Real Estate – The Property Writers

Getting yourself through December and beyond

November 30, 2016 No Comments

The silly season is in sight - you may be on permanently on your feet, but make time for treats.

Are you feeling it – the increase?

Chances are, if you work in marketing, advertising, real estate or retail, among many other industries, you’re feeling a pinch heading towards the silly season.

And it can be ever so silly.

While some industries wind up and audible sighs of relief can be heard all round, come mid-December, some others have that final surge. A surge that requires boundless energy, a smile to remain on your face, albeit pasted at times and an ability to stay on task.

You may need to be prepared for extra work, tighter deadlines and days that will leave your phone battery flat.

So, how to get through?

Given here at TPW we have worked in a variety of roles, including legal and freelance, ranging from smaller businesses, through to international companies, we have gleaned a few hot tips.

Our experience of now working for our own business has in turn made us really look at the different patches throughout the year. We are often reflecting on how we can best manage these to serve our clients and additionally remain fresh ourselves.

In no particular order, some ideas for surviving the end of the year without coming out the other side extremely frayed:

Combine your work and leisure calendars side-by-side to minimise over-committing: The work parties can start in November. Be prepared for clashes with family and friends. Have your ‘Thank You’ and ‘Sorry’ cards at the ready – chances are you will miss a birthday, engagement or farewell. (Us December babies are used to this though, don’t worry, ahem.)
What can you outsource? Even if it’s only for the month of December. Because no-one wants to be that person martyring themselves ironing at midnight, because the days are too jam-packed. If your budget can stretch, be it office, or personal, outsource some tasks that seem particularly overwhelming come a busy spell at work.
Get.Your.Shopping.Done-Now! Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, if you do have gifts to buy for late December, why not make this year the year that you do get it all done now? I know some people hold off until those super-special sales in those last few days, but a little (not so) secret: ‘those’ sales are already on – now! It actually seems that they now start in October.
Keep a reward in sight, to help you breathe through particularly frantic days. If you are taking time off around the end of the year and/or early January, keep that in mind. Some days are bound to have hiccups, particularly if you are a real estate agent, broker, or similar. But, guess what – you’ve almost made it through the whole of 2016! Sleep-ins and slow, sunshine-filled days aren’t far away. Hold on, you’re almost there.
Stop and breathe. You’ll come out the other side soon, with space to stretch your wings.
With the above in mind, don’t neglect your health. If you are working longer days at the moment and are missing out a higher quantity of sleep each week than typical, you need to check in with yourself each day. What could you do, each and every day, to ensure that you are filling your tank? Maybe you need to buy one of those kind of fancy 3-litre drink bottles from a sports/health store, and ensure you’ve drunk it by the end of each day. Or perhaps, it’s allowing for one extra fitness class each week. It may seem like it’s adding, not subtracting, during a busy time. But if only an extra hour of something that is going to boost your day/week overall, allow it to happen.
Fill YOUR cup!
One final point to consider is that this time of year can be a particular strain for people, financially, emotionally and otherwise. If you’re busy working and feeling overwhelmed, maybe grab perspective and remember: if you’re working, succeeding and achieving, in a sense you are fortunate. Being mindful and thankful, even if only for a minute, can do wonders for changing a negative mindset into a positive one. And a positive mindset is a much-needed thing when a busy work year is winding up!
Don’t forget your passion, your drive and why you work in your role in the first place.

And if there is anything you can do to help others who may not be as fortunate as you, make time for that too. It could be an absolutely wonderful and fulfilling way to finish off your 2016.

Business, Real Estate, Tips

Winter in real estate

August 3, 2016 No Comments

A common denominator in plenty of conversations of late has been how winter tends to slow things down in real estate matters.

Though real estate isn’t strictly seasonal, it’s fair to say that heading into the warmer months in Australia and come December each year, there are more properties hitting the market.

Considering people tend to only list their homes for sale in Australia an average of every seven years, it makes sense that timing is critical.

If you’ve got a sparkling swimming pool in your backyard, you’re hardly going to fancy your chances when sideways rain is battering people jumping in and out of their cars at opens.

This isn’t to say that properties aren’t popping up for sale consistently, in all major cities, at any given time, because they are.

