EAC From the Boardroom

Boardroom from the

10th edition

Industry Old Guard

Al s vi o a e ea w va c. on ilab co lin l m e et .a at o u

John Carson talks 40 Years with EAC

FTB 10th Edition Index

03 04 06 09 11 13 17 19 23 25 27 31 33 35 43 44 45

The Chairman’s View - Dale Whittaker In the Pipeline - David Crombie Eye On The Industry - John Carson EAC Veteran - Damien McDonald realestateworld.com.au - Damien McDonald Compliance Matters - Geoff Hunter Practice Support - Silvana Ferraro Debt Recovery for Property Managers - Lisa Jemmeson Around the Traps - Damien McDonald The Form Guide - Maureen Faapito New TV Consumer Campaign - Damien McDonald Technology Review - Don Harb Staff Profile - Damien McDonald Member Profile - Damien McDonald Welcome New Members EAC Contact List EAC & realestateworld.com.au Account Managers

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The Chairman’s View

Change and Continual Improvement

By Dale Whittaker, EAC Chairman

Change is constant in life and it certainly is in real estate at the moment, not all of it good, but it is certainly not all bad. EAC is here to support you through those changes, whether they are in legislation, technology, forms or training, just contact your local EAC Account Manager or EAC for assistance, that’s what we are here for, an industry body for industry practitioners.

Since our last publication there have been quite a number of significant changes at EAC and others proposed for the industry at large.

With the ever evolving nature of our services the board and management came to the conclusion that our current premises, both at Villawood and Wollongong, no longer suited our needs. The decision was made to sell both properties and look for newer, more suitable premises. I am please to advise that the Wollongong property has recently been sold and the Villawood property is currently on the market. Once this sale has been negotiated we will look to acquire new premises for our head office in Sydney, and a new base for our staff in Wollongong.

One of the very exciting changes to our services is the recent upgrade of our Red Square product to a fully web based version and a soon to be introduced mobile application. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of these new products is that they have primarily been developed “in house” highlighting the skill and technical ability that resides within EAC. Congratulations to all those involved on a job very well done. Others will inform you of the features and benefits of these products in more detail later in this publication.

We have also recently decided to fully integrate the realestateworld.com.au operations and board into our existing EAC structure. This should result in significant savings on accounting and reporting requirements rather than maintaining it as a fully owned subsidiary company. There will be no discernable change to agents using realestateworld.com.au other than combining the account onto your monthly EAC statement. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the realestateworld.com.au board who put in countless hours to get realestateworld.com.au to where it is today, with some 660 agents participating and nearly 30,000 listings. It is an efficient and cost effective industry owned site you can be proud of, and we have only just started.

It is also pleasing to note that, while final figures will not be known until our annual report is released, we have been able to return a profit in line with budget expectations. In these tough economic times the management and staff should be commended for their hard work and dedication in achieving this fine result, allowing us to further invest in improved products and services for our members.

On a broader industry front, most of you would already be aware of the National Licensing Initiative for the Real Estate Industry.

This is a critical time in our industry’s future and it will have far reaching consequences for the way our industry operates in the years to come. I urge you to become involved in the discussion and make yourself fully aware of what is currently proposed. EAC is extremely fortunate to have Geoff Hunter as our Industry Liaison Officer and he is representing EAC in formal Government consultation talks at the highest level. Please be sure to read his article on this critical topic in this issue and be sure to attend EAC’s seminars on the subject which will be run once the legislation has been finalised and the full ramifications become known. We will announce times and venues at a later date.

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In the Pipeline

What’s Happening at EAC

By David Crombie, EAC Chief Executive Officer

Welcome to the latest edition of From the Boardroom.

Over the past few months I have been busy working on streamlining our operations and implementing many of the items identified as important in our strategic plan. These changes include items such as reviewing the services offered through Membership and, in conjunction with this, the streamlining of our billing and accounts processes. I have also made some changes to our internal structure to allow the delivery of better products and services in a more timely fashion.

One of the recent changes that I made is in relation to Web Services. Since its inception, web related services formed part of the Membership Services division. However, due to the growth we have been experiencing in Membership, and the importance of web and social media services in the future, our web related services have now been separated from Membership Services.

Web Services now operates as its own division and I am looking after the day to day running of the division. There have been some staff changes in the area and I have now put together a customer focused team with the skills to help you create and maintain your web and social media presence. As part of the change we have reviewed the services that we were offering and have now introduced several new services including new design templates and full email hosting services.

Early July also saw the release of Red Square Web to all of our customers and the feedback that we have obtained to date has been excellent. We have received a few suggestions that we have already implemented such as the ability to append to a search, increased the logout time and are looking at implementing some of the other suggestions in the coming months.

In addition to feedback that we have received from the industry, we have noted with some interest the effect Red Square Web has had on the tactics of some of our competitors. One in particular is out there making, what could be said to be, questionable claims and offering subscriptions substantially below their standard rate. I would even go so far as to suggest some rates offered are below those that others are paying for the same service. My advice, In May we achieved a record with twenty for what it is worth, is to check out for yourself some of the claims seven new members for the month and have being made and think twice about had just over forty new members join in the the deals that are being offered. I suggest that the savings may only be last three months. The reasons for these short term.

new Members vary from office to office but I think it is testament to the benefits that come from being a Member of EAC and the cost effective services that we provide.

Continued next page..

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What’s happening at EAC continued

In terms of what is in development, we are currently working on a totally new Add List and Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) Report for use with Current Market Information and Red Square Mobile which will provide a version of Red Square designed specifically for use on today’s smart phones and mobile devices.

In the Agency Practice Support area we have released some new supplementary forms, updated form user guides, practice notes and checklists and these can be found in the new resources section once you login with your details at eac.com.au.

One of the next challenges to face the industry will be the National Occupational Licensing system that will see the introduction of a national real estate licence. EAC has been attending all the meetings in relation to this change and will start to provide information on the changes in the coming month. You can expect changes in relation to the different types of licences, the conducting of Auctions, the treatment of Holiday Leasing and Commercial Sales, Leasing and Management. You may also see some changes to CPD in its current form.

We are currently waiting on a paper that will outline all the changes and EAC will be preparing a submission that will respond to any changes that we feel are not in the best interests of the agent, industry or consumer.

I understand that there have been a few articles in the press and that some other industry bodies have been quite vocal in their opinion of the change. However, don’t believe everything you read and hear about what is coming as some of it is being uttered by those with vested interests.

The national licensing changes will form the basis of our upcoming road shows in the coming months so look out for these invitations when they go out.

Back to work now and as always, we welcome any feedback you might have to help us make our products and services more beneficial to your office as, ultimately, we are about service and not profit at the expense of the industry.

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Eye On The Industry

Reflections of 40 years with Estate Agents Co-operative

By John Carson, EAC Chief Operations Officer

This year I celebrate my 40th anniversary with the Co-operative. I can honestly say that I regard it as an honour and privilege to have worked for an organisation dedicated to, not only delivering cost effective goods and services to its members, but one that has diligently represented its members to achieve viable outcomes for them and the real estate industry as a whole.

I have witnessed changes to our industry both good and perhaps not so good.

When one considers the volatility of the real estate industry, a volatility often caused by factors outside its influence, it is nothing short of amazing that in 2010 EAC survived to celebrate its 50th anniversary of operation. Its survival has resulted, to a large degree, from its ability to adapt to an ever changing world, particularly in the last decade wherein it basically had to reinvent itself from a specialist multiple listing bureau to an organisation specialising in the delivery of goods and services relevant to the operational requirements of its real estate members.

In its first 35 to 40 years, albeit traversing some difficult economic times, the Co-operative was entrenched in the NSW real estate market as a multiple listing bureau – recognised as the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

From humble beginnings on the lower north shore of Sydney, with its seven founding members, the Co-operative steadily grew to in excess of 1000 members from areas all around the state. It provided the ability for real estate agents to work co-operatively in delivering positive outcomes for the consumers of real estate services whether they be vendors, purchasers, landlords or tenants.

Many an agent, over these many years, has openly expressed that their success was as a direct result of their participation/membership in the Co-operative.

