Page 20 - Tropic Magazine Issue 18

TROPIC • REAL ESTATE

Agent’s view

Principal/Director at
Belle Property Cairns

Despite the best attempt by the market a bit of a fluke. I disagree (of course).
to slow us down (Federal Election... No-one randomly walks in and buys a
hard to get credit... general downturn house for $1.5 million. What changed?
in southern markets), we continue I think the biggest issue previously
to track very well. Our volume of was that the agent wasn’t based in
sales is still very strong, and we will Cairns. Selling larger homes, one of the
finish the financial year miles ahead things we need to do is help the buyer
of the last few. The majority of our understand the market and talk about
purchasers are local owner-occupiers value. Give the buyer confidence and
who are buying and selling in the same comfort about what they are doing. I
environment - one of the upsides of just don’t know how you could do that if
our very flat prices. When Sydney and you don’t live and breathe it. Champagne location
Melbourne were rising at 10% plus With all these properties coming online on a beer budget
per annum, buyers were challenged I’ve found myself in front of the camera
with not being able to “get back in” a fair bit for our social media videos. Herron Todd White with some
after they had sold, which meant they I’m not doing much in them - just a
didn’t sell and therefore there was less very quick intro. We promote the videos advice on buying property
stock available... which increased the on Facebook which I often describe in suburbs like Edge Hill,
competition for what was for sale... and as a digital letterbox drop. The videos Whitfield and the Northern
pushed prices higher. routinely “reach” over 5000 people and Beaches.
April was a crazy month, which only the ones that have really been “liked”
slowed down towards the end as the can hit 5 times that. Like all advertising,
May 18 election ramped. I have never, it forms a piece of the puzzle, and all of
in over 15 years of selling property, had it combined gets us results. There is a real risk that
as many great homes come on to the It’s a challenging market to pick at the buying something cheap
market at the one time. I think that moment. If you ever want to discuss, in a good area in Cairns
we photographed 8 houses in 10 days. my phone is always on.
There is a lot of background work which is really just deferring
Ashlie and the team handled without a Kind regards, expenses you will have
meltdown thankfully. to incur down the track.
One of the houses we listed was on the Nicholas
beachfront in Kewarra. It had been Although it may be a
listed for six months or so prior and stretch, if it is your aim
wasn’t going anywhere. We sold it very MORE: belleproperty.com/cairns
quickly (in about two weeks) and one of or call Nicholas on 0409 002 233 to live in a champagne
my colleagues commented that it was location, it may be much
wiser to purchase a
completed project. Many
renovators admit that they
would never have spent the
money they did if they were
honest with themselves at
the start. Your bank account
and you marriage will
probably thank you for it.”

SOURCE: Herron Todd White’s Month in Review
report, April 2019
Recently sold by Belle Property Cairns at Kewarra Beach

20 • Tropic • Issue 18