THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

You’ve probably heard real estate agents sprout the line ‘It’s not about property, it’s about people’. Well it’s spot on. Our job is less about bricks and mortar and more about fulfilling people’s ambitions, facilitating their move to the next stage of their lives, providing stability and helping them to craft the lifestyle they desire. 

In the current climate people matter to us more than ever. Despite all of the challenges we’re facing collectively, people still need to move for all manner of reasons through all conditions – needing more space for a growing family, downsizing, separations, financial issues, investing or buying that first home. Even as isolation measures tighten, the community keeps moving and we’d like to share a few of our locals’ stories with you.

One of our clients had recently purchased a significant home prior to the virus impacting people’s buying decisions. They therefore needed to sell and required a level of experience and poise to guide them through an environment that was changing daily. Thankfully, given the strength of our database and close connection with so many buyers, we managed to bring through a healthy group of ready-to-perform purchasers, opening up several negotiations. We discovered that the key buyer was renting in a nearby street and had been looking to secure a property since October last year. They were seeking quality and a well-located property near the Balmain East ferry. Ultimately we secured the sale prior to auction in Balmain and above the sale guide, despite the challenging conditions.

Another client had sold their house with a longer-than-standard settlement and didn’t want to purchase until settlement was complete, just to be on the safe side. Once settled they were ready and happy to purchase regardless of what state the market was in. Their decision was a long-term one, with the motivation being to find a bigger home with a better floorplan to suit their family. They had closely followed the local property market and attended a few opens during the settlement period, but really started seriously looking once they’d settled. They were clear about sticking to their budget and trying not to be too disappointed if they missed out on a property, knowing that something else would come along. We notified them of any suitable properties as soon as we listed them and they ultimately decided on a home in Lamb Street, Lilyfield that ticked all the boxes. We were delighted with their feedback, with the client reporting on their positive experience with C&H throughout the whole process during what were strange circumstances to say the least. That they found us incredibly helpful, highly professional, informative and knowledgeable on both the area and the state of market was encouraging to hear and a testament to our ability to navigate any conditions. 

To keep our clients safe through this period while still keeping the wheels in motion, we have embraced a number of changes. Open for inspections are now one-on-one by appointment only. Our state-of-the-art virtual tours will play a major role in our engagement with buyers, giving them a life-like walk-through of our properties so they can get a good feel for whether they’d like a personal viewing.