In fact, auction clearance rates for the weekend just gone were pretty interesting (Source: Rp Data, week ending Saturday 30th July 2016):

City	Clearance rate	total auctions	RP data Auction Results	Sold prior to Auction	Sold at Auction	Sold after auction	Passed in	w/drawn
Adelaide	71%	39	31	2	19	1	8	1
Brisbane	59.6%	110	47	9	18	1	19	0
Canberra	90.9%	14	11	2	6	2	1	0
Melbourne	85.9%	447	396	59	279	2	53	3
Perth	29.4%	17	17	2	3	0	12	0
Sydney	74.0%	294	235	43	130	1	46	15
Tasmania	50.0%	7	2	0	1	0	1	0

But we know that inevitably, business can slow a little for real estate agencies and the services that they use.

So, how to make the most of these months, when your days each week may not be as jam-packed as warmer seasons? Here are some options:

1> Hit the networking events. Even if you’re a little on the shy side (doubtful, if you’re a real estate agent!), certain events in winter months can be a seriously enjoyable. And opportunities to make fresh contacts. They are almost always inside, so rain, hail or shine, you can head along and forget about the torrential rain outside. Even if you just stand around complaining about the weather together, it could be a few hours well spent.

2> Accept that this is a “quieter” period in your business year and allocate time for a holiday. Having less listings or work to oversee could mean that this is an ideal time to slip away, even if you’re still governing things from afar. It could also invigorate you for your upcoming silly season.

3> Do the opposite to the above point and come up with an action plan for a cold-weather hustle! Having time up your sleeve could be the best opportunity to do a business health check. There are a myriad of resources out there for ensuring that your business’s support systems, services and tools are currently best for you. Why not set aside half a a whole day and check in with your banking, POS systems, social media accounts and suppliers? It could mean that come spring, you and your business are feeling squeaky clean and ready for a mad summer.

4> TAX. Organise a time with your accountant and get that tax done now, so it’s not a deadline looming over you when you are really scraping for free hours. You’ll thank yourself for the foresight.

5> Make the most of the INDOORS. I’m a bit partial to winter-time for this incentive myself. We have some stunning scenery here in South Australia. But, sometimes when the cold air is making your fingers ache, these outlooks are best enjoyed from indoors, with a hot beverage in hand.

How lovely is it to warm your hands around a hot drink?!

There are so many sublime attractions that can be enjoyed no matter what the weather brings. Some of my favourites are (specific to Adelaide):

The South Australian Art Gallery
The South Australian Museum
Take in some theatre at Adelaide Festival Centre
The Adelaide Central Markets
The MOVIES! – My favourite for value-for-money is the classic Semaphore Odeon Star Cinema
Jam Factory for a spot of art appreciation and even a beverage

Or, of course, find a cellar door or restaurant, preferably one with a fireplace (My favourite is d’Arenberg in McLaren Vale) and duck indoors and enjoy the winter ambience.

We are so spoilt for beautiful beaches here (Christies Beach pictured) but winter-time isn't the time for a dip! — We are so spoilt for beautiful beaches here (Christies Beach pictured) but winter-time isn’t ideal for a dip!

The great thing is, most of these places can make for a wonderfully relaxing backdrop for a business meeting, if you want to mix work with play and remain on top of your (work) game.

Save for the movies, as you really will get shushed by other people, why not get creative for your next winter-time meeting? Opt for one of the above suggested indoor spots, or a fabulous idea of your own?

Or, you can do what my daughter’s kitty does and just seek out the winter sunbeams and ride winter out:

If you have any other suggestions on being the winter blues and remaining proactive, let us know on Instagram or Twitter.

Katharine

Business, Marketing, News, Real Estate

How to get attention in real estate marketing – light it up!

July 8, 2016 No Comments

How long is the average person’s attention span?

This is what I found on Google:

How long is the average person’s attention span?

If your audience is still paying attention after the first 8 seconds, you have approximately 4 minutes and 52 seconds until their attention spans are exhausted. The average adult attention span has plummeted from 12 minutes a decade ago to just 5 minutes now, according to a Fortune.com article.

Wow, not long! And what has caused the plummet?

We could certainly take a wild guess. The (rising) influx of technology and tidal waves of services that are designed to make our lives easier are perhaps contributing factors. No one has any time any more.

From when we rise in the morning, until our heads hit the pillow at night, or even the early hours, we have information directed at us, choices to make and information to process.

It certainly is tiring.

When it comes to marketing, specifically real estate marketing, the key is standing out, while not demanding too much from weary home-seekers or investors.

