18/08/2026
Little disappointed no one at Elite Agent reached out for a comment from us for the article. But we are still headed to REA HQ. I’d say top ideas and innovation don’t always come from big agencies, they come from understanding the market, the industry, the customers. They come from wanting to do things a better way.
Really just hanging for a good coffee in Melbourne.
REA Group just opened its doors to 10 real estate businesses – and handed them the engineers.
For the first time in Hackdays' 16-year history, realestate.com.au Agents is inviting customers inside its flagship innovation sprint to co-build working prototypes in just four days.
The selected ideas are refreshingly practical. LJ Ho**er United Group wants to give vendors a data-backed pricing reality check. Ray White Upper North Shore is building a way to answer rental enquiries and manage inspection demand automatically. Ray White Commercial CSR is going after commercial information memorandums generated in minutes.
Others include Stockland, My Bay Realty, PropertyCo, CPG Estates, Metropolis, and McDonald Partners Real Estate – whose idea turns location competition into a live market monitor.
"Our customers are on the ground every day, they know the industry, they know their business, and they have great ideas," says REA Executive Manager – Sales, Gerard Connell.
What stands out is the breadth. Ray White Mildura's evidence-led listing content idea will sit alongside a commercial brokerage's document automation pitch.
Marcus Salvatore from McDonald Partners Real Estate put it simply: "Having the opportunity to collaborate, challenge existing ideas and potentially see my concept developed into something that could have a real impact on the industry is incredibly exciting."
The September sprint pairs REA's data, AI and technical capability with frontline industry insight.
If you could put one real estate problem in front of a room full of engineers for four days, what would it be?
Read the full article – link in the comments 👇
