flatmates.com.au
December 22, 2008 by Emma Sorensen
flatmates.com.au is an Australian portal for share accommodation. It lays claim to being the first Australian share accommodation site, with two similarly names websites having begun life in 1997.
In June 2007 Student Services Australia Pty Ltd purchased the two websites – flatmates.com.au and flatmate.com. In February 2008 it was relaunched.
A sister site, studentflatmates.com.au is launching in January 2009 and will be aimed at students seeking house share accommodation.
Ownership | Market Position | Key Measurements | Market Coverage | Advertising Model | Financials | Site Sections | Technology | Key Management | History | Recent Press | Information Sources
Acquired in June 2007 by Student Services Australia Pty Ltd. Current website was formed from the purchase of flatmate.com.au and flatmates.com.au, both of which were established in 1997.
flatmates.com.au is the 12th ranked site for property in Australia as measured by alexa.com. It provides listings for share accommodation in Australia. Among the specialist share accommodation sites, flatmates.com.au is the largest free site in Australia.
Key Measurements
(November 2008)
- 90,000 unique visitors per month (company’s own measurement)
- 1.2 m page impressions per month (company’s own measurement)
Australia wide.
Free for all users, with revenue from onsite advertising, plus acquiring an opt-in student database for the sister site, studentflatmates.com.au (launching January 2009). Major site sponsors in 2008 were Mastercard and Radio Rentals.
The site audience is:
- 84% aged 18-29. Average age 23
- 99% are in urban capital cities, 89% east coast capitals
- All are in-transition
- Many are “newly independents” -just graduated from university and moving out of the family home
The company says as of November 2008 the current revenue earned by flatmates.com.au would be less than $500k per annum.
Site Sections
The key sections of the website are search based:
- I need a place
- I need a flatmate
Php, Google Maps and YouTube video.
The key management are:
- Andrew Maloney – Managing Director
- Anika Magee – Marketing
- Lori Shea – Technology
flatmates.com.au lays claim to being the first Australian share accommodation site online circa 1997. It was founded by a Melbourne based programmer. Around the same time, another internet pioneer, Sonya Green, launched her Perth share search agency with the website flatmate.com.au.
In June 2007 Student Services Australia Pty Ltd (SSA) purchased the sites. In February 2008 SSA relaunched the site adding a new guide, Google Maps and YouTube video. In January 2009 SSA will launch a sister site – studentflatmates.com.au. This will sit inside SSA’s student portal, studentvip.com.au.
No links to recent press.
Management Interview
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[...] studentflatmates.com.au is the sister website of the more general share accommodation website, flatmates.com.au, and is run by Student Services Australia Pty Ltd alongside studentvip.com.au, Australia’s [...]