Some will remember the early days where the Co-operative produced thousands of listing sheets (listing photo on the front - property detail on the back) and daily update sheets and then delivered these to offices by courier overnight. Regrettably, and to its ultimate detriment, regional members had to await their information to be delivered weekly by post by which time the information was out of date. Production of this information was achieved by eight typists, four printers and a number of mailroom staff sorting information into brown envelopes for their nightly/weekly delivery.

Then came the computer revolution – a revolution that allows agents today to have information instantaneously no matter whether they are based in metropolitan Sydney or in small country towns throughout the state. Tyranny of distance no longer applies.

Continued next page..

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Eye On The Industry Continued..

Why then, many have asked, has the system of multiple listing declined. Many theories have been put forward but from my perspective it was a result of agents firstly embracing other marketing methods in the sale of property and ultimately due to market competition following fee deregulation with some agents participating in unsustainable discounting. This regrettably, in my humble view, did little for the professionalism of the industry nor did it benefit consumers.

As a result, and in order to remain relevant in the NSW property market, the Co-operative had to change – reinvent itself.

This it has done and done successfully, by becoming a provider of a large range of cost effective goods and services to its members and the real estate industry as a whole. When one considers that it competes in the market with other providers who may specialise in only one service or one product, the Co-operative should be commended.

My longevity at EAC is as a result of the opportunities that have been given to me for which I will always be eternally grateful – opportunities that started with a position in the EAC mailroom through to CEO and Company Secretary. I have been fortunate to work with dedicated people, whether they be Directors, Management or staff – people with a desire to deliver the best of the best to members.

I very much doubt whether there will be any more milestones achieved by yours truly but there is still one unfulfilled goal that I would like to see achieved while I am still part of this great industry of ours.

There is no doubt in my mind that the one failing of our industry is its inability to recognise its own “strength” and to take advantage of its “economies of scale”.

We continue to support third party providers whose only reason for success is because we, the industry, provide them with the ability to succeed at our own expense. These third party providers make multi millions of dollars each year from the provision of marketing or information services utilising the very information provided by the industry.

Efforts to bring the industry together have been/are, in the main, thwarted by some in our own industry who profess to be working in the best interests of the industry. Whether it is because of ego or self interest it does little to benefit the very soul of the industry – the practitioner.

While it may sound biased this cannot be said of our Co-operative. For those who have a long association with the industry, and in particular the Co-operative, I am sure that it will be acknowledged that the Co-operative’s venture into the provision of goods and services has stalled the consistent price hikes in various areas. One only has to cast one’s mind back to the price that was being charged for property data information prior to EAC entering this market.

I find it incredulous the “specials” being offered by competitors to encourage practitioners to leave industry delivered goods and services. I am not in the habit of criticising other providers’ goods or services and I am not going to start now. I will however express my concern as to what practitioners will have to pay if industry bodies such as ours are driven from the market and monopolies are created.

I encourage all members and non-members alike to consider the ramifications of not supporting organisations such as our Co-operative. The more support we receive the better placed we are to deliver benefits to you now and in the future.

In closing I would like to extend my thanks to all associated with the Co-operative both past and present for affording me the opportunity to work on your behalf.

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EAC Veteran Achieves a 40 Year Milestone with the Co-operative

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

In August, John Carson achieved 40 years of service and reflects on his many roles with the Estate Agents Co-operative.

Many of you would have had some form of interaction with EAC’s longest serving representative, John Carson as he has served in a multitude of positions since commencing his tenure at the Co-operative on the 10th of August 1971 as a Mail Room Clerk, whilst on semester holidays from his law studies.

Due to family financial issues, John had to discontinue his studies and was offered full time employment as the Assistant Production Manager.

In 1975 John was made responsible for the Administration of the EAC multiple listing processes as well as membership; In 1979 John was appointed to the position of IT Manager and is credited with installing EAC’s first computer system; In 1985 became Membership Manager and was responsible for all matters relating to the membership process at EAC. 1987 saw John promoted to General Manager and Company Secretary in addition to Licenseein-charge (licenses held: real estate business and stock & station.)

With the resignation of Ken Baker in 1989, John was appointed as CEO by the Board of Directors until taking a step back in 2006 when David Crombie moved from IT Manager to CEO; To this day John retains his Company Secretary/Chief Operations Officer role and continues to be an integral part of the Co-operative as well as a front for all industry knowledge and EAC Historian for the Management team.

When asked for comment on his time with EAC, John simply stated, “I have been fortunate to work with dedicated people, whether they are Directors, Management or staff – people with a desire to deliver the best of the best to members.”

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FTB 10th Edition

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Contact EAC now to find out how Social Media can help drive your business, or start following us on Facebook, Twitter & Linked in

EAC Social Media Packages are available for as little as $550.00 (once off ) for EAC Members.

Log onto www.eac.com.au to find out more or call EAC direct on 1300 137 161

Providing complete business solutions to the real estate Industry for over 50 years FTB 10th Edition

List your property on one of the last FREE Industry Web Portals!

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

realestateworld.com.au is one of the fastest growing Industry web portals that is wholly owned and operated by the Estate Agents Co-operative. A recent marketing push has seen a staggering 28% increase in agents listing to the site as well as a 24% increase in property listings. Agents have the option to advertise all of their listings at absolutely no ongoing charges whatsoever. This brings us to the question, is realestateworld.com.au one of the last FREE Industry Web Portals?

EAC has always tried to ensure that agents have the ability to take back control of their online marketing budgets and our realestateworld.com.au web portal is just one way we make good on this claim. There is and never will be any ongoing charge associated with our Starter Package. As to achieve an even greater exposure level on the site, offices may choose to subscribe to our Pro Package for as little as $29.95.

With several new providers recently joining the other major aggregators that currently upload to this site, uploading has never been easier. You can also elect to use EAC to upload to a number of other portals for as little as $19.95 a month, such as realestate.com.au, domain.com.au, as well as, any of the sites below. Note: A subscription may be required in some cases.

WE ACCEPT YOUR LISTINGS FROM

WE SEND YOUR LISTINGS TO

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FTB 10th Edition

realestateworld.com.au enjoys high ranking portal position in both the Illawarra and the Northern Rivers areas in NSW and strives to become an even greater force in the next 12 months. A new series of consumer marketing campaigns scheduled in September 2011, featuring Wendell Sailor, aims to reinforce the brand in its established areas and increase its awareness in areas recently gaining listing content.

Offices wishing to list with realestateworld.com.au should contact EAC on 1300 137 161.

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Compliance Matters

National licensing – a reality

By Geoff Hunter, Industry Liaison and Compliance Advisor

This is the first of a series of articles aimed at providing real estate agents with a more detailed understanding of the proposed national occupational licensing system that is to commence 1 July 2012.

In April 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), which consists of the Prime Minister, all Premiers and Chief Ministers, signed an inter-governmental agreement to establish a national occupational licensing system (NOLS) for certain occupations which includes real estate agents, valuers and conveyancers. Also included are electrical occupations, plumbing and gas fitting, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Relevant to our readers, real estate will commence 1 July 2012 with valuers and conveyancers to follow during 2013.

How does this affect agents and their employees?

National licensing is being developed to remove inconsistencies between states and territories and to provide greater work force mobility.

Licence and certificate holders will be able to perform work in any state or territory with a single national licence. In other words, your qualifications go with you if you relocate and will be recognised together with your occupational licence.

For those agents who practice in border locations (e.g. Tweed Heads, Albury/Wodonga and Queenbeyan/Canberra) there are significant benefits to having only one licence and consistent cross border operational standards. Less red tape and compliance increases efficiency and reduces costs.

From 1 July 2012 all existing licence and certificate holders will be transferred across to the new system and will receive an equivalent national licence which will entitle the holder to work anywhere in Australia.

Those entering real estate after 1 July 2012, will be granted a licence or certificate based on a single set of nationally agreed eligibility requirements that are currently being finalised. The following categories of licence and their scopes of work are proposed:

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FTB 10th Edition

Licence category

Scope of work Sale, purchase, lease or management of real property.

Estate agent

Act in an agency relationship for the sale, purchase, lease or management of real property.

