December 14, 2015

A Humbling Experience


We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the community donating gifts to our Wishing Tree.  We’re about to make our first delivery to the Salvation Army and want to send out a big thank you to those that have given, especially the man that dropped off two large boxes of gifts, it is truly humbling. 

It’s not too late to donate as our last delivery will be Friday 18th December 2015.  Please drop off your donated gifts beforehand.

Each year we at 2nd Avenue Realty hold a Christmas Party and for the fourth year in a row we’ve had the pleasure of having the Salvation Army Choir (small version) sing Christmas carols to our guests.  Once again, they were amazing – their talent outstanding.  Thank you!   

The joy of watching children’s faces light up when they see Christmas lights certainly warms the heart.  Unfortunately, we are seeing fewer homes lit up.  Seeing a darken street is not as warming as one ablaze with colour and sparkle – we put out a challenge to you for next year – light up your home and/or your street.     

Historically we are approaching a slow, down time in real estate but we are open for business as usual during the Christmas/New Year break.  Our staff will have a well earned rest while Brendan and I hold the fort.   We wish the local community a safe Christmas celebrating with family and friends.  The New Year is not far away and we’ll be eagerly awaiting the new beginning.   Don’t forget to light up our area with the Spirit of Christmas!

December 1, 2015

Twas the Night Before /*\


Once again, we have erected a Wishing Tree in our office and gift donations are being given to the Salvation Army for distribution to the needy.  We had a great result last year delivering three car loads to the Salvos who were very thankful and humble that our community was so generous in their giving!

As a community we should be mindful of those that don’t have as much as we do or who are in need of support; there are more and more people and families crying out for assistance and support networks such as the Salvation Army are so grateful to those who give unconditionally.  We would welcome any small gift you can give to help put a smile on someone’s face so they too can enjoy Christmas.

If you do wish to donate, please tag your gift with the appropriate age group and whether it’s suitable for a male or female, and drop it into our office.  Gifts will be handed over to the Salvation Army in readiness for Christmas distribution. 

On a real estate note, the same time last year saw our market in a similar situation so you could say we have been in a stable market.  If you are considering selling during the festive season, be aware of having your photos taken with Christmas decorations as they may have limited usage.  But, if you’re priced right, your home should sell!

Light up our area with the Spirit of Christmas!

Quality


Recently an inner Sydney sales agent negotiated a 5.5% commission plus advertising?  The home in question sold for around $7M.  Wow!  You do the maths!  This is the norm in Sydney and advertising is around $20,000.  So why is it that locally, the average person does not want to spend money on advertising or marketing their home for sale?  From our perspective, we get no monetary gain from advertising.  We provide our sellers with information and advice on how best to promote their home and whatever they choose, they are only charged cost price.  The average cost of marketing a home in our area ranges from nil (by some agents) to $2,000.  It all depends on what the seller wants and the individuality of the home – no two homes are the same, so marketing and advertising should be adaptable for each. 

Most consumers have a preconceived perception of an agent before they even walk in the door and believe there is no emotion around selling a property.  For us, this could not be more further from the truth.  We know that in most cases we are walking into someone’s home and we respect that.  The service we provide is so much more than what the average persons knows.  We are property specialist, this is our job, it’s what we do every day, and we love it.  So if you are looking for someone willing to give that little bit more, you’ve found them.  We’re here to help so give us a call.