Don't go cheap....
What I mean is don't choose your agent based on which one is the cheapest. This is probably the single most dangerous thing you could do.
Why?
Well, like the old saying goes.... "If you pay peanuts you'll get monkeys"
Would you hire the cheapest lawyer in town to defend you if losing that case could land you in jail?
No.. of course you wouldn't. You'd be looking for the best lawyer you could afford wouldn't you. That's because you would be paying for skill, experience, knowledge and results. You'd want to make sure that lawyer could get you out of jail!!
Well employing a real estate agent should be considered in a similar light. Why would you pay a low fee for average results?
Agent fees should not be over the top, they should be fair. Fair for the home seller and fair for the work the agent is doing.
If an agent isn't a skilled negotiator then they don't deserve a higher fee. If they are then they do.
How do you know if an agent is a skilled negotiator? A great way is to see how they negotiate their fee. If they are offering the cheapest fees in town then they have weak negotiation skills.
An agent who instantly offers the lowest fee does not beleive in negotiation, rather they beleive in giving money away. It naturally follows that if you employ an agent who has no problem giving their own money away they won't mind giving your money away either. I.e. they will be more likely to negotiate your price down.
An agent who negotiates a fair fee with you knowing that there are other agents out there offering less actually demonstrates their ability to negotiate. This agent will be more likely to save you money by not giving your money away during the negotiation for the sale of your house. This agent has more to gain from negotiating up.
The morale is always employ a strong negotiator who has a decent fee to work towards.
Alan Halliwell
Director
Halliwell Property Agents
Your now is our now... now is the time!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Stop Listening to the Negativity
Greetings.
Recently in the press there has been plenty of negativity regarding the Tasmanian ecconomy and the Tasmanian real estate market.
Plenty of people have had their fair share to say about things, especially the press. Unfortunately the press has a habit of quoting people out of context and sensationalising anything they think might be bad news.
Why?
Because that sells newspapers, gets people to watch TV and makes the press more money!
The reality of the Tasmanian real estate market is that there are still buyers and there are still sellers. There always have been and there always will be.
Lets not forget that Tasmania has experienced the largest growth in property prices it has seen in many years, if ever. In addition to this there have been higher than usual sales for periods in the last 10 to 12 years.
In fact, the number of sales in the Devonport over the last few years has remained steady. Devonport remains a solid real estate market-place and often places in the the top 3 areas in Tasmania for activity.
What we need to remember is that Tasmanian prices are affected less by market trends than the rest of the nation. We tend not to see the huge drops that the markets in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane see.
Yes, some property is selling for less than what the home owners expected. But this is the market telling us the truth about what people are prepared to pay. Due to the "boom" and healthy sales at higher prices many home owners have had a perception that their property is worth more than it is.
In reality the conditions that created the "boom" and the busy periods of the last decade happen occasionally... not all the time.
If you are selling in todays market you will sell because there are still plenty of buyers looking to buy. For example: the inquiry rate at Halliwell Property Agents has not dropped off at all.
The main determining factor in selling in todays market is price. Home owners must price competitively and with a strategy that works.
Visit Halliwell Property Agents to see how our unique pricing strategy works in today's market.
Alan Halliwell
Recently in the press there has been plenty of negativity regarding the Tasmanian ecconomy and the Tasmanian real estate market.
Plenty of people have had their fair share to say about things, especially the press. Unfortunately the press has a habit of quoting people out of context and sensationalising anything they think might be bad news.
Why?
Because that sells newspapers, gets people to watch TV and makes the press more money!
The reality of the Tasmanian real estate market is that there are still buyers and there are still sellers. There always have been and there always will be.
Lets not forget that Tasmania has experienced the largest growth in property prices it has seen in many years, if ever. In addition to this there have been higher than usual sales for periods in the last 10 to 12 years.
In fact, the number of sales in the Devonport over the last few years has remained steady. Devonport remains a solid real estate market-place and often places in the the top 3 areas in Tasmania for activity.
What we need to remember is that Tasmanian prices are affected less by market trends than the rest of the nation. We tend not to see the huge drops that the markets in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane see.
Yes, some property is selling for less than what the home owners expected. But this is the market telling us the truth about what people are prepared to pay. Due to the "boom" and healthy sales at higher prices many home owners have had a perception that their property is worth more than it is.
In reality the conditions that created the "boom" and the busy periods of the last decade happen occasionally... not all the time.