An estate agent is not authorised to conduct an auction of real property or act as a strata managing agent or a business agent.

Management of any function of the body corporate or owners’ corporation under a strata or community title scheme.

Strata managing agent

Exercise any function of a body corporate or owners’ corporation in the management of the body corporate or owners’ corporation under a strata or community title scheme. A strata managing agent is not authorised to act as an estate agent or a business agent or an auctioneer.

Sale, purchase and lease of a business

Business agent

Act in an agency relationship for the sale, purchase and lease of a business. A business agent is not authorised to conduct an auction of real property or act as an estate agent or strata managing agent.

Conduct an auction of real property.

Auctioneer

An auctioneer is not authorised to operate a trust account or act in an agency relationship as an estate agent or business agent, operate a real estate or business agent business, or act as a estate agent’s representative or business agent’s representative.

Estate agent’s representative

Act under the authority of a licensed estate agent in the sale, purchase, lease or management of real property. An estate agent’s representative is not authorised to operate a trust account or operate a real estate or business agent business, or conduct an auction of real property, or act as a strata managing agent or business agent’s representative.

Business agent’s representative

Act under the authority of a licensed business agent in the sale, purchase and lease of a business. A business agent’s representative is not authorised to operate a trust account or operate a business agent’s or real estate agent’s business, or conduct an auction of real property, or act as a strata managing agent or an estate agent’s representative.

Source: NOLS Property Occupations Interim Advisory Committee Communique #4 on Progress Continued next page..

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Compliance Matters Continued..

From the above table you will note that the number of categories has been reduced and the Stock and Station agent’s licence is to be discontinued.

The scope of work for ‘real estate agents’ includes the broad definition ‘purchase, lease or management of real property’ which includes all rural property. The holder of a real estate licence will be able to sell and manage both residential and rural land. Also proposed for de-regulation is the sale and auctioning of livestock.

Considerable work has been done to establish consistent ‘conduct’ requirements in the following key operational areas: • • • • •

Management and supervision of the business Auctions Trust accounts Agency agreements Consumer information requirements

The existing rules and guidelines for the above vary greatly across the states and territories. It is expected that these can be harmonised to provide easier operation for the practitioner and consistent consumer expectations based on simplicity.

The next step will be the release of the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), expected September/October 2011, followed by a six week period for public commentary and response.

EAC will keep members informed as more information becomes available.

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FTB 10th Edition

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Practice Support

Residential Tenancies Act

By Silvana Ferraro, EAC Agency Practice & Compliance Advisor

It is just over six months since the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 commenced and it is worth commenting on the noticeable increase in time agents are required to spend in the prelease stage of a letting.

In July, EAC members received a Practice Note, Residential Reletting Checklist and Disclosure Notes, containing practical information on the reletting process including a checklist and notes on disclosure.

The process of signing up a new tenant on a lease involves the agent explaining to the tenant their rights and obligations under the lease including any agreed additional terms. A correctly informed tenant at the start of a tenancy should minimise or avoid future issues or dispute and accordingly save time and stress down the track during or at the end of the tenancy. NSW Fair Trading fact sheets can be a great resource for agents.

NSW Fair Trading fact sheets NSW Fair Trading offers a wide range of factsheets and if you are not already doing so, you may want to consider choosing some of these fact sheets to give tenants before they sign a lease and for inclusion in any ‘tenant information kit.’

TIPS

The fact sheet, ‘Breaking a lease early’ is a useful resource that can assist an agent explain the ‘break fee’ term in a lease or the tenant’s obligations if it is not included in the lease. The smoke alarms fact sheet reiterates the tenant’s responsibilities (as set out in the lease) in a more ‘reader friendly’ format. There are other general fact sheets that may also be of interest or assistance, for example, ‘Toughened glass – safety guidelines for consumers’.

If you have not already done so, review the fact sheets on the Fair Trading website, decide whether giving a copy to the tenant at the start of a tenancy could save time, and stress further down the track. To enable you to see at a glance the main residential tenancy fact sheets, they have been categorised for your convenience below.

To access the fact sheets go to www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au - Quick Links / Publications / Download and print publications. The list is in alphabetical order.

Residential Tenancy Information for tenants

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Dated 2011

Code

Information for landlords or agent

Dated 2011

Alteration requests from tenant

June

Code

Asking to make an alteration

June

Breaking a lease early

June

FTR78

Completing a tenancy agreement

June

FTR80

Breaking a lease early

June

FTR78

Completing a tenancy agreement

June

FTR80

Discrimination when renting

June

Deciding to use an agent

June

Domestic violence in a rented property

April

Discrimination in rental market

June

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FTR75

Residential Tenancy Continued..

Information for tenants

Dated 2011

Code

Information for landlords or agent

Falling behind with your rent

June

FTR88

Filling out a condition report

June

Getting repairs done

June

FTR86

Giving a termination notice

June

Getting your bond back

June

FTR79

Goods left behind by your tenant

June

Mortgagee repossession

June

Making a bond claim

June

FTR84

Paying water charges

June

Non-payment of rent

June

FTR83

Privacy when renting

June

Passing on water charges

June

FTR74

Rent increases

July

Putting up the rent

July

FTR82

Retrieving goods left behind

June

Right of entry

June

FTR89

Sharing a rented home

June

Sub-letting requests from your tenant

June

Tenancy databases

June

Taking a bond

June

Natural disasters

June

Using tenancy databases

June

FTR81

FTR85

FTR87

Dated 2011

Code

FTR77

Information for landlord, agent and tenant • Serving notice - (January 2011) • Smoke alarms - (February 2011) • New tenant checklist – (January 2011 FTR72) MANDATORY FORM

Other fact sheets

• • • •

Real estate agent advertisements – guidelines for media advertising staff (January 2011) Reviews of Fair Trading decisions (March 2011 FTD08) Spa pools safety guide (March 2010) Swimming pools – guidelines for consumers June 2011 FTC40

Holiday rentals Information for owners and agents • Holiday home rentals – (January 2011)

Strata schemes Information about strata scheme • Strata scheme sinking funds (June 2009 FTR47) • Starting the owners corporation (September 2010 FTR48) • Responsibilities of the owners corporation (September 2010 FTR49) • Meetings of the owners corporation (September 2010 FTR50) • Managing agents and caretakers (May 2009 FTR52) • Strata and community disputes (August 2009 FTR01) • Strata and community mediation (September 2010 FTR02)

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Practice Support

Debt Recovery for Property Managers

By Lisa Jemmeson - Jemmeson & Fisher Solicitors & Accountants

Options When The Tenant Fails To Pay The Debt As many property managers are aware, obtaining a Tribunal order for a tenant to pay money to a Landlord does not of itself guarantee immediate payment of the debt by a tenant. It is important that you advise your landlord of this fact so they maintain realistic expectations of both you and with the agency. Although a tribunal order is tantamount to a court order which ought to be complied with, there is no mechanism to compel payment by a Tenant immediately upon judgment. More often than not payment does not come at that time. In order to compel payment, the property manager may engage a solicitor who must then embark upon a complicated process, usually involving considerable practical difficulties, to enforce the judgment.

Generally, enforcement of the judgment can be long, drawn out, costly and frustrating. The purpose of this general article, is to provide an overview of the debt recovery options available to Landlords, especially when Landlord Insurance companies find fine print exclusion clauses to void policies.

We will pick up the article under the assumption that you have a CTTT order for the payment of money. The debt has not been paid in compliance with the order, the landlord either does not have landlord insurance or the claim has been denied by the insurer.

Entry of judgment and orders From here on in we are going to refer to the CTTT order as a “judgment�. A judgment may not be enforced unless it is entered. A judgment is taken to be entered when it is recorded with the Court, usually the Local Court.

There is no requirement for a sealed copy of the judgment to be served on the tenant.

Limitation on enforcement of judgments Generally, a judgment can be enforced for a period of 12 years.

Interest after judgment After judgment has been entered and interest has been calculated up to judgment, interest does not stop running. Interest however will not be payable on the judgment debt if the amount is paid in full within 28 days after the date on which the judgment takes effect, unless the court orders to the contrary.

