Toby Balazs appointed CEO of VIEW.com.au
Australia’s third largest real estate platform, VIEW.com.au, has appointed Toby Balazs, as their new CEO.
Balazs joins VIEW having served as a key member of REA’s leadership and online strategy teams since 2004. He worked with property developers and project marketers for the Richmond-based realestate.com.au for a decade and more recently was its manager of online strategy and execution.
Balazs will take over in mid-July from VIEW’s Enzo Raimondo, who has been closely involved with the property listing portal for over 16 years, first as CEO of Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) and later taking over as CEO of realestateview in 2016. A VIEW spokesperson advised Raimondo's next step was "undetermined."
Announcing Toby’s appointment, VIEW Chairman John Piccolo said Mr Balazs is a dynamic thinker and leader.
“His track record in executing transformative digital programs has been exceptional and he embodies VIEW’s values of innovation, integrity and fostering strong family ideals”, he said.
Balazs said he was "honoured and excited" to have been selected.
"Growing VIEW from the 3rd largest player is a challenge I accept with both confidence and determination,” he said.
Homehound has historically been ranked as 4th ranked listings website, with homely and thehomepage closing in.
“I am committed to continuing VIEW’s momentum based on a differentiated offering, which is resonating strongly in the market — by offering lower fees for real estate agents to list property, and importantly, delivering consumers an exceptional level of real estate industry information on a platform that is free and easy to use.
"My mission is to lead VIEW to even greater things,” the Perth born, Ivanhoe Grammar, Melbourne-educated executive said. Born in 1975, he completed a bachelor of business at RMIT in the 1990s.
The Hawthorn East-based VIEW recently launched of Property-360, a price estimate tool for over 13 million properties across Australia.
The site calculates Balazs's two bedroom modern Richmond terrace has an $836,000 value, with a $600,000 to $1 million potential value range. He paid $760,000 in 2008, suggesting the calculation algorithm needs refinement. Realestate.com.au put the likely value as between $1,100,000 to $1,374,999. Domain suggest the prospect of $975,000, with an estimated range between $845,000 to $1.11 million.
The website, which has struggled to get traction outside of Victoria, initially launched in 2001.
Its rebrand last year included an editorial partnership with Independent Media Publishers (IMP), regional and suburban publishers across Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.
It also has a partnership with the onsite news website, The New Daily.
The Alexa website's back of an envelope calculation puts the VIEW site as the 1000th busiest website in Australia, with realestate sitting 26th, and domain 74th. Homehound sits at around 17,000.
Franchise group websites were not included on the list of portals.