REA Group has announced the appointment of Paul Bates as national sales director to drive commercial revenue strategy for its media and content business.

Bates brings more than 20 years’ experience in multi-platform media sales to REA, having most recently worked as Yahoo7’s national sales director.

Prior to this, he was the national head of trading and partnerships at Fairfax Media, as well as holding senior leadership roles at Fox Interactive Media, Pacific Magazines and IPC Weeklies.

Elizabeth Minogue, executive general manager of media and content at REA Group, said: “Paul will be a great addition to our media and content team given his passion for property, his deep understanding of the media landscape, and his experience in building and developing successful sales teams.

“Our culture is focused on having real conversations and delivering client solutions that thrive on creativity. Paul shares this vision within an evolving media landscape”

Commenting on his appointment, Bates said: “I’m looking forward to working with the team at REA, our advertisers and customers to take advantage of the opportunities we have with realestate.com.au.

“Media and content is still relatively new as a space for REA, and already the team involved are at the cutting edge of industry best practice with brand partnerships and media placements.