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WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A REAL ESTATE AGENT?
05 FEATURED PROPERTY 24 Oakrind Rise, Officer
24 FINES ON RENTAL PROVIDERS TO REDUCE BOND DISPUTES
25 LEASED IN SEPTEMBER Leasing Statistics For September 2024
Your real estate agent’s role is to help you achieve the maximum possible price within a reasonable time frame.
An agent’s local experience and advice will help you establish a realistic expectation of your property’s market value. They’ll also know the most effective way of reaching all potential purchasers. Selling any property can be a complex task, but the right real estate agent will help make the process easier.
Some people attempt to sell their home privately, however, fewer than five per cent of homes are successfully sold this way. Selling without an agent can be emotional with difficulty due to the emotion attachment involved and the negotiating tactics employed by some buyers.
Estate agents employ data matching techniques that allow them to immediately notify potential
buyers about your property; they use sophisticated technologies, and they know how to negotiate to maximise your price. The additional money gained by an experienced agent using strategic pricing, effective marketing, and proven techniques certainly outweighs selling privately.
In summary, the role of your real estate agent is to:
• Provide a realistic market appraisal
• Consult with you on the best method of sale
• Recommend the most effective marketing plan
• Execute the marketing plan
• Advise how to best present your home
• Promote the property to as many potential buyers as possible
• Present all offers
• Negotiate with prospective purchasers to achieve the best offer.
We are thrilled to announce the sale of 24 Oakrind Rise, Officer, which achieved an outstanding result, selling for $1,391,000 in just one week.
This beautiful single-level home, featuring 4 spacious bedrooms, 2 modern bathrooms, and a 2-car garage, is nestled in the prestigious Timbertop Estate, a highly sought-after location. With farmland at the rear, the property offers a tranquil, countryside feel, making it the perfect family sanctuary.
Interest in the home was exceptionally strong, with only one open inspection attracting significant attention. Unfortunately, many interested buyers missed out, as three offers were quickly submitted to the vendors. In the end,
a young family from Sydney secured this prized property.
“Single-level homes in Timbertop Estate are in high demand” said Real Estate Agent Tara Walters.
“They are appealing to both growing families and downsizers who still need ample space for family when they visit.
“The sale of 24 Oakrind Rise is a testament to the desirability of this pocket of Officer, with those who missed out still searching for their dream home in Officer’’, said Tara.
Contact Tara Walters on 0408 297 896 for details.
solutions for all of your storage needs...
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It has come to light, in a recent review of bond claim results, that over a third of bond claims don’t hold up under pressure.
Anika Legal, a not-for-profit legal service for renters, has analysed data from 147 bond disputes in 2022–23 and revealed that in 39 per cent of the cases where Anika Legal assisted renters, no money was recovered by the rental provider.
Anika Legal CEO and co-founder, Noel Lim, recently commented in an interview with Real Estate Business, that the results of the firm’s research show that in a surprisingly high percentage of cases, bond claims are being lodged on “baseless” grounds.
Moreover, when provided with legal assistance, Anika Legal found that renters were on average able to recover two-thirds of the bond money claimed by rental providers. A total of $1,688.
As a direct result of their findings, Anika Legal are now asking:
Should there be penalties on rental providers for lodging baseless claims?
One of Anika Legal’s recommendations for creating a more equal bond system includes implementing and enforcing civil penalties for unfair bond claims to deter rental providers from exploiting renters.
In an 11-page report called Broken Bonds, they claim that one in three renters lose all or part of their bond at the end of their tenancy. They further state that a prevalence of rental providers who
make bond claims as a matter of course at the end of each tenancy places a financial burden on renters, who may be relying on the return of their bond money to stay afloat. As wait times for Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearings in recent years has averaged 502 days, their experience is showing that without access to legal assistance, many Victorian renters agree to unfair bond claims just so they can quickly access a portion of their bond without having to deal with VCAT delays.
Almost half of the not-for-profit’s clients said that as a result of bond disputes, they had trouble meeting the bond requirements of their next rental. Eight in 10 reported that the bond dispute caused them stress and anxiety.
“Unfair bond claims lead to a cycle of disadvantage that can result in homelessness,” Lim said, stressing the stakes of the issue.
“There’s no penalty for a rental provider to make a baseless bond claim, so they’re treating them like free lottery tickets,” he added.
The firm argues that the state also stands to gain by reducing the number of claims at VCAT, suggesting that if 39 per cent of the estimated 23,700 bond disputes that reach VCAT each year are unfounded, with penalties in place, they would likely not be lodged in the first place, leading to savings of up to $14 million in costs.
Please get in contact if you would like a copy of the full report.
AVENDON COURT $750PW
LAURINA LINK $540PW
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