Selecting appropriate method(s) Judgments for the payment of money may be enforced by:

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(a) a writ of execution; (b) a garnishee order; (c) a charging order.

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So from here you have to think about your prospects of success and by success we mean actually recovering more money than it costs to recover it. Consider the costs of pursuing a specific enforcement methods, the time it will take, the procedural requirement, for example, you may need to engage a Solicitor to assist you and overall, the tenant’s financial position to actually pay.

Sometimes the right call is not to pursue the debt at this particular time, remember you have 12 years. Landlords can also pursue other methods of enforcement including bankruptcy for individuals (for debt equal to or exceeding $2000) or winding up for corporate debtors.

Writs Of Execution Introduction A major method of enforcement of a judgment is by way of a writ of execution. A writ of execution is a court order which allows the sheriff of the court to seize and sell property belonging to the judgment debtor.

There are generally 3 kinds of writ of execution:

(a) writ for the levy of property; (b) writ for possession of land; and (c) writ for delivery of goods.

In order to apply for a writ, the Landlord must have at least sufficient knowledge that the tenant has the relevant property which can be seized to satisfy the debt. If the Sherriff seizes goods then they must be put up for sale as soon as practicable with consideration to the speedy satisfaction of the judgment without undue hardship or expenses to the tenant. Generally, it is put up for sale by public auction and sold to the highest bidder, if however the bid is substantially less than the market value of the property, then a sale by private treaty may be attempted; and the proceeds of the sale will go firstly to satisfy the sheriff’s fees and expenses, then to the Landlord to satisfy the judgment debt, and finally the remainder, if any to the tenant.

Advantages and disadvantages A writ of execution can be an inexpensive method of enforcing a judgment and could be used, for example, if there is a real belief that there are goods upon which levy can be made.

If there are such goods, it is amazing how often tenants pay the debt to the sheriff at the door rather than have their furniture or stereo taken away.

However, and here is the downside, the writ of execution won’t be successful if the tenant asserts the following:

“all property jointly owned by spouse or partner”;

“the goods you want to take are subject to a security interest in goods or hire purchase”, i.e. the Sherriff can’t take the refrigerator that they lease from Radio Rentals;

“I don’t own the goods, or they are a protected assets”; or

“the tenant no longer lives at this address and the item you see belongs to someone else”.

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Practice Support Continued..

It would then be up to the Landlord to disprove the assertion.

Assuming that the assertion is not made, then it often happens that after a levy has been made, the tenant is advised to make an application to pay by installments. If that application is granted, that order has the effect of staying the writ. If an installment is then not paid, the Landlord has to: (a) file an affidavit to that effect; (b) pay another fee for an attempt to execute a writ; and (c) request the sheriff to proceed with the writ.

A writ may have expired by this time and if this happens, the whole procedure has to start again. It must be remembered that this is only one of many methods of enforcement, and that it may be better to choose an option where the return is more certain. What must always be avoided in any enforcement of judgment proceeding is the syndrome of sending good money after bad. If there is no reasonable probability of recovery and with regard to the amount of the debt, it may be preferable to wait until the circumstances of the tenant improves.

Costs The sheriff’s fees for executing a writ are approximately $70.00 as at 1 July 2011.

Property that may be seized under a writ of levy of property is:

(a) any goods in which the tenant has a beneficial interest; (b) money; (c) cheque, bills of exchange, promissory notes, bonds or other securities; (d) choses in action; and (e) land.

What can’t be seized: • clothing; • bedroom or kitchen furniture; or • Tools of trade not exceeding $2,000: used by the tenant debtor or members of his or her family.

Seizure and sale of goods When the writ of execution is issued the sheriff then attends at the tenant’s address and executes the writ. The writ authorizes the seizure of property at any location within New South Wales. The sheriff is not to seize any more property than the sheriff thinks will be sufficient to satisfy the debt.

If there is no levy of goods, the writ will be returned stating that there were no goods upon which levy could be executed. It is then up to the judgment creditor’s legal practitioner to: • obtain information which contradicts the information about the ownership of the goods given by the judgment debtor to the sheriff; or • locate additional goods elsewhere upon which execution can be levied.

Garnishee Orders If someone owes the tenant money, then you may be able to attach the debt the tenant is owed to the Landlord. For example, if the tenant’s employer owes the tenant wages, then the third party employer can be compelled to pay your landlord instead of the tenant. It is not just wages, but garnishee orders can operate on term deposits, savings accounts, rent due, proceeds of a judgment or settlement, wages, contract payments etc.

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The Landlord applies for a garnishee order via a notice of motion directed at a specific person, you don’t need to service it on the person (example the tenants employer) or the garnishee first. You must also prepare an affidavit in support setting out all the relevant information.

You should note however, that in garnishees involving wages or salary the amount deducted from the wages or salary is restricted to ensure the garnishee retains a minimum amount.

Charging Orders Charging orders are not often used, but they are another option so you should be aware of them. A charging order would entitle a landlord to all the remedies of a charge of specific property to satisfy the debt, it also stops the tenant dealing with the property while it has a charge over it. The types of property where you might use a charging order would include stock or shares in a public company or any equitable interest in property.

Conclusion The best tip is begin with the end in mind. Carefully screen and select your tenants. Ensure that you are gathering enough information about prospective tenants on your tenancy application forms, it may well assist you to know about the financial commitments of a potential lessee such as whether they own their car outright or whether household items are under lease or Hire Purchase. Whilst the reference from the current agent is important, it will do little to assist you if you need to enforce a judgment debt against the tenant.

We would caution property managers that insurance products known as “Landlord insurance” are not the “catch all protection” that you may think they are, nor should you be blindly relying on some products in particular, if a tenancy goes bad.

It is our experience that more and more Landlord claims are denied by what we would term fine print conditions, you only need look to the debacle following the QLD Floods to appreciate where an insurer’s true interests lay. One recent example of a denied landlord insurance claim involved a claim being denied because one week of the four-week tenant’s bond payment defaulted at the beginning of the tenancy. The agent diligently commenced action through the CTTT and obtained a judgment debt against the tenant but the insurance company chose to deny the claim anyway. Therefore, now more than ever, a competent and diligent property manager should be aware and be able to provide advice to their landlord clients on the aspects and general nature of debt recovery for money left owing by recalcitrant renters.

For further legal advice or to engage a solicitor contact: Lisa Jemmeson- Jemmeson & Fisher Solicitors & Accountants Level 9, 160 Goulburn Street Sydney NSW 2010 Email: mail@jemfish.com.au Ph: 02 9267 6263

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Around the Traps

Marketing Advice for Agents

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

Despite the rise of electronic media, direct marketing is still a very powerful tool in your arsenal, especially when you want to make a personal impression. As a Real Estate Agent, direct marketing is a tool you should be considering to generate more leads and forge stronger relationships that will lead to sales and referrals.

Direct Response

Creating an effective direct marketing piece that generates a good response rate can be a complex task. Not because any of the elements or parts of the process are complex; rather executing every single part of the process effectively takes time and careful planning. Still there are common mistakes that lots of people make which can include (and you should avoid these if possible): • Selling right from the start rather than providing a solution or whetting the appetite and building rapport; • Not planning how (or by whom) the leads will be followed up.

What factors affect a good response rate? I’ll start by saying I don’t mean to preach something that might sound very simple. However, if you have ever been disappointed with the response rate that you have had from a direct marketing campaign, then these tips are for you. And remember, “mass marketing” in the form of direct mail is not necessarily direct marketing; direct marketing is defined as where you communicate directly to your prospects, which could be via multiple channels, and not just direct mail. So although one of your approaches might be direct mail, it may not be the only one!

Tip 1: Direct marketing is an ongoing process not a one off activity Always plan what the next contact will be. Plan your follow–ups and future contacts with your prospects allowing for every possible eventuality. For example, you may follow up with a phone call, then perhaps invite the prospect to an event, a little later you may like to introduce them to a good contact for them. Keep building the relationship using direct, personalised communications.

