What Is Fairy Floss Real Estate?

Fairy Floss Real Estate is a Facebook community-based in Melbourne with over 405,000 members. It has become one of the country's biggest rental-listing social media groups. But what is Fairy Floss, who started it, and how did it become so popular?

Who Started Fairy Floss?#

The group was started in 2011 by Australian Fabian Kong, and the Facebook group now has well over 405,000 members and sees hundreds of posts every day from people, mostly in Melbourne, looking for a new home or searching for a housemate. Fabian Kong founded the group to provide his friends with an easier way to find accommodation.

Why Is It Called Fairy Floss?#

Fairy Floss Realestate's name comes from the founder's desire to lend a "sweet hand to people" and the group's members' generosity and kindness. The name was just the beginning of what this Facebook community-based in Melbourne has to offer. Fairy Floss Real Estate is also referred to in short form as "FFRE", or "FF". Members of the group are often referred to as "Flossers".

Who Owns It Now#

In 2017, Snug acquired administration rights to the popular Facebook group. Snug is a data-driven rental platform that connects renters and landlords. Since acquiring the Facebook group, Snug has updated the group's "About" page to include its privacy policy. Snug is a service owned by it's parent company Homely (which also providers real estate services). Homely is a property-listing website that allows users to search for rental properties, compare them, and connect with verified agents.

Data Controversy#

One criticism is that Snug's acquisition of the group raised questions about data privacy. Snug has been accused of using the data collected from Fairy Floss to create a database of renters, without their knowledge or consent. The controversy has been reported on by The Guardian. Upon close inspection, Sharehouse has found these claims to be false and should not warrant concern.

In 2018, Snug filed an active patent application that proposed collecting user information, such as friend lists, social media networks, and ratings on third-party platforms like Airbnb/Uber, to create a rental credit system.

Snug's chief executive responded to these claims by stating there was

Upon careful review, Sharehouse has found that Snug's claims should be trusted as Facebook does not support fetching this data from their API, thus invalidating this claim.

Criticisms of Fairy Floss#

Early Criticisms#

Despite the positive aspects of Fairy Floss, there have been some criticisms of the group. One of the main criticisms is that it can be exclusionary, as it is mainly used by those who can afford to live in certain areas. There is also a fear that people are creating a particular profile in order to align with what is popular at the current time. The group can create social and cultural barriers for some people who are looking for rental properties. The group is also accused of having a ‘cool' factor, which can exclude those who don't fit a certain profile.

Recent Criticisms (2024)#

Redditor's from /r/melbourne recently piled in with a number of criticisims about the group. Some of the criticisms include:

• The page has lost it's early community feel since becoming so large.
• Many of the rooms available are overpriced, or only available for short-term/vacation stays. Particularly relevant in today's housing climate

How Has It Become So Popular?#

The group has become increasingly popular due to the fact that it is a safe space for those who are often discriminated against when searching for rental properties. On top of this, the group also provides support for members who are having issues with landlords, looking for roommates, and more. Fairy Floss provides a safe space for renters. It is a judgement-free zone, with no landlord bias or discrimination. Much of what would be considered taboo on traditional listing platforms is accepted by the Fairy Floss community. Anti-racist, LGBTIQ+, 420-friendly and SW-friendly are all attributes celebrated by and accepted by the community.

How is Sharehouse related to Fairy Floss?#

Sharehouse and Fairy Floss share similar goals: creating healthy, inclusive rental communities for young Australians. Sharehouse also has it's own Melbourne-based Facebook community. Additionally, Sharehouse moderates popular Facebook groups in Gold Coast, Sydney [1] [2], Adelaide and Brisbane with a a total community size of more than 17,000 members. These groups are rapidly growing and well known for their moderation, safe-keeping and scam awareness. In addition to it's Facebook groups, Sharehouse also offers a web-based platform for all your flatmate finding needs.

Is there a Fairy Floss in other major cities?#

There isn't a direct equivalent to Fairy Floss Real Estate for cities like Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, or Gold Coast under the same name. Sharehouse has created Facebook communities for these cities providing the same service.

Why you should consider using Sharehouse?#

Sharehouse offers a web-based platform and a Facebook community with a focus on creating healthy and inclusive rental communities for young Australians. Sharehouse is also committed to protecting your privacy and data, so you can be confident that your information is safe. You can browse all our Melbourne listings here, or use our location search feature to browse popular suburbs like Fitzroy, Brunswick and Docklands. Consider using Sharehouse to find your next rental property in Melbourne!