116 Dunlin Drive Time to pick our Real estate agent

Walking down the village street in Burleigh Heads we passed by numerous real estate agents, stopping to browse through the listings as we usually do. After a short 20 min stroll from home it was the usual circuit down the James Street across the Gold Coast Highway over to Justin Park so we can stroll along the walkway from the Burleigh Surf Club past Oskars Restaurant and up the hill to Burleigh Point to watch the surfers.
Especially on Monday mornings when there are free Gold Coast City Council Tai Chi lessions in the park, anyone can join in so there is no excuse.

On one particular walk we stopped in at an agent in James Street asking if they had a list of houses on the market. The receptionist referred us through to the agent and as we started asking a lot of questions about commission and marketing I realised ready or not we are now heading down that road officially. I was like a stunned mullet walking home, we had organised an appraisal and Jean was now in full out combat mode. Jean just couldn't wait to start looking through the local paper and phoning other agents for an appraisal.

My peaceful Saturday afternoon walk now cluttered up with thoughts of selling commisions, internet marketing packages, media packages, possible other agents and a million and one other thoughts and memories. Regrets, if there were any it's too late now. Were off!!

The next 3 weeks in March were full of appraisals and interviewing agents. You need to take on the employer point of view as they are working for you and really get to know the people that may be selling the one biggest and closest asset any person would own. Hours of research on the internet reading sellers and buyers comments trying to get a feel for how trust worthy the agents were.

Decided to research also Neil Jenman. This man has been on a one man crusade to clean up the real estate business. Occasionally he would appear on a current affairs program helping a landlord regain weeks of unpaid rent or helping to legally evict renters whom have been behind or are being unreasonable in their dealings with their landlords. Or to those despicable people that demolish homes for no reason what so ever, don't know how some can live in such pigstyes or even admit that they pretend to be human.

Many thanks to Neil and to Arthur Kolovos from Real Estate Monitoring http://www.realestatemonitors.com.au/index.php. The help that they forwarded as in supportive phone calls, books about selling your home and possible Jenman approved real estates was much appreciated, timely and possibly the best education about how to pick a real estate agent we have ever seen.

http://www.jenman.com.au/

It's easy to see why people have such a low view of real estate. But there are mostly very helpful agents whom are doing the right thing by people.

One agent from Robina I can say I would never deal with, came totally unprepared who turns up at a potential customer without researching the area, type of building, how big a building, what property size etc etc. This agent did come unprepared and admitted it. Maybe he didn't really need the commission? Who knows, he lost ours on the door step.

The first appraisal although positive was heading in a direction we didn't want. Even after saying we didn't want to go auction. Neil Jenmans pick of agents was a Real Estate at Burleigh Heads and we were very impressed. They adhere to the Jenman style of selling, no open house, no auction and up front representation.

After a number of Real Estate agents giving their opinion to what we should do you have to remember that it is your choice and they are working for you.
More about the agents in the next blog post, hope to have the pleasure of you dropping by.
Til then, caio.

Pictures and video of our home.

116 Dunlin Drive Time to sell

A little behind with my blog but it has been a very hard and emotional decision to sell our home. We have spent weeks searching, interviewing, visiting and quizzing real estate agents in the hope that we pick an agent that we can trust and work with.

Starting was one of the hardest decisions, I must admit to procastinating just a little. Sure if you don't have an emotional attachment to the property then selling is not such a big deal.

A litlle back ground. We live in a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2 car on 853 sqm property on the canal at Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia.

We have lived and shared our home for the past 5 years and feel it is just too big for us now. Moving into this home was a dream most people would love to have shared.

Well time is up, we have some exploring to do around Australia and while Jean and I still have our health we are going to take the opportunity to buy a 4 wheel drive and caravan and travel around this beautiful country.

And so starts our journey of selling our wonderful home and pass it on to the next family that will add their own warm touches. I hope it will be as fun as it has for Jean and I.