Tip 2. Understand and know your potential prospects well The more you know about your prospect the more relevant you can make your communications, offers and timing. We all know we need contact details. We also need to know if the prospect really is in the market for what we have to offer. It helps to know what their interests are, their lifestyle preferences, their goals and the list goes on.

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Looking for new prospects to buy or sell can take some time, especially when the crucial factor is to build a good relationship. Use your direct marketing to get to know your prospects so you have a warm prospect when the time is right. A database that truly knows the prospects and clients is worth gold.

Tip 3: The offer needs to appeal strongly If the offer is unappealing, your time and money has been wasted. Make sure your offer appeals to your prospect. Personalise it as much as you can. Give as much value as you can. Remember value doesn’t need to be expensive. For example, if the prospect is interested in wealth creation, take them to an appropriate seminar or give them a great book on the topic.

Tip 4: It’s about them not you Respect the time of the prospect. A direct marketing piece that appeals to them, is timely and talks to their needs, wants and desires is much more effective than one that talks about someone trying to sell them something.

Always put yourself in the shoes of your prospect and develop your direct marketing piece from their perspective. Test the tone of the writing; if you are using ‘we’ frequently, it’s not about them it’s about you. There is a delicate balance between talking about yourself and connecting with your prospect.

Tip 5: Follow up, follow up, follow up I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the importance of follow up, because you have probably been told this many times. The distinction I’d like to share is, only send out a quantity you can actually follow up. When you follow up, remember you are doing so to be of service to the prospect and offer them something of value. It’s not about what they can do for you; it’s about what you can do to make their lives better, easier and more desirable. A low pressure, informal follow up will work better than a sales pitch. Another little trick I find works well is to tell your prospect when you will follow up. Then the follow up is a little warmer because it is expected.

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The Form Guide Your One Stop Shop

By Maureen Faapito, EAC Stationery Manager

It has been a busy seventeen months since re-entering the market with our own suite of Real Estate Forms. In saying this, our focus remains the same – To provide you with the best professional service possible. To ensure we continue to deliver the best products and services, we continue to listen to you our members and the Industry, by reviewing all feedback we receive.

We have recieved feedback from several agents saying that they were told by a third party that our forms are not compliant. Let me assure you that they are fully compliant and have all been thoroughly checked by our legal advisers who funnily enough have provided the same service to this third party in the past.

As mentioned in the “From the Boardroom 9th Edition” - Monday, 31 January 2011 saw the change to the Residential Tenancies Act and Regulations 2010. EAC completed its review of the New Residential Agreements according to the Act.

A QUICK UPDATE: New Forms: • Residential Condition Report – Additional Page Pad (EAC110B1): In addition to the current Residential Condition Report (EAC110B) this pad has an additional section to record that extra room e.g. extra bedrooms, living rooms etc. This Form was created due to feedback received.

User Guides: The ‘Notes’ offer in-depth information on various aspects of the agency agreement including selected rules of conduct, risk management strategies and relevant links to reference material and resources. The Notes are like having a training session readily available whenever needed.

Supplementary Forms: Our supplementary Forms have been created for your convenience and can be accessed online at eac.com.au under Real Estate Forms Resources at no cost. You must be an existing EAC Forms customer in order to obtain these forms.

• • • • • • • • • •

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Residential Leasing Marketing Assistance Form Standard Form - Residential Tenancy Agreement: Additional Terms Pet Addendum to Residential Tenancy Agreement Property Inspection Report (EAC100A) Sales Marketing Assistance Form Guide Notes - Service of Notice (Section 223) Notice to Owners Corporation of Leases or Subleases or Assignment Surrender of Retail/Commercial Lease Auction Bidding Authority Auction Telephone Bidding

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Testimonials See what some of our valued professionals had to say...

We are happy to use the EAC forms which will and has saved us time and money. These will let us grow our business further.

We find the forms are taking us less time to complete.

We will continue to order more stationery from you.

Maureen, your follow-up and service was excellent and we wish other businesses have people like you.

Sanjay Prasad Principle – Golden Homes Realty Westmead

I have been associated with EAC for over six years.

Throughout that time EAC has hosted many informative seminars, keeping us informed on the latest in legislation and the impact on our business.

Recently when I opened my own business, Maureen and the staff from EAC were very helpful in getting all our necessary forms. I currently use both their printed forms and the EAC e-forms service and can say that they are very efficient, reliable and very cost effective way of having every form available. Details on the forms are very easy to fill out, the staff like that, we never run out of forms, and I like that they look neat, tidy and very professional.

I will continue to use the services of EAC and would recommend them to any real estate company.

Themy Panagiotidis Principle - LJ HOOKER Auburn

EAC Monthly Specials In April 2011, we launched our new Monthly Specials. Every month our specials will vary from Printed Forms to Seinfork Display Stands. It could be anything so keep an eye out!

Online Store EAC stocks a wide range of Stationery, Real Estate Forms and Marketing Aids including Signs, Stickers and Window Display Cards and these items can be viewed on our Online Store.

Some of our products include: (EAC Members receive a 10% discount on all items).

• • • • • •

Signboard and Window Stickers Corflute Signs Seinfork Display Stands Secur-a-key Cabinets Endurosigns Tabloid Wire Baskets

How to Order

Call Stationery on 1300 137 161 for more details or simply log on to: www.eac.com.au and select the Forms & Stationery icon

EAC 2012 Diaries Want to be organised for 2012? Order your 2012 diary now and receive it early November!

A4 DIARY (297 x 210 mm) Plain A4 Diary(s) at $36.00 ea - EAC Member / $40.00 ea - Non Member A5 DIARY (246 x 164 mm) Plain A5 Diary(s) at $36.00 ea - EAC Member / $40.00 ea - Non Member

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realestateworld.com.au New TV Consumer Campaign for Illawarra Region

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

Thursday 18th August saw the launch of the new TVC campaign, featuring Wendell Sailor, go to air. This new campaign will concentrate on real estate specific programing with a couple of high rating consumer favourites to reinforce the brand for both the online and offline elements.

• Renovators (August September) – Southern Star - Thursdays 6 week campaign 1 TVC nights split each 3 weeks of 14 week broadcast.

• 60 minute Makeover (September October) – Prime - Fridays 6 week campaign 1 TVC on each Friday night • Homes under the Hammer (November December) – Prime & 7 two - Fridays 6 week campaign 1 TVC on each Friday night • Escape to the Country (February March) – Prime & 7 two - Fridays 6 week campaign 1 TVC on each Friday night • Friday Night Football (May June) – Win - Fridays 8 week campaign 1 TVC on each Friday night • Sunrise (August to November - March to June) – Prime & 7 two - Thursdays 8 month campaign (2 x 4 months) 1 TVC on each Thursday morning • Today (August to November - March to June) – Win - Thursdays 8 month campaign (2 x 4 months) 1 TVC on each Thursday morning One of the interesting things about the making of the commercial is that a 30 second piece of footage took over 10 hours to produce. Wendell’s popularity in the region is definitely obvious as I could not count the number of times that cars would pull over and the occupants would engage him in football related topics. To his credit, he did not turn any fan away and was happy to chat on to the frustration of the film crew at times.

Special thanks go to the people below for their contribution to the making of this new commercial: Ray White Wollongong – Chris Stylis Marksmen Homes – Stuart Rhodes Illawarra Local Promotional Committee Mal Walsh & Dean Austin (EAC) All Illawarra Offices for Your Continued Support The commercial was officially launched at a breakfast function to Illawarra offices on Wednesday the 17th August at Vila Dora function centre. The event was hosted by the local committee with Wendell also putting on a general questions session for the guests.

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D EAC eForms Your Simple Cost Effective Electronic Real Estate Forms Solution EAC eForms provides your office with the best electronic forms solution that will greatly reduce the time required to complete forms. Our eForms solution brings the future of real estate forms to your office today.

Why choose EAC eForms?

EAC eForms will provide your office with over 40 forms and agreements in an easy to use system.