If you are selling in todays market you will sell because there are still plenty of buyers looking to buy. For example: the inquiry rate at Halliwell Property Agents has not dropped off at all.
The main determining factor in selling in todays market is price. Home owners must price competitively and with a strategy that works.
Visit Halliwell Property Agents to see how our unique pricing strategy works in today's market.
Alan Halliwell
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Beware of the "Bike Pump"
Beware of the bike pump.....
what does that mean?
many agents in our industry are reliable, honest and hard working but there a some who I like to call the "Bike Pumpers".
Who are these agents?
Well, they're pretty easy to spot. These guys are the agents who walk into your front door with their pants around their ankles and a bike pump in their hand. You know, the agents who charge price cut fees and over-price your house.
This guy will say something like this "Yeah, I can get get you $30,000 more than what the other agent said they could get you and I'll only charge half of what they do!".
Don't fall for this blatant nonsense.
The bike-pump agent is actually doing you a dis-service by inflating your property price and he's hoping you fall for this trick just so he can get your listing.
You see, bike-pump agents over-price property and undercut their fees because they're not skilled enough to compete. quite literally it's the only way they can compete. If the bike-pump agent were to price property fairly and charge what the other agents charge he wouldn't last because he cannot NEGOTIATE.
An agent should be paid a fair fee for the services they provide. I am not suggesting that agents should take too much, what I am saying is that if an agent can't defend his own money how can he defend yours?
Furthermore, if an agent can't demonstrate their NEGOTIATION skills with you by discussing things like price, fees and marketing how can they ever NEGOTIATE on behalf of you?
THE BIKE-PUMP AGENT CANNOT NEGOTIATE!
It takes no negotiation skills to undercut your opposition.
It takes no negotiation skills to over-price a home.
Agents that do this prove that they are poorly skilled and unable to work hard for their client.
A GOOD agent will negotiate with their client before the home is listed.
A GOOD agent will prove to their client that they can negotiate.
A GOOD agent will stand by their pricing and fees
Agents that do this prove that they are highly skilled and are the right choice for their client.
Don't fall for the bike-pump agent.
make sure you scrutinise the way your agent communicates with you. make sure you check that your agent defends their fee. Make sure your agent prices you home properly and make sure that your agent is prepared to tell you things that sometimes you may not want to hear.
Why?
Because an agent who does these things is a great negotiator and will do the same things when dealing with a buyer for your house.
Buying, Selling or Renting...
There is only one choice, Halliwell Property Agents. Your now is our now.
what does that mean?
many agents in our industry are reliable, honest and hard working but there a some who I like to call the "Bike Pumpers".
Who are these agents?
Well, they're pretty easy to spot. These guys are the agents who walk into your front door with their pants around their ankles and a bike pump in their hand. You know, the agents who charge price cut fees and over-price your house.
This guy will say something like this "Yeah, I can get get you $30,000 more than what the other agent said they could get you and I'll only charge half of what they do!".
Don't fall for this blatant nonsense.
The bike-pump agent is actually doing you a dis-service by inflating your property price and he's hoping you fall for this trick just so he can get your listing.
You see, bike-pump agents over-price property and undercut their fees because they're not skilled enough to compete. quite literally it's the only way they can compete. If the bike-pump agent were to price property fairly and charge what the other agents charge he wouldn't last because he cannot NEGOTIATE.
An agent should be paid a fair fee for the services they provide. I am not suggesting that agents should take too much, what I am saying is that if an agent can't defend his own money how can he defend yours?
Furthermore, if an agent can't demonstrate their NEGOTIATION skills with you by discussing things like price, fees and marketing how can they ever NEGOTIATE on behalf of you?
THE BIKE-PUMP AGENT CANNOT NEGOTIATE!
It takes no negotiation skills to undercut your opposition.
It takes no negotiation skills to over-price a home.
Agents that do this prove that they are poorly skilled and unable to work hard for their client.
A GOOD agent will negotiate with their client before the home is listed.
A GOOD agent will prove to their client that they can negotiate.
A GOOD agent will stand by their pricing and fees
Agents that do this prove that they are highly skilled and are the right choice for their client.
Don't fall for the bike-pump agent.
make sure you scrutinise the way your agent communicates with you. make sure you check that your agent defends their fee. Make sure your agent prices you home properly and make sure that your agent is prepared to tell you things that sometimes you may not want to hear.
Why?
