Frequently Asked Questions

Sales Data FAQ's

• Where is the sales data currently available?
  
• How do I find the sale price for a particular property?
  
• A house that sold recently isn't showing up on your site.  When will the updates be displayed?
  
• How can I narrow my search criteria with regards to timeframe, e.g. properties sold within the last twelve months?

REX FAQ's

• What is the REX (Real Estate Exchange) Service?
• What are Median Values?
• What is the Property Price Index?
  

Real Estate Agent FAQ's

• Why should I list with onthehouse.com.au?
• How will an agent receive an enquiry on a listing?
• I upload my data to the major portals through an outsourced service provider or 'portal pusher/multi-loader'.  Will I be able to have my data also sent to onthehouse.com.au via this service?
• I don't outsource my data uploads, how do I list directly with onthehouse.com.au.
• Are any of your shareholders part of a real estate franchise system (i.e. my competition)?
• Your site looks good at the moment but will it be bombarded with distracting advertisements in the future?
• What other services will you offer to agents?
• Why are you supporting private sales?
• What sort of technology does onthehouse.com.au use?

Private Seller FAQ's

• Why should I list with onthehouse.com.au?
• How much will it cost to sell my property?
• What payment methods are available?
• Can I still use an agent?
• How do I list my property?
• How do I register with onthehouse.com.au?
• How long will my listing last?
• How do I estimate a value for my property?
• What do I do once I receive an enquiry on my property?
• What do I do once I have received and accepted an offer on my property?
• Who will prepare the Contract of Sale?
• Is it necessary for me to hire a lawyer?
• How do I edit my listing and how often can I edit my ad?
• How do I find out how many people have viewed my ad?
• Can you track sales on properties listed on your site?
• My listing has not appeared on the onthehouse.com.au website.

General FAQ's

• I have forgotten my username.
• I have forgotten my password.
• How do I sign up for email alerts?
• Will my contact details remain private?
• When will my for sale sign arrive?
• My for sale sign has not arrived.

Sales Data FAQ's

Where is the sales data currently available?

We currently source our property sales data from the Queensland, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Government departments. We are currently pursuing the data from other states, but if you would like to be notified when your state is online, please register your interest here. If you would like to know more, please email us at info@onthehouse.com.au.

 

How do I find the sale price for a particular property?

To find out the last sale information for a property, you can access the reports section of the website and perform a street or property sale report.

Alternatively, to find a sale price on the map:

1. Go to the home page - www.onthehouse.com.au
2. Type in the suburb you are looking for in the search box and click the search button
3. You now have two options:
• You can scroll through all the suburb sales and listings results using the list on the left hand side of the page
• Alternatively, you can use the map on the right to zoom in to the particular properties you are interested in and click on the icon to get more information on the property

 

A house that sold recently isn't showing up on your site.  When will the updates be displayed?

We load weekly updates to the sales data, however the lag time for updates differ for each state, as we get the data directly from the relevant Government authority.  These authorities take time to collate and release this data and in some cases a sale may take up to 3 months to display in a report.

How can I narrow my search criteria with regards to timeframe, e.g. properties sold within the last twelve months?

When searching for properties on the map/list view, only the last sale price for the properties is displayed.

However, by joining as an onthehouse.com.au member you are able to access our reports and search full sale histories for any particular property, suburb or street, as well as limit the search to sold houses within a certain period of time. This service provides you with many more options and more defined results.

To find out more about our reports, or to join, please go to: http://www.onthehouse.com.au/sold_info/

 

Real Estate Exchange FAQ's

 What is the REX (Real Estate Exchange) Service?

 The Australian public has been unable to freely obtain information about property values.  Home owners are worried about the value of their home.  At the same time, property hunters are not able to monitor value movement by region.  Unlike shares which can be monitored on the ASX, consumers do not have access to a tool which allows them to freely benchmark and monitor their most important asset, their home.  The REX service is designed to service this need.  Onthehouse.com.au provides the actual sold data from properties sales on an individual property, street or suburb basis.  Now, the REX services analyses the property values movements by region, whilst also allowing consumers to “drill down” to the actual underlying sales data (licensed from State & Territory Government).

 

What are Median values?

