Case Study | REA Group × Freshwater Futures
From Curiosity to Capability: How REA's Senior Leaders Turned GenAI Into Business Value in Four Weeks
The Challenge
REA Group's executive sponsors could see GenAI reshaping property search, customer support and internal efficiency. Yet every function—Product, Marketing, Tech, Legal, People & Culture—had different questions.
Early experiments were popping up, but there was no shared roadmap, risk lens or talent plan. Momentum risked dissolving into siloed pilots and policy gridlock.
Why Freshwater Futures
Freshwater Futures was invited in by the CTO and Chief Strategy Officer because we:
Translate Hype into Hard Numbers
We focus on impact, feasibility, and cost-to-serve.
Blend Risk and Opportunity
We bring proven frameworks for privacy, safety, and regulation.
Upskill While We Consult
Our workshops leave leaders able to run the next sprint themselves.
Our Use-Case-Led Approach
| Phase | What We Did | Leaders Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Sprint | Interviewed 25 directors across Product, Media Sales, Finance, Customer & Legal to surface pain-points and data flows. | Function heads & ELT sponsors |
| GenAI for Leaders Programme | Three half-day modules covering foundations, governance, and opportunity design — peppered with live tool demos. | 60+ senior leaders |
| Ideation & Prioritisation Lab | Generated 40+ use cases, then scored each against impact, effort, risk. | Cross-functional squads |
| Roadmap & Risk Playbook | Built a 12-month roadmap, complete with guard-rails aligned to REA's ethical AI policy and Australia's safety guard-rails. | CTO, CRO, GC |
Spotlight Use Case
AI-assisted Listing Copy & Compliance Checker
Automatically drafts property descriptions, verifies they meet advertising standards, and flags privacy or discrimination risks before publish.
- Forecast: 65% faster copy turnaround
- Risk rating: Low (human in loop + policy alignment)
- Pilot owner: Advertising & Customer Experience
Outcomes in 30 Days
- 8 priority initiatives green-lit, spanning listing copy, contract review, talent acquisition and voice-of-customer analytics.
- 35% average cycle-time reduction projected across three high-volume processes.
- Risk & governance framework embedded in Omnia and Copilot deployment guides.
- 12 "GenAI Champions" trained to coach their departments, creating in-house momentum.
- Executive alignment – GenAI targets baked into FY-25 OKRs with budget and KPIs.
"Freshwater Futures gave us clarity, confidence and a concrete plan—exactly what a fast-moving digital business needs."
— Chief Strategy Officer, REA Group
What This Means for Your Listings or PropTech Business
If you're juggling innovation pressure, regulatory scrutiny and limited AI skills, a focused, cross-functional sprint can uncover high-value, low-risk wins—while skilling staff to run with them.
Ready to chart your AI course?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and see how Freshwater Futures can turn GenAI ambition into measurable results for your organisation.
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