Because an agent who does these things is a great negotiator and will do the same things when dealing with a buyer for your house.
Buying, Selling or Renting...
There is only one choice, Halliwell Property Agents. Your now is our now.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Strategic Pricing
What's that? you may ask.
Don't you just put a price on a house and work to sell it? you might say.
well no, not really.
Strategic pricing involves an understanding of the real estate market and where your property fits into that market. A skilled agent will take the time to explain this to you and help you understand.
An unskilled agent will make no mention of current market conditions and simply put a price on your home (usually one that's too high).
And no, simply providing you with a few comparative sales in the area is not enough. Yes, all good agents will provide this information but only the best agents truly educate you on the market with relative facts and figures.
Strategic pricing involves the following:
Don't you just put a price on a house and work to sell it? you might say.
well no, not really.
Strategic pricing involves an understanding of the real estate market and where your property fits into that market. A skilled agent will take the time to explain this to you and help you understand.
An unskilled agent will make no mention of current market conditions and simply put a price on your home (usually one that's too high).
And no, simply providing you with a few comparative sales in the area is not enough. Yes, all good agents will provide this information but only the best agents truly educate you on the market with relative facts and figures.
Strategic pricing involves the following:
- Identifying the current market conditions
- Discussing expectations with you the home owner
- Determining what the "market value" of your home is
- Accepting that buyers will try to negotiate
- Setting a price accordingly
- Being prepared to meet the market if necessary
Strategic pricing is an understanding of the relationship between your property and the current market. Without understanding this you reduce your opportunity of selling at the optimal price in an acceptable amount of time.
A skilled agent will take the time to discuss the market and strategic pricing with you. A skilled agent will have an honest and up-front converstaion with you about where you sit in relation to the market and a skillled agent will educate you in pricing and give you an understanding of how strategic pricing works.
Strategic pricing is not setting one price and sticking to it.
Strategic pricing is a process of assessing the market on a weekly basis and relating it back to the current price you have on your property. If your current price has not been sucessful then it needs to be adjusted.
Plain and simple this is how it works.
Some old-fashioned agents will say "Don't say that! They won't list with you. Just price it higher".
Nonesense. In our experience the more up front and fair dinkum we are about the market and pricing the more willing people are to listen to us because they can tell we are trying to work with them and help them.
This approach has helped Halliwell Property Agents become one of the most prominent and sucessful real estate agencies on the North West Coast of Tasmania.
When you're ready to talk real estate your now is our now. Now is the time!
Halliwell Property Agents
Friday, February 18, 2011
Back to Normal
Greetings,
We can safely say that things are all back to normal. Christmas is over, school holidays are finished and most of us are back at work.
For the real estate industry and anyone thinking of buying or selling this is good news. Over the Christmas and holiday period many people choose not to sell or wait to buy until the holidays are over and done with.
This means that sometimes the real estate market can slow which means there's less activity. Those trying to sell may not get as much inquiry because buyers may be waiting till after Christmas. Those who are looking to buy may have less property to choose from because those thinking of selling may be waiting till after the holiday season.
Now that we are all back in the swing of things the real estate market should return to pre christmas activity. This will mean more buyers and more sellers.
From our point of view at Halliwell Property Agents the market has been very good. Our 6 month figures for this financial year are up on last year. We have been steadily growing our market share and intend to continue to do so.
If you're thinking of selling make sure you choose an agent that has prominence. Choose an agent that markets well and helps to promote your home as best as possible.
A good agent should be able to offer the following:
We can safely say that things are all back to normal. Christmas is over, school holidays are finished and most of us are back at work.
For the real estate industry and anyone thinking of buying or selling this is good news. Over the Christmas and holiday period many people choose not to sell or wait to buy until the holidays are over and done with.
This means that sometimes the real estate market can slow which means there's less activity. Those trying to sell may not get as much inquiry because buyers may be waiting till after Christmas. Those who are looking to buy may have less property to choose from because those thinking of selling may be waiting till after the holiday season.
Now that we are all back in the swing of things the real estate market should return to pre christmas activity. This will mean more buyers and more sellers.
From our point of view at Halliwell Property Agents the market has been very good. Our 6 month figures for this financial year are up on last year. We have been steadily growing our market share and intend to continue to do so.
If you're thinking of selling make sure you choose an agent that has prominence. Choose an agent that markets well and helps to promote your home as best as possible.
A good agent should be able to offer the following:
- At least one full page of advertising in the Advocate "Domain" every week.
