Meet Pete and Barbara Jennings (not their real name). They hope to buy a house in Birkenhead in Auckland and are using a new data-led way of doing so.
They are keenest on Birkenhead Point, the poshest bit of the suburb – but they like Birkenhead's overall bush and village atmosphere so are prepared to look further afield within the area.
They haven't engaged a real estate agent yet; they intend to do so shortly but haven't quite finished doing their homework on www.oneroof.co.nz, the new, free website already revolutionising the way many people are buying or renting houses—nationally, not just in Auckland.
The key to OneRoof – and to the Jennings' search – is data. OneRoof, owned and operated by NZME, the proprietors of the New Zealand Herald, claims it is the greatest single reference point available for buyers, sellers and renters. Its property data collects, under one roof, a huge amount of already-publicly-available data to enable better property decisions.
Like the Jennings' search in Birkenhead. They clicked into the Suburbs menu on the OneRoof website, keying in Birkenhead, to research the area. They also moved through the big News section, to see if there are any real estate stories or happenings which may affect their decision.
"A modern suburb with a quaint village feel, Birkenhead is a popular choice for new buyers, and offers a range of quality homes in close proximity to local schools. The area is self-functioning with shopping, excellent dining facilities and many local reserves," the website tells them – an introduction to a pool of data which not only deeply analyses Birkenhead as a suburb but is also an illustration of the way data is increasingly being used in our daily lives to make better decisions.
The Jennings watched the next feature with interest: a map showing the local schools for their two young children. Click again and local restaurants are defined on the suburb map. Click again – and bus routes are displayed. So, with another click, amenities like swimming pools and libraries are identified.
So too are hospitals, police stations, gyms, banks, and many other local assets visible. That's what's available in terms of public amenities and services – but what about the make-up of the Birkenhead area itself?
Scrolling through OneRoof data, they discover that the biggest age group in the suburb is their own – 31-40. They can see that 36 per cent of Birkenhead homes house only two people, with the next biggest being 19 per cent accommodating only one person. They can see that nearly two-thirds of homes in the suburb have been owned less than one year (26 per cent) or 1-4 years (37 per cent).
Household income stats show that 20 per cent earn $70,000 to $100,000 – with 25 per cent earning more than $100k, as the Jennings do. The biggest occupational groups living in the area are "professionals" (27 per cent) and "managers" (18 per cent).
Now the Jennings are really starting to get a feel for the Birkenhead area – and they move to the "Recently Sold" map on OneRoof. There, they can see recent sales, ranging from $650,000 to $2.3m.
The latter is in Birkenhead Point and it's above the Jennings' budget. So they click into OneRoof's search feature which enables them to pinpoint properties for sale according to various criteria – number of bedrooms, bathrooms, property type, parking, what school zones apply, commuting time, rentyal yield, capital growth and much more – and, of course, price range.
NZME chief digital officer Laura Maxwell says OneRoof came about because NZME research showed most property buyers used up to four resources, and many websites, to research potential properties. A partnership with CoreLogic makes property valuation information available, the same sort banks use.
"It was a no-brainer," she says. "All we had to do was put into one place – under one roof – all the publicly available data which people commonly use when they are looking for somewhere to live.
"But you don't have to poke around four different websites with four different ways of doing things and with the information all couched in different ways – everything you need to make a decision to purchase or rent property is in one convenient location," she says.
When the Jennings are ready to talk to an agent, they can simply go to the agent search function, type in "Birkenhead" and a list of agents appears.
Maxwell says OneRoof's functionality is re-writing the book on how all sorts of people will peruse available real estate: "If you're an investor, then you can search by yield. If you want to still have something left over for holidays and a new car, then search by affordability."
OneRoof is already receiving positive reviews from the industry. Craig Smith, CEO of Austar Realty said: "I have to admit to being very excited by the prospects that the new One Roof client platform is designed to provide. Collating so much information to produce a one-stop property portal with this level of sophistication must have been an enormous undertaking.
"But the result, a comprehensive real estate site that virtually provides all the answers to the enquiring public is an outstanding leap forward for the industry as a whole. I look forward to being a part of this from the get-go and watch with anticipation where it leads us."
Alistair Helm, founder of property analysis and commentary site Properazzi said recently: "I have to say as a user OneRoof is the best digital platform on the market today. The OneRoof platforms of website and mobile apps are superb."
Grant Lynch & Barry Thom, Owners of UP Real Estate said: "OneRoof…provides a comprehensive source of information for both buyer and seller, including an innovative search functionality that helps buyers search for property based on their specific needs. As a one-stop shop, we thoroughly endorse OneRoof as a platform for our vendors and are pleased to be early adopters of this new marketing medium."
Treena Drinnan, Business Development & Marketing Manager for LJ Hooker, said OneRoof is the only one-stop online property portal "containing everything you need to know to make an informed property decision whether buying, selling or renting. OneRoof is not only rich in data and content, it is easy to navigate – ensuring a positive and enjoyable user experience."