We’ve seen many real estate portal niches including portals based on property types, listings types, property prices and property locations. What we have not seen (until now) is a portal based on religious belief. Jewish Living is the only nationwide “Jewish” real estate portal in Australia with a Jewish local, interstate and international target market.
Jewish Living is a fresh way of thinking, which adds value in a way that other websites don’t… The site is also supported by Jewish communal bodies to increase its reach.
(Source: The Australian Jewish News)
Website founder Oschrie Massatschi came up with the idea three years ago while living and working in Tel Aviv.
I thought how easy it is to find Jewish people in the area that I live, he said. My question to myself was why couldn’t it be as easy everywhere in the world … to find the right place to live within close proximity to synagogues, kosher butchers and like-minded people.
The portal caters specific for the Jewish community and provides relevant additional information in relation to a property and its location. Some of these things include:
Whether a property includes:
- Shabbat Lift (ability to ride a lift without pushing a button)
- Kosher Kitchen
Whether a property is located within:
- Eruv Boundary (enable the carrying of objects out of doors on the Jewish Sabbath)
How far the property is located from:
- Synagogue
- Jewish Education
- Embassy
- Kosher restaurant
- Kosher Butcher
- Kosher Bakery
- Kosher Supermarket
- Kosher Grocery
To the non Jewish community these factors have no impact on the decision to purchase a property. For the Jewish community, however, these things can have a significant influence on whether a property will be purchased or not.
Given the diversity of religious and ethnic communities within Australia, we may be looking at an emerging real estate portal niche.
Real estate agents interested in gaining increased exposure to this niche market may submit their business details on the Jewish Living website to apply.
16 Comments
Oschrie
Thanks a lot Ryan for sharing our new real estate portal with everyone.
It was a real pleasure to meet you and everyone else at RE BarCamp. The great atmosphere and passionate discussions amongst all participants was a fantastic experience and an inspiration to all in the industry
Rachael Lord
What a fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing this, be very interested to see if it proves successful.
Vic
Wonder the reaction if a Muslim only website were to open, then one for Catholics only and perhaps we could have one based on ethnicity – just thought I’d throw this out there.
Oschrie
Good question. We explored this concept when developing Jewish Living and came to the conclusion that it best works for (and with) “minorities” in a given geographic location. Groups like vegetarians, homosexuals, Baha’is, etc. who share specific values and lifestyles. The greater the desire for one to find like-minded people the higher the demand for such a source.
MAC
I understand yr point Vic. Muslims wld be hounded by the Murdoch and Hancock media. As no doubt a poofters-only anything site. It’s not the fault of this portal tho, is it; just an indictment on Abbott and Howard type politics. FYI there is also a J(ewish)Date website they will no doubt partner with.
Vic
A good debate for the securalism vs inclusive/ integration forums. I’m for the latter.
Mr Question
How would a whites only portal be received by this same criteria?
Is it the same thing?
Where is the line between these ideas?
Regarding the Murdoch press reaction mentioned before, I presume equally there would be a huge reaction from the vigilant left style groups if this was created.
Interesting at the very least.
Peter Ricci
Mr Question. Interesting you set the argument on race not religion. You must believe by posing this question that race is treated no differently to religion?
If you cannot work out the difference (in in most western civilizations including ours) between these ideas then you might have some reading ahead of you.
Religious groups already get massive concessions in our commerce and political systems and in society for that matter- in most cases without question.
Here are some thoughts for you to ponder!
Can you have a traditional Jewish, Hindu or Muslim Wedding in a Christian Church?
Can and do religious churches through their private schools have the options of adding their religious ideals/indoctrinations to the sciences, politics, law etc?
Does a religious real estate website, setup to inform a particular religious group, who may or may not have particular religious needs in the purchase of goods and services affect you?
When it does become a problem
If any real estate company will not deal with you because of your religion, then you have very strong grounds for legal action. As far as I can tell this website does not do this.
So in no way does this affect you or anyone else for that matter. A great man once said, “I do not care if my neighbor believes in one God or twenty, as long as it neither picks my pocket or breaks my leg”.
Race
Race is a completely different story and no-one can deny you a product or service according to your race. These protections in most western civilizations have been in practice for decades.
Thanks for the comment, although personally I think it is misguided.
Ryan O'Grady
Mr Question, you’re completely off mark as the article is about religious beliefs.
Jewish Living do not discriminate in any way. They accept property listings from ANY real estate agency in Australia. I can testify to this as all of my clients have the opportunity (and some are) to market their properties with the portal.
All they have done is built a real estate portal which helps the Jewish community make the all important decision on where they would like to live.
Oschrie
An intriguing discussion that combines, business, race, politics and religion
Mr Question
Yes you are right it is different. Its a genuine question not a complaint.
You can choose your religion but not your race.
Its good that people can choose their own lifestyle and in Australia its possible.
However its also true that more people cause friction due to religious differences than racial ones its always a cause for reflection when any divisions occur in a society.
Maybe thats too deep for a real estate portal discussion but sensible comments have come out of it anyhow. Maybe we should leave it there because i can see this going quickly off topic.
Vic
Oschrie and Ryan,
I asked a seriously genuine question regarding what would be the public response to the establishment of a muslim site. The reason I asked the question was not to belittle the intentions of your site Oschrie for which I applaud you.
However given the changing sentiments over the years to minority groups I wonder if Australians are ready to accept that the Muslim community has needs like everyone of its minority predecessors. Judaism has an acceptance now, like Southern Europeans have, like Vietnamese community has and similarly the gay community. There, however, still remains a deep suspicion, mainly through ignorance, of the Muslim communities. We see it whenever a mosque is trying to be built, whenever a burqua is worn and whenever a radical islamist is arrested.
I am not questioning the rights or merits of your site, but simply wondered about community reaction to a Muslim site?
So I’ll finish on the same note as Mr Question and say that this probably was not the forum for the question. Please Peter no lecture on this comment:)
Ryan O'Grady
Vic, I don’t see any problems with a Muslim based real estate portal.
Vic
Neither do I Ryan, neither do I.
But just the predjudices I hear spoken, in asides, would suggest to me, that like the negative reaction to the attempt to put a Muslim centre near the twin towers, the same sort general suspicious reaction would occur here.
John Diacono
In Melbourne we already have areas that are specifically Jewish, Muslim, Italian, Greek, Hindi, Maltese…
Other people live in all these areas and the blend IS Melbourne!
Build what ever kind of site you want and more power to you for doing it. However don’t let it ever get to be totally seclusionist.
If you ever want to see if any of the properties I list are suitable please contact me.
Nick
A Muslim portal would never work…The Jewish portal users would resettle into all the Muslim land, leaving the Secular portal users to go in and clean up all the mess… then the Jewish portal users would have to infiltrate the Secular portals, run a series of false flag attacks on the Secular portal’s users blame the whole thing on the Muslim portal and get it closed down… ;). Still – it’s a nice looking site none-the-less :).