Fully Backed by EAC EAC eForms are legally backed and supported by the Co-operative avoiding any compliance issues that may arise from using other non industry providers. Make sure you read their terms and conditions as some actually suggest you obtain your own legal advice as to the compliance or otherwise of their forms. We stand behind our forms and provide you with peace of mind.

eForms Benefits t 8FC CBTFE OP TPGUXBSF JOTUBMMBUJPO t Online access ensures that you are always provided with the most current form available without having to download or install updated forms, which eliminates redundancy t With automatic population of your office information and the ability to save defaults for each form, the risk of errors and incorrectly completed forms is greatly minimised t $BO CF QFSTPOBMJTFE XJUI ZPVS P贸DF MPHPT XJUI UIF ability to maintain separate company details for sales or property management t Default settings provide consistency & minimise potential errors t Unlimited technical support via the EAC support line t Search and re-print completed forms for up to 24 months t 'MFYJCMF BOOVBM BOE QBZ QFS GPSN TVCTDSJQUJPO QBDLBHFT available to suit your offices budget

Member Discount All EAC Members receive a discount on both the subscription packages and enjoy reduced prices under the pay per form option.

Demo Online You can see a demonstration of the functionality and versatility of EAC eForms by simply going to www.formsonline.com.au Once you have entered the site simply click on Demo eForms now

How to Order Call the EAC eForms Support Line on

1300 137 161

for more details or simply logon to www.formsonline.com.au to download an order form

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Don’t forget EAC Printing Services can print & supply a large range of cards to suit your needs.

Call now 9793 0680 for our colour catalogue.

Corporate and Personal

Christmas Cards All cards are supplied with plain envelopes.

5 Gartmore Ave, Bankstown NSW 2200 Tel: 1300 952 258 or 9793 0680 Fax: 1300 661 423 or 9793 0601 Email: info@eacprinting.com.au Website: www.eacprinting.com.au

Your trusted partner in Real Estate Printing

Technology Review

Smart Phones for Everyone

By Don Harb, EAC IT Manager

While Smart Phones are something that have been around for a number of years, with the Palm being the first recognised device in mainstream business use, it has only been in recent years that Smart Phones have become the norm when looking at a new phone.

The war of the Smart Phones continues, with every known (and some unknown) manufacturer seeming to introduce a new phone to the market place every other week. With the constant changes and the “new and improved” versions coming out so often it can be quite confusing as to which smart phone is right for you, which one is value for money, and which one is best for your business.

While every smart phone has its own features that are unique to the manufacturer, there are many features that all of them now include such as: email setup and retrieval, MMS, SMS, calendar integration, contact lists, internet browsing and tethering capabilities and cameras.

The main differences come from the Operating System on the device itself. This then determines the functionality and integration that the device can have i.e. iPhones work best with Apple devices, Android works well with Google applications and Windows 7 Mobile integrates best with Microsoft products.

With this in mind, I am going to give a brief overview of the major manufacturers of these different devices and the Operating Systems available.

Blackberry: The first “phone” to really put Smart Phones on the map, the Blackberry, by Research in Motion, was originally designed around the mobile email retrieval with a phone built in to take calls. While the more recent versions of the Blackberry offerings have integrated more features such as web browsing, applications and features, this device still remains primarily used for email functions. And while other Smart Phones have email retrieval as part of their offerings, the Blackberry still remains the most secure and most reliable email retrieval smart phone in the market place.

iPhone: The original Apple iPhone release had a number of features missing that were part and parcel of phones for many years e.g. no MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). Since then Apple has released a number of new versions that have implemented a number of improvements allowing the iPhone to become the most recognised smart phone in the world.

The iPhone uses two main systems to allow software installation, backup and integration i.e. iTunes and the Apple Store, while also allowing for the mainstream consumer uses such as music, movie and games. By catering to both the business user and the general consumer the iPhone was able to dominate the market for a number of years.

The other main issue that developers have is dealing with Apple and the strict guidelines that it enforces to develop applications to run on its platform. While this has allowed for some consistency in the offerings available on the iPhone, in some cases it has deterred companies from developing for the iPhone system.

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Android: Unlike the iPhone which is designed and developed by Apple, Android is offered by Google as an operating system for a smart phone to many manufacturers. Android can be found on Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola to name a few. By allowing the operating system to be used by different manufacturers, Android has now become the largest used operating system for Smart Phones across the world. Last quarter, the number of devices sold using the Android operating system was in excess of 30 million.

Android phones allow for flexibility in the use of the drive within the phones. Most Android based phones have the ability to easily increase the capacity of the smart phone by allowing the user to change the SD (Secure Digital) card within the device. While this may not seem too much of a hindrance, other operating system based devices generally do not allow for this flexibility thus limiting the capacity to what was purchased within the device itself. This also allows most Android based phones to be used as a USB hard drive. This means that you can plug the Android phone into any computer and it will recognise the storage on it as an external storage device without requiring third party software.

Windows 7 Mobile: Microsoft, like Google and unlike Apple, decided to create the operating system for Smart Phones rather than trying to create the device itself. They provided their Operating System to LG, HTC and Samsung and have recently signed an agreement with Nokia, who despite not really having a true Smart Phone on the market, is still one of the largest manufacturers of phone devices in the world.

Although the Windows 7 Mobile Operating System is still in its early stages of release, Microsoft was able to learn from the successes and failures of the other manufacturers as well as its previous failures into the Smart Phone world before releasing its latest version of its mobile platform.

Some other manufacturers have their own Operating Systems. Samsung, Nokia and even Motorola have their own Operating Systems but many are now using either the Android or Windows operating systems for their devices and with Google purchasing Motorola Mobility recently, this trend will continue to increase.

While becoming more and more common in day to day business use and providing a greater range of features with every new version, Smart Phones are not able to replace your desktop or laptop yet. In saying this, Smart Phones are like anything else in your business, get the right one for your business and rather than just being a phone or a calendar, it can be a powerful business tool.

Tune in next time when I review an iPhone, Android and Windows 7 Mobile device in greater detail in relation to the functionality and the benefits, idiosyncrasies and pitfalls of each and give you an update on the new Red Square offering specifically designed for Smart Phones..... you will just have to wait until then to read more!

Blackberry

iPhone

Android

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Staff Profile

Dean Austin - IT Client Liaison and Team Leader

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

EAC Red Square users may be familiar with the voice of Dean Austin, the EAC Support Team Leader, who commenced his employment with the Co-operative in January 2011.

Dean is the new driving force behind the team that has phone contact with our most important asset, our customers. Dean has already built a reputation as an EAC celebrity with his recent appearance in the new realestateworld.com.au television commercial, featuring Wendell Sailor, of which he is quick to mention on any occasion. With this said, I recently took the opportunity to ask Dean some questions to give you a better insight to ‘the voice behind the phone’.

What were you doing job wise before working with EAC? I was working at the NSW Fire Brigade as the IT Helpdesk Manager (a two-year maternity cover contract). This was the first time I had worked for a government organisation which I found very different to the corporate world. My responsibilities included supporting the equipment of all 340 fire stations across NSW.

What are your usual daily tasks as IT Client Liaison and Team Leader?

My daily tasks involve helping the Red Square support team with incoming calls. I also look after any escalation of problems/complaints, as well as, the IT internal support of EAC employees.

Give an example, without naming names, of an interesting situation you have had to deal with on the phone since appointed to your position.

I received a call from an agency and after trying to establish what agency they were from, they sheepishly admitted they were after support from one of our competitors. I had to laugh.

What motivates you to come to work every day?

I’ve only been with EAC for eight months so I’m still learning the ropes. I enjoy the team we have at EAC. All departments work together to help/solve any issues for our members.

What sort of hobbies or activities do you like to participate in after work hours?

My two main hobbies are playing the drums and soccer. I’ve always loved music and there’s nothing better than bashing away with a few mates to make some noise! Not sure if my neighbours approve!

What sort of music do you listen to?

I do have a wide range in music taste. I remember years ago in the 1 month I saw Kylie Minogue and Metallica and they were both fantastic. I grew up listening to 80’s rock music so I enjoyed listening to bands like AC/DC, KISS and RHCP. I am also a big fan of Aussie rock bands like Hoodoo Gurus, Cold Chisel, Silverchair, Noiseworks and Powderfinger to name a few.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hollywood! If you have seen the recent realestateworld commercial with Wendell Sailor you will notice the great acting performance from myself. There is no doubt that in 5 years I’ll be working alongside Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean XIV!

