Landchecker online tool aims to revolutionise property market

An innovative online tool is aiming save time and money for people buying, selling, developing or renovating property. Landchecker is a property planning tool that helps real estate agents, property developers and home owners do their due diligence. On an interactive map, users can see what planning zones or overlays their property is under, and what rules apply to them.

Launched this month by founders of dynamic Melbourne architecture agency Ewert Leaf, and property developer Moda Corp, Landchecker collects all relevant information about a property so people can easily perform due diligence before they invest and also keep property records up-to-date. The state Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, The Hon. Philip Dalidakis MLC, was present at the Landchecker launch last week, as part of digital innovators launch in the new offices of Landchecker digital creators, Papercloud.

Mr Leaf and his Landchecker co-founders, Toby Ewert and Ed Farquharson, along with technical partner Simon Holland (from Papercloud), chief technical officer Tim Asquith and general manager Jim Leaf, developed the tool over 18 months.

A registered architect with a degree in architecture and property development, Mr Leaf understands the commercial reality of developer-driven projects. He said Landchecker reflected Ewert Leaf’s focus on problem-solving to deliver fast, commercially viable and cost-effective solutions.

People are often unaware of the planning controls that affect their home so this tool enables them  to quickly check their land for any underlying constraints or opportunities. As architects and developers, we found we were assessing data through several different websites  which became time consuming and frustrating. Landchecker aggregates this information on a single platform. 

Homebuyers often don’t understand where to find this information and currently it is found through  several different websites. We are helping people to access it quickly in a user-friendly, legible manner.

In a society where transparency is becoming a critical part of business, we think it will become  popular with financial institutions and mortgage brokers as a means of creating loyalty with customers. Would you bank with someone who didn’t tell you that your house was in a flooding overlay if they had the capacity to do so? 

Landchecker will ensure people are better prepared when they meet with agents or legal  representatives because they will be able to ask the right questions – for example, what impact  does this heritage overlay have on the value of this property or its potential for redevelopment?’

Property professionals can subscribe to the service and access a real-time map, which enables them to toggle on and off relevant attributes, and to white label reports to assist with generating business. We are currently integrating permit data, which will also show applications pending and approved. This will be an upgrade to our standard suite of information.

Architects are always trying to innovate and make processes better. If you value your  time then this removes all the headaches around accessing planning data and allows you to use it as a tool to drive business.

- Landchecker founder and Ewert Leaf co-director Will Leaf

 

Anyone can access the site and purchase a property report for a given address and discover all the relevant  planning controls, such as zones, overlays, schools, bushfire and flood-prone areas and places of cultural sensitivity.

Landchecker is expected to strike a chord with people who are curious about their property value, but have no desire to sell. And it could revolutionise buyers’ relationships with banks.

Landchecker will launch in Victoria from September 10, before rolling out nationally later this year.

An individual report will cost $5.99. Landchecker Pro offers sole traders a monthly subscription with unlimited report downloads and access to real-time maps for $49, while companies (per office)  will pay $249, for a monthly subscription with unlimited report downloads and access to real-time  maps. Businesses who sign-up to Landchecker Pro before the end of the year will automatically receive the sites planning permit upgrade, free when it launches in 2017.

For further information, visit www.landchecker.com.au