architecture at award-winning firm SJB.
Victoria Judge, senior associate and co-interior design lead at SJB says Surry Hills Village sets a new residential benchmark for the southern end of Surry Hills.
“The residential offering is well-appointed, confident, luxe and bohemian. Smart enough to know what makes good living, and cool enough to hold its own amongst design-centric Surry Hills.”
Allan Vidor, managing director of Toga Group, adds that the penthouse is the quintessential jewel in the crown of Surry Hills Village.
“Bringing together a distinct design that draws on the beauty and vibrancy of Sydney; grand spaces and the finest finishes across a significant footprint, located only a stone’s throw away from the exciting cultural hub of Crown St and Surry Hills.”
Created to maximise views of the city skyline and parkland, the top floor apartment has a practical layout including a wide private lobby leading to the main living room, a sleek kitchen featuring Pietra Verde marble and a concealed butler’s pantry Sub-Zero Wolf appliances, full-height Aspen elm joinery panels hiding storage throughout, flamed Saville stone flooring, a powder room, and two car spaces with a personal EV.
All three bedrooms have large wardrobes and ensuites with bathrooms fittings such as freestanding baths, artisan penny tiles, emerald marble surfaces and brushed-nickel accents.
Additional features of the entertainer’s home include leather-bound joinery doors opening to a full wet bar with Sub-Zero wine fridge and Sub-Zero Wolf barbecue.
The Surry Hills Village precinct will open in stages until autumn next year and once complete, Wunderlich Lane will be home to a collection of 25 restaurants and bars plus wellness and boutique retail. The EVE Hotel Sydney will open later in 2024, offering guests an immersive experience in the precinct’s art, culture, and culinary offerings.
The Surry Hills Village penthouse on Baptist is now finished and ready to move into with marketing through Toga Group and inquiries to 1800 554 556.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