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Why Join the Estate Agents Co-operative?

EAC Members enjoy a vast range of services, Industry discounts, practice advice as well as access to cutting edge technology products that can give your office the competitive advantage.

Only $95 a month gives you membership to the largest Call 1300 137 161 to join today! real estate co-operative in Australia! Call 1300 137 161 to join today!

Member Profile

Ali Yagmur - Domain First National

By Damien McDonald, EAC Sales & Marketing Manager

Each edition of From the Boardroom features a profile of an EAC Member to give you an idea of how they achieved success in their areas. This edition features Ali Yagmur who Captains the Domain First National outfit in Unanderra in the NSW Illawarra Region. Ali has been a Silver member of the Co-operative since April 2008 and has been a loyal EAC customer since 2004.

What is your real estate background?

I have always had a keen interest in real estate and bought my first home at the age of 22. Some twenty years on, I am now an experienced investor with a vast and varied personal property portfolio. I started my career in the real estate industry in 2004, accidentally at first. I was looking to expand my portfolio and my sole interest was buying the building although, I had to buy the real estate agency as a condition of the sale. I have never looked back as our business has grown rapidly since and I now am expanding my skills with development and commercial projects.

What are your personal interests or hobbies?

My greatest interest is my family. I love my children and try and spend as much time with them as possible, one of the great things about my job is that I have the flexibility that allows me to have a balanced lifestyle. I love to fish, hang out at the beach and relax with either a great book, movie or a weekend away.

What do you see as the secret to the success of Domain First National?

Our success has to do with service, service and more excellent service. The majority of our business is by word of mouth and we believe in honesty, integrity and professionalism. I believe in the power of the hand shake, once I have given my word, it is as good as a done deal! Domain First National is about us as a team and the success derived from our agency has to do with our great team and not one person. We have no targets, making the working environment pleasurable and easy going but at the same time professional. Each staff member treats it as their own business and we all share the fruits of our labour. I believe in the fact that you should not have to pay for a job not done, hence why we dont charge for advertising, dont lock you into a contract and give you a guaranteed price the first time, every time. Your property is our property and this is the way it is handled initially, during and after.

How would you describe the current real estate market in the Illawarra?

Why would you live anywhere else but the Illawarra? With its relaxed atmosphere, picturesque beaches, mountain views and only a short drive to Sydney. As more and more people see our magnificent area it only increases the house values. The sales market is steady at the moment due to many different factors although the rental market continues to strengthen and inflated rental prices are seen across the board.

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How has being a member of the Co-operative helped your business?

Being a member of EAC is like being part of a large extended family. They are there if you need help and always offer support and are just a phone call away. They are a wealth of knowledge and keep you updated with everything and anything relevant to real estate. They have helped and continue to help with the growth and success of our business.

Are you a supporter of realestateworld.com.au? What do you like best about the publication and website?

I am a great believer in realestateworld.com.au in both the publication and media print it offers.

Its great to see the majority of real estate offices in the Illawarra advertising in our own publication.

We have a say in the way its run, the way its produced and best of all it is a one stop shop for real estate buyers with all profits coming back to the members. Since we have been advertising solely with realestateworld publication we have found only one major difference, more money for us by not advertising elsewhere and thus offering better rates to our valued clients. We have found no complaints, we are selling the same amount of properties, (if not more!)and all the feedback has been very positive thus making it a winner for the vendors and ourselves.

In your opinion, what is the best feature of Red Square?

We use Red Square on a daily basis and it is an integral part of our business on a day to day basis.

It is used mainly for sales history and comparative market analysis as well as property management comparables. We now use Red Square exclusively for all our documentation in both sales and property management. Again, this is a wonderful way in saving us time and money.

Where do you see yourself and Domain First National in 5 years?

While I continue to enjoy working in the real estate industry I see nothing but more happy satisfied vendors, purchasers, landlords and staff. My objective is to continue to grow our business portfolio while continuing to provide excellent service to our current clientele. Each time I meet someone it’s about giving the right advice and doing the right thing. I get enjoyment from this and get satisifaction from seeing people doing well, to know that I may have helped in some way the more satisfied I am. I thoroughly enjoy my role within the agency and cannot see myself doing anything but this even in 5 years to come!

from left: Sarah Tanti - Senior Property Manager Krystall Cassoli - Receptionist Raechelle Jonqsma - Property Management Teagan Duff - Property Management Ali Yagmur - Principal/Licensee Absent - Elizabeth Yanez

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Red Square Web Services Red Square Web services specialise in creative template and customised website designs with cutting edge web development options, content management, domain name registration, search engine optimisation and providing a cost effective solution to best suit your business requirements.

We can assist with the registration and management of your domain name, hosting of your email addresses, through to the template design and hosting of your web site. We can also assist with the setup of Google Analytics, Google Adwords and your Social Media marketing presence.

We have been building web sites since 1997 when we launched Realnet and since that time have been building web sites for salespeople, offices, small and large real estate groups and even the realestateworld.com.au portal.

Rather than just providing a web site, we work with you to develop a complete internet strategy for your business based upon your requirements.

Domain Name Management & Hosting Owning your own domain name is critical to your internet strategy and should be an integral part of establishing your business online. It’s an effective and economical tool for marketing your services, and helps people find you quickly and easily on the web. When choosing your domain name you need to consider how it aligns with your offline profile and ensure that it’s easy for customers to remember. We can assist you with the selection, registration and maintenance of your chosen domain name. If you already have a domain name and would like us to host it in conjunction with your web site then we can also assist with the process of getting it moved over.

Email Hosting EAC now provides a hosted mail solution which alllows you to manage your own email addresses and you can even access your email via web mail when you are out of the office.

Template Designs Red Square Web services recognise the time, effort and cost that can be spent on establishing a customised web presence. That’s why we have created our range of template sites to give you all these benefits through our option of either Starter, Pro or Elite template packages plus the assurance of an established and independent Real Estate Technology Company as your IT business partner.

The templates come in a number of Design options that can be customised to match your office branding.

Starter Package - $699 The Starter package has incorporated all the basic features required for an effective web presence including; • • • •

• • •

Home page About us page Staff profiles page All listing and display pages including For Sale, For Rent and Recent Sales Contact us page Feature Property on the homepage Mortgage Calculator

Pro Package - $999 The Pro Package has all the inclusions of the Starter Package with several enhanced features, taking your site to the next level, which include; • Quick Search from the homepage • Neighbourhood Report feature • Your choice of any 3 additional real estate forms including;

- Tenancy Application

- Market Appraisal

- Rental Appraisal

- Buyer Enquiry

- Rental Enquiry

- Repair Request

Elite Package - $1499 The Elite package is for those offices that want all the features of the Pro Package and them some! This package also includes an easy to use fully editable content management system so you can change content on the site whenever the need arises. The Elite package is also equipped with Email Alerts as standard and the complete set of real estate forms including; • Tenancy Application • Market Appraisal • Rental Appraisal • Buyer Enquiry • Rental Enquiry • Repair Request

Custom designs to help your brand shine The custom website offering provides for the development of a customised website for your business. Your website will be created through a collaborative process with our experienced design team that specialise in real estate web design. The result is an effective online solution for your business that is charged at an hourly rate depending on your individual requirements.

If you have any questions on domain registration or if you are after a website for your real estate agency, call Red Square Support on 1300 137 161, and we will assist you in registering your domain and discuss with you the various options you have in building a successful website.

WEB

STATEWIDE ONLINE PROPERTY DATA AND MAPPING TECHNOLOGY

for as little as

$170 per month

Your office can have online access to statewide Property Information, featuring satellite and the latest aerial maps.

Contact EAC on 1300 137 161 to find out how..

This portable online product provides all the functionality of Red Square and more.

Red Square Web can be accessed anywhere, anytime via the internet. This feature packed new version has been created from the ground up and has been designed to provide a clean, easy to use and intuitive user experience like never before.

More Photos More photos than ever before to ensure a better user experience when compiling reports or viewing property data.

If a property photo does not already exist in the system, a satellite image will be displayed.