- Professional photography
- Professional videography
- A dedicated home website, not just a link to real estate dot com
- Lots of listings (around 90+ properties for sale)
- A dedicated property management team
- A large rental department (a large rental department can help you sell)
- Highly visible office with large window display
- Technology especially the internet
- Presence on at least 4 different websites
- An informative & descriptive presentation
- The ability to negotiate (you'll know if they can when they present to you)
- No "cut-price" deals (an agent that does this cannot negotiate and will not fight for your money because they can't even fight for their own)
If an agent you visit doesn't have these things or is cut-pricing you need to be asking why. More importantly you need to be asking yourself...
"why am I talking to this person?"
Buying, Renting or Selling - Halliwell Property Agents 6424 1496 http://www.halliwell.net.au/
Now is the time!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Isn't Selling Real Estate Easy?
Isn't selling real estate easy?
A question I'm sure many people outside the industry ask and in reality nothing could be further from the truth.
Some people think it's so easy that they attempt to sell their homes without the help of an agent.
Big Mistake!
I could write pages and pages of "stuff" to explain why it's important to employ a real estate agent to sell your home but instead I'll sum it up quite simply to save boring you to death.
Basically sellers always want more for their home and buyers always want less. It's the agents job to bring these two parties together and make sure that a deal happens and that both parties are happy.
It's called negotiation.
Selling and buying property is a negotiating mine-field and involves lots of number crunching, communicating and plenty of emotion.
Above all emotion is the the single most destructive thing in a real estate negotiation. People can become upset, angry, stubborn or can simply give up because things get too hard.
All these are quite normal emotions to go through when selling property and it's important that you have a circut-breaker in the middle to make sure that there's not an unintentional break down in communication.
This circut-breaker is the real estate agent. The real estate agent works to keep both corners of the ring in check like a referee in a boxing match!
Just like boxing there are rules and regulations in real estate that must be adhered to. Some of these rules are made by the law but others are the rules of negotiating. A skilled, experienced and well trained real estate agent understands the rules of negotiating and understands how to use them to make both parties happy.
This is what we call "bringing a deal together". There are many examples of real estate deals going sour because the parties involved are dealing with each other directly and emotions, stubborness and pride can get in the way. An agent can help to keep this to a minimum.
An agent is worth every cent because they more often than not bring deals together where an inexperienced real estate negotiator (basically anyone whose not doing real estate deals every day) may not.
Make sure that when you choose an agent you find out about their negotiation skills. Make sure you feel comfortable with them and make sure that they instill confidence in you.
A good way to see if they are a skilled negotiator is to see if the agent takes you through a process, listens to your point of view and puts good arguments forward for their point of view. At the end of the day a skilled negotiator will arrive at an outcome agreeable to all parties.
Most imprtantly make sure they have a great reputation and a strong brand.
If now is the time for you to be selling then your now is our now.
Halliwell Property Agents - Now is the time!
A question I'm sure many people outside the industry ask and in reality nothing could be further from the truth.
Some people think it's so easy that they attempt to sell their homes without the help of an agent.
Big Mistake!
I could write pages and pages of "stuff" to explain why it's important to employ a real estate agent to sell your home but instead I'll sum it up quite simply to save boring you to death.
Basically sellers always want more for their home and buyers always want less. It's the agents job to bring these two parties together and make sure that a deal happens and that both parties are happy.
It's called negotiation.
Selling and buying property is a negotiating mine-field and involves lots of number crunching, communicating and plenty of emotion.
Above all emotion is the the single most destructive thing in a real estate negotiation. People can become upset, angry, stubborn or can simply give up because things get too hard.
All these are quite normal emotions to go through when selling property and it's important that you have a circut-breaker in the middle to make sure that there's not an unintentional break down in communication.
This circut-breaker is the real estate agent. The real estate agent works to keep both corners of the ring in check like a referee in a boxing match!
Just like boxing there are rules and regulations in real estate that must be adhered to. Some of these rules are made by the law but others are the rules of negotiating. A skilled, experienced and well trained real estate agent understands the rules of negotiating and understands how to use them to make both parties happy.
This is what we call "bringing a deal together". There are many examples of real estate deals going sour because the parties involved are dealing with each other directly and emotions, stubborness and pride can get in the way. An agent can help to keep this to a minimum.
An agent is worth every cent because they more often than not bring deals together where an inexperienced real estate negotiator (basically anyone whose not doing real estate deals every day) may not.