My husband is an electrician. He has always said that lighting is everything. We’ve renovated numerous houses together and he has always done the lion’s share of the major changes, including lighting. I must say, his choices have been spot on.

Modern lighting has a way of evoking different vibes and moods, depending on the look you are going for. And is such a value-adder.

At The Property Writers, we just love fawning over a lot of the stunning lighting that we see in property photographs that come through our inboxes.

Indoor lighting, outdoor lighting – even candlelight! To be able to see anything, the first port of call for our eyeballs is processing light. Our eyes are drawn to light. It’s instinctive.

Perhaps one of the best examples of utilising lighting for advertising and marketing is Times Square in New York City. I remember I visited in 2006 (Ten years ago?! It’s been way too long between visits) and I felt just like a character in a movie. Cliche, but true. I was totally smitten as I took in the immense lit-up signs. I bet they’re even more spectacular ten years on.

So it was only a matter of time until these mammoth, illuminated billboards trickled down into real estate/realty marketing.

I know they’ve been popping up all over the country lately and have been showcased at trade shows. But I must say it was a real treat to recently spot an illuminated sign at night, out the front of a property.

I spotted it whilst driving, around a week ago. It was a listing for Ray White, in Largs Bay, South Australia. And it looked magnificent!

This lit-up sign made me slow and pull in to the curb to read it.

The image and words were perfectly and crisply illuminated, the darkened street around it providing the ultimate shadowy backdrop, much like a stage.

These solar powered and otherwise real estate signboards are only going to become more prevalent and accessible – that’s our prediction.

Fast forward a year from now and I’m thinking they will be absolutely everywhere.

An image from "Digital Central", a company offering illuminated signboards. Copywright lies with Digital Central Real Estate Signage Company. — *An image from “Digital Central”, a company offering illuminated signboards. Copyright lies with Digital Central Real Estate Signage Company.*

It’s awesome to see the industry utilising such technology to stand out and do the absolute best for their vendors. It would be great to see costing eventually become accessible across a spectrum of price ranges.

I think these signs should capture up to the 4 minutes and 52 seconds allotted for average adult – plenty of time to note the name and number of the agent and phone them!

Does anyone else have any thoughts on these innovative signboards? Or are you a business who offers them as a service? Let us know on Instagram or Twitter.

Note: this post is NOT sponsored or endorsed by any company or business, it is our expressed view on a product and service.

Business, Marketing, Real Estate

Making Lemonade: Finding the Fizz in a Sour Listing

June 30, 2016 No Comments

A real estate listing popped up on my Facebook feed yesterday. It was, from the outside, an unassuming brick maisonette in a nondescript Adelaide suburb. So why was my friend, who lives interstate with no plans to move, sharing it? And then it popped up again. And again. It popped up on Twitter by that afternoon. I clicked on the link and looked at the home.

It was extraordinary, for all the wrong reasons. The carpets were brightly patterned and clashed spectacularly with the walls, which in every room were papered with pictures of cats. More pictures dangled from the ceiling in makeshift mobiles. There were shelves and cupboards lining every wall, stuffed full of dolls, toy cats, and more dolls. Bright frilly decor added to the effect, which should have come with a warning for anyone prone to epilepsy.

Kurralta Park 1/realestate.com.au — Wilson Real Estate West Richmond via realestate.com.au

Don’t believe me? Here it is.

Looking at it, I wondered what the real estate agent was thinking. Had he tried to persuade the vendor that she’d do better to clear out the personal items and pull down the ‘wallpaper’, only to be met with refusal? Or – and this is what intrigued me – had he decided to keep it as it was?

We all know the standard wisdom for home staging. Paint the walls a neutral colour. Rid the rooms of personal items. The less you have inside the house, the bigger it looks. People want to be able to see past your life and superimpose their new one onto the rooms. It’s usually good advice.

But those homes, unless they’re spectacular in their own right, don’t generate social media shares. So, faced with a completely ordinary home in a completely ordinary suburb, did the real estate agent make a very smart decision to leverage the one extraordinary thing about it?

Kurralta Park 2/realestate.com.au — Wilson Real Estate West Richmond via realestate.com.au

But Tanya, you say, if you’re inclined to talk to blog posts, what is the point of exposure if the house puts people off? Well, you’d be surprised what attracts people, for a start. I’ve already seen someone comment on how bright and kitsch the home is, and if she was looking to buy it would be right up her alley. For people who value quirky kitsch in their lives, it’s easier to imagine themselves in a home someone else has already demonstrated can be made to stand out. With hipsters entering the market, retro or ironic furnishings can be a drawcard.

