REA Group’s latest platform update landed last month, and if you blinked, you might have missed the significance. Buried beneath the press release jargon about “enhanced consumer experiences” are fundamental changes to how properties get discovered on realestate.com.au.

I’ve spent the past three weeks testing these features and talking to agents across Sydney and Melbourne. Here’s what’s actually changed and what it means for your business.

The AI-Powered Search Overhaul

The biggest shift is in how the platform handles natural language queries. Buyers can now search using conversational phrases like “family home near good schools in the Hills District under 1.5 million” instead of clicking through filter menus.

Behind the scenes, REA’s machine learning models are interpreting intent and matching properties accordingly. This sounds minor until you realise the implications for listing copywriting.

Properties with rich, descriptive copy that matches how real buyers talk are getting preferential placement. The days of keyword-stuffed descriptions are numbered—the AI understands context, not just terms.

One agent in Chatswood told me his listings with detailed neighbourhood descriptions are getting 40% more enquiries since the update. He’d always written thorough copy, but now the platform actually rewards it.

Automated Property Insights

REA has rolled out AI-generated property insights that appear on listings automatically. These include:

• Historical price estimates
• Comparable recent sales
• Suburb growth trends
• Days on market averages

This is a double-edged sword for agents.

On one hand, it provides transparency that builds buyer confidence. On the other, it can undermine your expertise if buyers feel they’ve already got the data.

The smart play? Reference these insights in your buyer conversations before they bring them up. Show you’ve seen the same data and can add context the algorithm can’t provide. “Yes, the platform shows 45 days on market average for this area, but that includes a lot of overpriced stock. Well-priced properties are moving in under 21 days.”

The VPA Calculator Update

The vendor paid advertising estimator has been rebuilt with more sophisticated modelling. It now factors in:

• Seasonal demand patterns
• Current campaign performance for similar listings
• Historical VPA spend vs outcome data

I’ve found it surprisingly accurate for standard campaigns. For a recent listing in Mosman, it suggested a $12,000-$15,000 VPA range—exactly where I would have landed based on experience.

Where it struggles is with premium properties or unusual marketing requirements. A prestige listing in Point Piper requiring international buyer targeting? The calculator has no way to account for specialised marketing strategies.

Use it as a starting point for vendor conversations, but don’t let it replace your professional judgment on campaign strategy.

The Agent Match Feature

This one’s controversial. REA has introduced an algorithm that suggests agents to sellers based on “performance metrics and specialisation.”

The metrics reportedly include:

• Recent sales volume in the area
• Days on market performance
• Listing-to-sale conversion rates
• Customer review scores

Agents I’ve spoken with have mixed feelings. High performers see it as validation—their results are being recognised. Newer agents or those who’ve had a quiet patch worry about being algorithmically buried.

My advice: focus on what you can control. Clearance rates matter, but so does the quality of your seller relationships. Encourage satisfied vendors to leave reviews. Update your profile with recent sales. The algorithm rewards activity and outcomes.

What This Means for Your Listing Strategy

Here’s my practical checklist for adapting to these changes:

Copywriting

• Write descriptions in natural language, not real estate clichés
• Include neighbourhood details that match how buyers search
• Mention nearby schools, transport, and lifestyle features by name

Photography and Media

• The AI is getting better at assessing image quality—invest in professional photography
• Virtual tours are being weighted more heavily in search results
• Drone footage for appropriate properties signals premium positioning

Pricing Strategy

• Expect more informed buyers who’ve seen the automated insights
• Overpricing is more visible when historical data is shown alongside your listing
• Realistic pricing leads to better days on market performance, which feeds the algorithm

Vendor Management

• Show vendors the AI insights before they see them themselves
• Explain how you add value beyond what the data shows
• Use the VPA calculator as a conversation starter, not the final word

The Bigger Picture

REA Group is betting heavily on AI because they see where consumer expectations are heading. Buyers want instant information. They want to understand markets without sitting through sales pitches.

This doesn’t diminish the role of good agents—it changes it. We’re shifting from gatekeepers of information to interpreters of complexity. The data is available to everyone now. Your value is in knowing what it means and what to do about it.

I’ve been in this industry long enough to remember when fax machines were revolutionary. The agents who thrived then were the ones who adapted fastest. Same principle applies now.

The AI features aren’t coming—they’re here. The question is whether you’ll use them to your advantage or let them work against you.

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Linda Powers consults with real estate agencies across Australia on technology adoption and digital strategy. She spent 15 years running an agency in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs before transitioning to PropTech consulting.