Ex-Macquarie Bank director, Ian Macintosh, supported by successful tech entrepreneur Craig Hewett, and property industry specialist David Murphy, have joined forces to launch sello – a high-tech platform helping to transform Australia’s real estate landscape.
“The Australian real estate market has remained low-tech and unchallenged for too long,” said Ian Macintosh, CEO and co-founder of sello. “Our objective was to design an intelligent online solution which delivers unprecedented control and visibility for property sellers – and sello is the result.”
sello harnesses advanced technology providing an unparalleled level of customer service, comprehensive vendor communication tools, and lower transaction costs.
“We saw an opportunity to address the problems of a lack of transparency and sellers feeling like they’re not in control of the transaction. Our platform delivers a higher quality service to sellers and maximises efficiencies to drive down operational costs, resulting in significant cost savings,” Macintosh continued.
“Traditionally the sale of a property has attracted exorbitant costs and statistically Australians remain unsatisfied with the level of service during the sale process. sello simplifies the process, reduces the cost and importantly, delivers increased transparency and control to sellers”.
How exactly does sello work?
sello’s clients pay a flat fee of $7,550 regardless of the property value which includes agency fee and all marketing costs.
“sello shouldn’t be confused with a DIY agency – property presentation is critically important which is why professional photographers are engaged, high quality print brochures and premium online listings are secured for every property,” Macintosh explained. “In addition, we supply fully hosted inspections and conduct buyer negotiations on behalf of the vendor.”
sello’s intuitive dashboard interface provides vendors with the ability to access real-time, detailed information about the progress of their property sale.
“It’s tangibly reassuring and immensely satisfying for sellers to know the level of interest in their property in real-time without having to constantly chase their agent for updates,” said Macintosh. “sello champions consumers with transparency, control and convenience. It’s the sophisticated real estate tool that combines the best of human and tech, optimised for efficiency and delivery at a fraction of the cost.”
Recently, sello sold a property at Bronte Beach in Sydney’s east. The sale was concluded in only two weeks at a price which significantly exceeded the owner’s expectations. In addition, the vendors saved $15,500 in traditional agency fees.
“We recognise the power of digital marketing and are committed to further innovating the real-tech market,” Macintosh said in conclusion. “sello is uniquely positioned for success in the online real estate space. While we are launching in Sydney, we have rapid, scalable growth ambitions Australia-wide.
“Our founding team is the perfect blend of investment banking, real estate industry expertise and online consumer technology. We’re confident that Sello will be embraced and help lead the Australian property market into the future.”
Who are the people behind sello?
Ian Macintosh is the CEO and co-founder of sello. With 15 years experience at Macquarie Bank, Ian held senior roles overseeing real estate funds management, risk management, product development and project management. Ian successfully launched a real estate buyers agency in 2009 and is a licensed real estate agent in NSW.
David Murphy is a founding investor in sello. With over 18 years experience in residential real estate, David established and runs a progressive and highly respected independent agency on Sydney’s lower north shore and is recognised for his sales results and client satisfaction. With significant domain experience, David understands the issues sellers face in the existing market and the immense opportunity for improvement through the innovative use of technology.
Craig Hewett is a founding investor in sello. Craig has over 18 years experience building online tech startups in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. In 2005 he co-founded Wego.com, a leading online travel marketplace initially focused on Asia, and now the largest in the Middle East. As part of Wego’s founding team he successfully helped to execute the early startup concept into a scalable business servicing millions of consumers per month. Wego has since attracted growth capital from renowned venture capital firms such as Square Peg Capital and Tiger Global.