And there’s a second group of buyers that listings like this attract: the bargain hunters. Never underestimate this group. They’re on the lookout for homes that are presented badly, in hopes that they’ll be the only ones who look past the decor to the bones of the structure. Ironically for them, there are so many people in this group that homes which look like bargains can sometimes go for more than the equivalent.

In February of 2016, a Sydney home made the national news when it was discovered that a dead body had been inside for eight years. The place was completely derelict, as the deceased owner had lived there alone and increasingly unwell until her lonely death. Photographs of the home’s interior, with layers of grime, mould and grim disrepair, were shared widely.

The place was auctioned as-is, with no attempts made to clean it up (save, of course, for removing the body). Bids started at $600,000 and were expected to finish at around $700,000. Instead, the tidal wave of publicity saw ten interested bidders turn up and compete fiercely, all believing that they were about to grasp a bargain – after all, how many places in inner Sydney would be in this bad a condition? In the end, the house sold for $1.1 million, not far below the median price for an equivalent home in tip-top condition.

Sometimes, a house which is poorly presented looks more attractive to bargain hunters than one which has been done up. So next time you’re landed with a vendor who doesn’t want to spend the money on staging, or a plain old ugly duckling, think outside the box. If nothing else, you’ll get a reputation for honesty, and you might just walk away with a fat commission to boot.

~ Tanya Ashworth-Keppel

Business, News, Real Estate

Why real estate is still exciting

June 2, 2016 No Comments

You can’t swing a cat lately without reading about or hearing about the cold water potentially being thrown on negatively geared investments, here in Australia.

A hot news topic, like the weather here lately (hello, winter!), it’s cast a bit of a gloomy shadow over the industry.

In the build up to our Federal Election, property investment and some related tax breaks are being scrutinised more than ever.

While change is always inevitable, in any field and political climate, the headlines splashed around lately have tended to focus chiefly on the Labor Party’s intent to reform negative gearing.

But, as we know, there are so many other facets to property investment here in Australia. Positively geared investments, of course, being an alternative that shouldn’t be sniffed at.

But nitty gritties aside (as the debate is a whole other post in itself), we felt like we needed to bring a little cheer to the grim forecasting and the industry itself.

We’ve had a few clients, friends and family lately who have been frowning a bit too much for our liking.

So, in no particular order, reasons why real estate is so exciting:

1> Real estate will not, despite the ‘battening down the hatches’ attitude of late, go away. It simply will not. Like a bottle of wine, that itself is a living organism, it evolves, changes and can improve. Of course, it can oxidise too (read: you can lose money), but it is not going anywhere. There will always be land, there will always be property and there will be a demand for both.

2> People involved in the industry are tightening their connections and affiliations – technology has brought us closer than ever before. Kinships between agents and agencies and marketing professionals such as ourselves are formed daily and this community is a fast-paced, vibrant and exciting one. Although scheduling conflicts meant we weren’t at the recent AREC conference in Queensland, we loved the buzz that we saw from our clients who attended and the positive empowerment that they experienced while attending.

3> Real estate is an industry that you can undoubtedly make and create your own opportunities in. A multi-faceted industry, there is something for everyone, depending on your wheelhouse. We ourselves are constantly learning about different aspects of this powerhouse of an industry. Owning property isn’t necessarily permanent, but the choices you make once you do own something, be it a starter unit, a knock-down job, or a stake in a new development, can play a big part in your future, financial and otherwise. And how enthralling is that?

4> The support and wealths of information that we have access to, in our country, are seriously phenomenal. Whether you’re an agency, agent, vendor, or buyer – If you’re not sure about something, during any process, you can be certain you can FIND OUT. How great is that? Whether it is through your own research, or a service that you call upon, a book you read, a convention you attend, or a course you undertake – knowledge is EVERYWHERE and knowledge is POWER! Information doesn’t always come from the four walls of a training environment either. Sometimes all it takes is shouting someone you meet a cup of coffee and asking them some polite questions about their niche for ten minutes. Chances are you’ll walk away with plenty of food for thought.