More Search Options Contains a number of Property, Listing & Current Market Information data search options. Apply either a Quick Search, or refine your search parameters to include a date range, price, council, lot, plan or any number of 20 search criteria options.

Red Square Web also allows you to save and recall your favourite searches.

Statewide Mapping & Aerials You will find the very latest in statewide mapping technology available in your Red Square Web subscription.

Street Maps Pro is invaluable, allowing you to visually locate properties and view an enormous amount of additional information, with the added benefit of being able to search properties directly from the map itself.

The number of applications are only limited by your imagination.

More Property Report Options Allows a multitude of Property & Current Market Information reports to meet your office’s reporting and presentation needs.

Select from either full property, detailed agency, sales history, as well as, a number of consumer reports to make that presentation stand out from the crowd.

FTB 10th Edition

More Property Information Features Red Square Web has a number of new property information resource features available in reports which allow you to access additional research information and images from the one screen, such as: • • • • • • •

Wikipedia Suburb Information Sales History Street View Neighbourhood Report Current Market Information.

Update Live Data More Images

iRealty Proud to be associated with EAC

iRealty Premium – Property eNewsletters with serious Grunt  Meaningful Property eNewsletters in 5 minutes  iRealty Premium, incorporating iRealty’s revolutionary Lead Alert Solution (AU Pat No. 2011100146) – (International PCT Patent Application No. PCT/AU2011/000107)

 iRealty Premium will send your Leads – Buyers and Sellers alike, straight to          

your mobile phone and email inbox BEFORE your Contact is lost to a Competitor No need to be a computer whiz to create and send your Property eNewsletters No need to sit and watch the screen to see the results of your eNewsletter Campaign come in Property listings automatically loaded to your iRealty Account Comprehensive Content Library at your fingertips Property eNewsletters will save your Vendors money and, reduce listing times Property eNewsletters will Educate your Buyers Property eNewsletters will Educate your Sellers Property eNewsletters will generate Property Sales Property eNewsletters will generate new Property Listings Property eNewsletters CAN become the main source of Sales and Listings for ANY Real Estate office no matter how large or small or how well resourced that office is. With just minimal training from iRealty and a little discipline

Contact iRealty NOW! 1300 855 982 1300 855 982

eac@irealty.com.au

www.irealty.com.au/eac

The Ultimate Digital Signage Window Display

Did you Know ?

EAC was formed in April 1960 by 7 agents on the lower North Shore that banded together to start multilisting their vendors properties.

In 1983 you would have had to pay $3,000 on top of your monthly subscription as a one off joining fee to become a member of the Co-operative.

EAC published its first real estate publication in 1965 called the “Real Estate Times� that was the size of the Sydney Morning Herald.

With real estate buyers conditioned to viewing properties from the comfort and convenience of their computer, traditional card displays are quickly becoming nothing but time-wasting window fillers.

Forward thinking real estate agents who saw the marketing movement toward digital signage are fully reaping the benefits of the set-and-forget technology that effectively maximises office window space with individual dynamic screens.

Australian digital display company iVisual now provides real estate agents with a new and bold window display technology that takes marketing and presentation to a whole new level - the iVisual iWall.

By linking multiple screens, a single image can span a whole array of screens to display on a combined video wall. Listings can be randomly displayed on individual screens with prime listings or corporate marketing being injected into the presentation schedule to display over multiple screens for maximum impact.

For more information visit iVisual.com.au or call 1300 767 116

Welcome New Members The Board management and staff would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new members that have joined the Co operative.

Wiseberry Acclaim Real Estate Prestons Oscar Montes De Oca

Raine & Horne Moss Vale John Jeffcoat

Georgette Nehme Real Estate Lavington Georgette Nehme

Friendly Realty Cabramatta Jimmy Thai

Baker Kennedy Group Ryde Vicki-Ann Green

Ray White Epping Catherine Li

Century 21 Shore Real Estate St Leonards Harwin Yau

Elanda Partners Real Estate Surry Hills Elanda Tong

Prestige Property Group Realty Arncliffe Jemallah Chahine

Northshore Property Sales Killara Trevor Chan

Sawtell Real Estate Danny Whalen

Port City Realty Port Macquarie Tom James

Youngman Real Estate Narrabeen Ben Youngman

Home Zone Real Estate Bankstown Peter Kalamvokis

Tronn Alstergren Real Estate Goulburn Helen Cheetham

Franklin Real Estate Goulburn Peter Atherton

Netiquette Realty Ballina Julianne Butler

43

FTB 10th Edition

EAC Contact List

Estate Agents Co-operative Ltd. Phone: (02) 9724 6999 ABN 52 079 055 637 Fax: (02) 9724 6407 274 Miller Road Email: innovations@eac.com.au Villawood NSW 2163

Membership Services Phone: 1300 137 161

Fax: (02) 9724 6407 Email: membership@eac.com.au realestateworld.com.au Publications Phone: 1300 789 675

Fax: (02) 9724 6260 Email: publications@eac.com.au Red Square & realestateworld.com.au Website Support

Phone: Email:

1300 137 161 redsquare@eac.com.au

Web Design & Development Phone: 1300 137 161 Email: webservices@eac.com.au Real Estate Forms & Stationery Phone: 1300 137 161 Email: stationery@eac.com.au Compliance & Practice Support Phone: 1300 137 161 Email: practicesupport@eac.com.au Training Services Phone: 1300 818 874 Email: training@eac.com.au Printing Services Phone: 1300 952 258 Email: info@eacprinting.com.au

www.eac.com.au

|

www.realestateworld.com.au

FTB 10th Edition

44

EAC & realestateworld.com.au Account Managers For the information of EAC members and Subscribers we have included your EAC Account Managers contact details below.

Jeff Buchanan

0419 697 677 jbuchanan@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Lower Northern Sydney, Central Northern Sydney, Northern Beaches, South Eastern Hills District

Beanca Karaniki

0407 648 440 bkaraniki@eac.com.au Area of Operation – St George Sutherland, Eastern Suburbs, Inner Sydney, Inner Western Sydney

Sharon Wells

0425 267 596 swells@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Central Coast, Hunter

Victor Baptista

0434 155 886 vbaptista@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown, Shaolhaven, Central West NSW, South Outer & North Western Sydney

Angelo Lofitis

0434 155 887 alofitis@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Canterbury Bankstown, Central Western Sydney, The Murray, ACT, Riverina / Murrumbidgee, Southern Highlands

45

FTB 10th Edition

Kitra Brennan

0425 389 715 kbrennan@eac.com.au Area of Operation – New England / Northern Rivers

Pat Royce

0425 257 485 proyce@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Illawarra, Mid North Coast NSW

Phyllis Devereaux

1300 137 161 pdevereaux@eac.com.au Member & Client Services

Malcolm Walsh

0425 332 151 mwalsh@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Illawarra

Jon Casey

0434 155 888 jcasey@eac.com.au Area of Operation – Mid North Coast, Grafton, North Coast

EAC Membership and Red Square enquiries. realestateworld.com.au Publication enquiries.

FTB 10th Edition

46

www.oamps.com.au

One insurance broker understands the real estate agency business.

The complexities of running a business today require support by an insurance adviser who understands your specific risk exposures and is able to develop tailor made solutions that adequately protect your business.

At OAMPS Insurance Brokers we’ve made it our business to get to know the risks associated with running a real estate agency business.

Working in conjunction with the Estate Agents Co-operative, OAMPS has developed industry specific risk cover and services, including • • • •

Professional Indemnity and Management Liability Expanded business insurance policy coverage Workers Compensation advice and claims/premium expertise In house claims processing

For an obligation free appraisal of your insurance requirements, contact your nearest OAMPS branch.

NORTH SYDNEY (02) 9424 1705 WOLLONGONG (02) 4266 8700 NEWCASTLE (02) 4979 3333

PARRAMATTA (02) 8838 5700 FORBES (02) 6851 1200

Closer to clients, closer to communities® OAMPS Insurance Brokers Ltd ABN 34 005 543 920 AFSL 238312

WAGGA WAGGA (02) 6933 6600 CANBERRA (02) 6283 6555