The median value displayed by region in the REX service is the value of the middle sale in that region of the target period.  For example, if there were 15 sales in a suburb arranged from lowest to highest sales price, the price of the 8th property will be the median value.  Median values are commonly used by the real estate profession as a guide on value movements in a region of time.  Whilst a useful guide, assessment of the value of a particular property should be considered against comparative properties sold and preferably for sale to assess current value of a particular property. The median price is a “big picture” snapshot of sales and often ignores micro-markets within suburbs and cities. No suburb is homogenous and prices can vary significantly within small geographical areas or even between streets.  The onthehouse sold data may be used for this purpose and is freely available on the site.

 

What is the Property Price Index?

The Property Price Index indices are calculated using the repeat sales method, which uses data on properties that have sold at least twice during a time frame.   The source of the data used for the indices is from the government.  The model measures the average growth in single-family home price for each quarter as an index value.  Onthehouse.com.au also calculates the values of every property sold back in the base period and calculate the median value of those figures.  The base period is the earliest date of the repeat sales used.  The Index is then applied to the median value to create a better representation of the residential property market.

The repeat sales method was developed by Case-Schiller and is widely used and accepted. It is used by government statistical divisions including the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Standards & Poors in the USA.

 

Real Estate Agent FAQ's

Why should I list with onthehouse.com.au?

Our motto is "why not?".  onthehouse.com.au is a free service for agents which has sought to address many of the concerns real estate agents have with the industry as it currently stands.

 

How will an agent receive an enquiry on a listing?

Your logo and contact details will be displayed on every property listing (assuming you have provided your logo) so buyers will contact you using their preferred method, be it email or phone.

 

I upload my data to the major portals through an outsourced service provider or 'portal pusher/multi-loader'.  Will I be able to have my data also sent to onthehouse.com.au via this service?

Yes, onthehouse.com.au is currently listed with many of these service providers.  If your service provider does not push listings to onthehouse.com.au, just let us know and we will contact them to try and arrange something for you.

 

I don't outsource my data uploads, how do I list directly with onthehouse.com.au?

To set up an agent profile please contact us.  We can create an agent account with several logins for individual agents under that account.  From there you simply login to the site and create your own listings.

 

Are any of your shareholders part of a real estate franchise system (i.e. my competition)?

No, we are a privately owned company which is not in any way aligned with any real estate agencies/franchise systems.  We prefer to keep things at 'arm's length' which enables us to be unbiased with our operations and provide you with a top notch service.

 

Your site looks good at the moment but will it be bombarded with distracting advertisements in the future?

Our aim is to keep distracting advertisements to a minimum.  We will of course require some advertising as a means of offsetting the free listings we offer to you.

 

What other services will you offer to agents?

Apart from the free property sales data we currently offer, we are developing a much more extensive database of sales data which will be available to all users of the site.

We also offer agents free banner advertising throughout search results - also free of charge.  Our technology will examine the level of content posted by each agency in a region per month and generate an agent advertisement in each search results page relevant to the enquiry.  For instance, if a search of West End in Queensland generated 100 properties for sale, then each page of 20 property listings would contain an agent advertisement, selected and ranked by quantity of listings of the agents in that region.

Phase 2 of our development process (under construction as we speak) includes the creation of extensive reporting features.  We will collate and analyse data from the site and make it available to you as a valuable resource tool.

On completion of phase 2 of our development process, each agent's office location will be represented as an icon on the onthehouse.com.au mapping features.  Each icon will capture each agent's logo and contact details.  Of course, this only applies to agents who have listed properties with us.

onthehouse.com.au will listen to agent feedback and strive to provide agents with the services and features which are most important to them.

 

Why are you supporting private sales if you insist you want to do right by agents?

Private sales is only a small percentage of the current real estate market (around 1% - 2% from our enquiries), but capturing that 1% - 2% allows us to provide agents with all of the services detailed above.  Without private sales content, we could not service agents free of charge.  onthehouse.com.au also wants to be a service available to everyone and for this reason, we do not want to disregard consumers who would like to sell privately but, until now, have not been able to do so effectively.

 

What sort of technology does onthehouse.com.au use?

onthehouse.com.au has strived to provide consumers with the latest in technology.  Our site features:

• Search results displayed on dynamic, interactive google maps.  As the contents of the map are changed by the user scrolling or zooming, the search criteria updates itself accordingly.
• Search results displayed by user preference (in a map, list, tiled or detailed).
• User can browse by means of an interactive map, drilling down through states through to regions and sub regions.
• Javascript technologies such as AJAX utilised throughout so as to enhance the user experience.
• An interactive photo gallery, providing the user with a slideshow.