Image copyright Jim Davis

5> As per the above point, the different services and niches that exist within real estate are seriously cause for excitement. We are thrilled every time we meet someone who has started their own vendor advocacy, mortgage broking, property staging or property photography company, to name a few examples. These businesses are opportunities for people to work hard and reap rewards, while providing invaluable services to buyers and sellers alike. It’s impossible not to get excited after having an in-depth conversation with someone who has found their feet while working in real estate and the enthusiasm is totally contagious.

So how was that for a little cheer!? It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but we think it counts for something that real estate employs many people, creates plenty of opportunities and acts as an umbrella for plenty of sub-industries.

If you yourself own or run a business within our ever-changing, utterly exciting industry, do say hello on Facebook or Instagram, we would love to meet you.

Business, Real Estate, Tips

How to work on the go

May 17, 2016 No Comments

Got your phone? You won't need much else!

If you work in the real estate industry, whether you’re an agent, property manager, or a developer, chances are you spend a lot of time in your car.

I’ve come up with a few hacks to make the most of your mobility and revel in your chance to work out of a mobile office.

All it takes is foresight, a little bit of technology and an awareness of how to best manage your time whilst not in your office.

Set aside time each morning planning your route and take note of places/areas in which you will likely stop. Having a plan for your day will empower you – of course things certainly don’t always go to plan, particularly in this industry! But it’s better to start the day with a framework, than none at all, and adapt accordingly.

Put together your work-on-the-go-kit. Picture your desk – what is on it that you use frequently that you may need to replicate in your car? It’s pretty straightforward, but if you keep a separate car charger for your phone/tablet, notebook, pens, diary and glasses if you require them together, in a bag or storage tub in your car, you’ll thank yourself for it. It means not having to grab extra bits and pieces before leaving your office. Knowing that you’ll have what you need with you if you have to unexpectedly stay out longer than planned will provide you with peace of mind. It sounds so simple, but the amount of times we’ve clients have said their phone battery had betrayed them, or they didn’t have their reading glasses has made us all the more aware of the importance of these basic things. (I’ve been guilty of forgetting so many of these things too.)
Get your kit sorted!

Cloud storage is your friend. It’s inevitable that being on the go so much, you’ll be creating or receiving documents. You will want these saved securely without you having to switch devices often, or wait until you return to your office. If they are streamlined across your devices, you ultimately save time.

As well as utilising handy cloud storage, there are plenty of apps that I use that I swear by for using while working on the run. That’s a whole other post in itself, but ones I favour are Evernote for word processing/note taking, Dropbox for saving and sending files and utilising Voice Memo (or the Android equivalent) for dictating.

Speaking of back-up – portable contents insurance – ensure that you have it! If you do have an unfortunate incident with one of your devices or contents, if it’s covered by your insurance policy, you’ll be glad to not have hassles when making a claim.
Before you hit the pavement make sure your belongings are secure and that you have insurance.

Coffee and snack stops. These are vital, especially if you are fuelled by caffeine, as I admittedly am. (What writer isn’t, really?) Packing your own food can often be healthier and more cost effective, but isn’t always a daily reality. For when you are making a stop, if you don’t mind repetition, go for somewhere with a loyalty scheme for your beverages, so you’re at last getting a free drink after several. If you like mixing it up, find somewhere different each time and aim to support small or local businesses to the area that you’re stopping in. And do your part for reducing your carbon footprint and aim to take in your own travel mug to fill up, if stopping for coffee is a regular thing. You can get some AMAZING ones online, or even your local stationary supplies store.
Image source: www.keepcup.com

Embrace podcasts! They are a great way to stay engaged and informed in your industry and stay mellow in traffic. As long as you feel like you can still concentrate while driving, podcasts are a seriously fabulous way to make the most of time spent driving. You could always use the time to indulge in podcasts aligned your own personal interests or hobbies now and then to mix up your day and drive.

Find an inspiring natural landscape, or backdrop, to stop and work at. Make the most of your position of not being fixed in the same working space day in, day out. Seek inspiration in the great outdoors. Fresh air and natural splendour do wonders for soul and can really help boost creativity. I love so many quotes from John Muir. A particular favourite, to finish on:

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. – John Muir

Find a natural setting to stop at and enjoy while you work.

What are your tips for working while out and about? And please do let us know of any podcasts we should be subscribing to. Visit us on Instagram and Facebook to give us your own tips and tricks.