Make sure that when you choose an agent you find out about their negotiation skills. Make sure you feel comfortable with them and make sure that they instill confidence in you.
A good way to see if they are a skilled negotiator is to see if the agent takes you through a process, listens to your point of view and puts good arguments forward for their point of view. At the end of the day a skilled negotiator will arrive at an outcome agreeable to all parties.
Most imprtantly make sure they have a great reputation and a strong brand.
If now is the time for you to be selling then your now is our now.
Halliwell Property Agents - Now is the time!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Greetings,
Merry Christmas to all our clients and everyone who we have had the pleasure to serve at Halliwell Property Agents during 2010.
This is the time of year where we look back on what we have acheived and plan for the future.
Halliwell Property Agents has been very active during 2010 and this is entirely due to the effort, sacrifice and hard work that all of our staff have put in. It's no secret that our business has grown strongly this year & without such a great team Halliwell Property Agents wouldn't be what it is today.
So a big thank you to the team. Well done.
To our valued clients and customers thank you also. We are always pleased to see people come back to us and it gives us a great sense of pride and acheivement when they do. We hope that you have all had a great experience with us and want to let you know we appreciate your custom.
Now is the time to talk about 2011.
Halliwell Property Agents has some fantastic initiatives in place for 2011. After the super successful launch of our new brand we plan to build on the already impressive reputation it has. This will include various marketing strategies not only for our company but also all the property we list, which means extra exposure for our clients.
Our philisophy at Halliwell Property Agents is to "never compare, never compete".
We never compare ourselves to other businesses in our industry - we feel it's better to spend our energy focusing on our clients and what we can do for them and how we can do it better. Our aim is to lead our market in customer service and innovation.
We choose not to compete with other busniesses in our industry - rather, we compete with ourselves. We compete to acheive the highest standards possible and to set ourselves apart from the crowd.
Halliwell Property Agents uses the word "Now" in marketing. We feel that this word embodies action, results and drive. This is what we stand for.
Our motto is "Now is the time!" When you're ready so are we, your now is our now.
At Halliwell Property Agents we have a purposeful growth agenda planned for 2011. This encompasses all aspects of our business. Following is a list of the areas we plan to grow:
Merry Christmas to all our clients and everyone who we have had the pleasure to serve at Halliwell Property Agents during 2010.
This is the time of year where we look back on what we have acheived and plan for the future.
Halliwell Property Agents has been very active during 2010 and this is entirely due to the effort, sacrifice and hard work that all of our staff have put in. It's no secret that our business has grown strongly this year & without such a great team Halliwell Property Agents wouldn't be what it is today.
So a big thank you to the team. Well done.
To our valued clients and customers thank you also. We are always pleased to see people come back to us and it gives us a great sense of pride and acheivement when they do. We hope that you have all had a great experience with us and want to let you know we appreciate your custom.
Now is the time to talk about 2011.
Halliwell Property Agents has some fantastic initiatives in place for 2011. After the super successful launch of our new brand we plan to build on the already impressive reputation it has. This will include various marketing strategies not only for our company but also all the property we list, which means extra exposure for our clients.
Our philisophy at Halliwell Property Agents is to "never compare, never compete".
We never compare ourselves to other businesses in our industry - we feel it's better to spend our energy focusing on our clients and what we can do for them and how we can do it better. Our aim is to lead our market in customer service and innovation.
We choose not to compete with other busniesses in our industry - rather, we compete with ourselves. We compete to acheive the highest standards possible and to set ourselves apart from the crowd.
Halliwell Property Agents uses the word "Now" in marketing. We feel that this word embodies action, results and drive. This is what we stand for.
Our motto is "Now is the time!" When you're ready so are we, your now is our now.
At Halliwell Property Agents we have a purposeful growth agenda planned for 2011. This encompasses all aspects of our business. Following is a list of the areas we plan to grow:
- Growth of industry knowledge
- Growth of our already sucessful brand
- Growth of our outstanding team
- Growth in customer service
- Growth of marketing and promotion
- Growth in technology
Halliwell property Agents is different. We do not sit with the pack and we are not your ordinary real estate agency. We are bold, modern and energetic.
When you choose Halliwell Property Agents you are choosing a company that is service & satisfaction oriented. You are choosing an experience that is quality and a brand that works for you.
If you're thinking real estate, now is the time to be thinking Halliwell Property Agents.
Now is the time!
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