Private Seller FAQ's

Why should I list with onthehouse.com.au?

Save money!!

You will save thousands of dollars in commission fees by selling privately.

It's easy!

Our step by step process makes listing simple.  Its as easy as 1, 2, review!  We also provide guidance on every aspect of the selling process.  See our Hints and Tips for more information.

You are in control

You decide how and when to sell your property.  You decide the sale price.  You decide who views your home and when.

You are the expert

Who knows your property better than you?

You receive feedback direct from buyers

All feedback will be sent directly to you so you get the full story.

 

How much will it cost to sell my property?

Pay just $250 to list your property for as long as you like.  No other fees payable.  This fee is non-refundable and properties that remain inactive for 90 days may be removed.

What payment methods are available?

Payment is due at the time of listing and may be made by credit card (we accept Mastercard and Visa).  If you do not have a credit card, please contact our helpful support staff who will try to arrange an alternative payment method.

 

Can I still use an agent?

Yes you can!  You should ensure you have an 'open' or 'sole' listing with your real estate agent to enable you to do this.  Check our How To guide for more information on this.

 

How do I list my property?

Click this link and you will be taken to the List Property page.  Alternatively, click on 'List Property' from the main menu.

 

How do I register with onthehouse.com.au?

Click this link and you will be taken to the Join page.  Alternatively, click 'Join' from the main menu.

 

How long will my listing last?

Your listing will remain on the site until it is removed by you.  Listings which remain inactive for more than 90 days will be removed from the site but don't worry, we will remind you first.

 

How do I estimate a value for my property?

See our brochure on How To Set A Sale Price For Your Property.

 

What do I do once I receive an enquiry on my property?

After receiving an enquiry on your property, the potential buyer's contact details will be forwarded to you via email.  You should contact the potential buyer to arrange a mutually convenient time for him/her to view your property.  Ensure your property is presented at its best when they arrive by following our hints and tips on How To Prepare Your Property For Sale.

 

What do I do once I have received and accepted an offer on my property?

You should edit your listing in the 'My Listings' section of the site under 'My Profile' to advise us that it is under contract and to avoid other buyers contacting you.  You should then contact your solicitors to finalise the Contract of Sale. 

 

Who will prepare the Contract of Sale?

Your solicitor can prepare the Contract of Sale on your behalf.

 

Is it necessary for me to hire a lawyer?

Yes, a lawyer/solicitor will assist you through the conveyancing process.  You will need to hire a lawyer regardless of whether you sell privately or with an agent, unless you are familiar with the conveyancing process.  Conveyancing involves the preparation of the contract, preparing the required transfer forms, arranging for payment of stamp duty, peforming the appropriate searches on the property, preparing settlement adjustments (i.e. rates) and attending settlement on your behalf.

 

How do I edit my listing and how often can I edit my ad?

You can edit your listing at any time through the 'My Listings' section of the site under 'My Profile'.

 

How do I find out how many people have viewed my ad?

You can do this in the 'My Listings' section of the site under 'My Profile'.

 

Can you track sales on properties listed on your site?

Yes, we monitor sales on all properties listed on our site.

My listing has not appeared on the onthehouse.com.au website.

We will approve/disapprovee listings within 1 business day.  If you posted your listing more than 1 business day ago, please email us and we will investigate the problem.  Ensure you quote your property ID when contacting us.

 

General FAQ's

I have forgotten my username.

Your username is your email address.

 

I have forgotten my password.

Click here to have your password emailed to you.

 

How do I sign up for email alerts?

You will first need to become a member of onthehouse.com.au by completing your details in the 'Join' tab.  You can then sign up for email alerts via the 'My Alerts' section in 'My Profile'.

 

Will my contact details remain private?

Yes, unless you submit an enquiry on a property or an enquiry is made on your property.  At that point, sellers and buyers details are exchanged and forwarded to both.  We take your privacy seriously, please see our Privacy Policy for further information.

 

When will my for sale sign arrive?

For sale signs will be dispatched within 1 business day of confirmation of successful payment.  You should receive your sign within 7 business days but in some cases, delivery may take up to 10 business days.  If you do not receive your sign within this time, we will be happy to provide a refund of the amount paid.

 

My for sale sign has not arrived.

If it has been more than 10 business days since you ordered your sign, we will be happy to provide a refund and a new sign.  Please email us and we will investigate the problem and arrange for your refund.  Ensure you quote your property ID when contacting us.