Loving Life & Real Estate

Never miss an opportunity

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:19:34 +1000

It was a hot, Saturday afternoon in Sydney. I had just finished auctions on a Saturday, and was flying to the Gold Coast to watch the Wallabies nearly lose to Argentina. Anyway, I am sitting in the cab that I had booked, that was on time amazingly, and the cab driver started talking to me, and pretty quickly I could tell he was up for a chat. Now, we all have two decisions when this happens. Firstly, and probably the one most of us do more often then not, and that is reply to questions with one word answers whilst on your iPhone hoping the taxi driver gets the hint eventually. Or the second road less traveled, actually engaging the cab driver in conversation and at least make the most of it.

So on this Saturday afternoon I took the latter and engaged. The first question he asked me was - what do I do for a job as I dress well? Then the conversation was away once I said I was in real estate. He asked me most questions people do when you say that real estate is your profession and our chat started around talking about the market and how things are in general. He was focusing in on a specific area of Sydney, and the question I asked was “You don’t own a property in that area buy any chance?” He replied yes. My follow up was “Your’e not thinking of selling that soon are you?” His response was no. Standard for those of us who have been doing this for a while, we understand every no takes me closer to a yes. He said “I have another property I need to sell, do you reckon you could help me with that?” Bang. I am in the door. I get his name and number on the back of the cab receipt and we are away. You see, he owns a fleet of cabs and drives one part time on a Saturday for something to do.

So how many opportunities are you missing each and every day? I have now adopted this philosophy and am asking everyone I come in contact with if I can help with anything. Now there is a right and a wrong way to go about it. I was at a wedding recently and a guy I shook hands with also gave his card straight away. Not cool. I am here to enjoy myself not have your sales pitch thrown upon me in a social setting. Bring it up casually in conversation some how about what you do and if they need help they will ask.

Already I am noticing that more people have real estate needs then we could think possible, and like my cabbie they come from the most random of places. My hairdresser has an apartment she is looking to sell in 18 months time. I would not of found this out had I not asked. When I come home each and every night I ask myself how many opportunities did I miss today, and if any, what can I do to make sure that does not happen again.

Telstra vs Optus

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:24:44 +1000

Telstra vs Optus experience.

I have been a loyal customer of Optus for 10 years now. Starting off as a pre paid customer, through to being on the most expensive cap you can be on - because of the job I do. This week with the announcement of the new iPhone and my contract expiring with Optus, I thought I would look at the top carrier in the nation. I had always looked at Telstra as a premium product that you paid for.

I received a call from Optus a month ago as my contract was expiring. They offered me the world when I told them I was leaving. They said they would give me six months half price on my next contract. The main reason for the switch is I live in Australia’s busiest city, Sydney. I live in a suburb called Glebe 2kms from the city and my phone drops out constantly.

So I was instantly impressed from my first experience with Telstra in trying to order the new iPhone. The site kept crashing on my iPad so I called customer service to see if they could help. To my amazement they said to me that they were experiencing delays and would call me back in 10 - 20 minutes when an operator was free. 18 minutes passed, the phone rings from Telstra, and we are away ordering the new iPhone.

I guess the old saying is true, you get what you pay for. Looking forward to the new iPhone and my phone not constantly dropping out.

Market Update.

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:26:26 +1000

Market Update.

26 Bland St Carramar

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:12:42 +1000

26 Bland St Carramar

The Block Auctions a raging success

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:33:10 +1000

You read the heading correctly and I know you may think I am mad but hear me out. With everyone commenting on The Block auctions on Sunday night I thought I would join in the conversation, with a slightly different take.

For those of you who do not know the results (are your heads buried in the sand?) 3 of the 4 properties offered on The Block passed in at auction on Sunday night… and there was a massive fall out thereafter.

It has come to my attention that all the properties have now sold for above the original reserve. So what does this tell me? The auctions were a success.

Auction is a 3 stage process. What I mean by this is you can sell the property prior, on the day or after. So the auction process has worked a treat on all four properties.

So I am sure the question you are asking yourself is why auction at all, is 3/4 properties sold after the event? Simple, the answer is that the auction is the reason they sold, even if it is after the event. There is no better way to weed the serious buyers out. The auction allows you to know when a buyer shows interest that they are serious… but that is a whole other story.

At the end of the day, although it did not make for great viewing with none of the properties selling, Sunday night but proved auctions work in any market.

Taking the AGE out of agent

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:03:51 +1000

Real estate is no longer a fall back career for young people, according to industry body Young Professionals in Real Estate who says gen-y agents are making up more of the top performers in the nation each year.

Young Professionals in Real Estate (YPIRE) says some of the biggest earners in the industry are agents between the ages of 20 and 35.

The difference is the energy and enthusiasm shown by young agents in an industry where the median age is nearing 40, according to YPIRE member Sam Kelso.

Sam, a 22 year old auctioneer who has conducted over 4000 auctions, says there is no other industry that rewards young people for their natural socialising-skills and boundless exuberance quite like real estate.

“This is why we’re seeing degree-educated young people as well as success-hungry high-school graduates, like myself, thrive in this industry,” Mr Kelso said.

“It comes down to their ability to have fun and cut deals… And sometimes I can’t even tell the difference.”

“Real estate agents no longer just drink lattes and drive Mercedes.”

Some of the nation’s best young agents and property managers include Aaron Shiner who excels in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, 30-year old Western Australian Sean Hughes and 27-year old Heidi Davies on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

“We recognise the need to tailor development programmes to this new breed of young professionals in real estate,” Mr Kelso explains.

The YPIRE group will be hosting the first ever real estate development event specifically tailored for young agents and property managers.

The national event will feature the best salespeople, property managers and auctioneers in the industry at a two-day course in the Gold Coast on the 26 - 27 September 2011.

For more information, young real estate professionals can head to www.ypire.com

The Power of Written Goals

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:27:00 +1000

If you ask any successful person across a range of different fields whether they planned for their success or if it simply occurred, I bet they will say it was the former.

One of the things that is a non-negotiable for many successful people in terms of helping them adhere to their goals is the diligence to write them down: to be reminded to stay on track.

Written goals are a task I take to four times a year because, amongst other reasons, things change and it is important to reassess. With this in mind I sat down at the start of the financial year, not long ago now, and wrote down some goals for my self for the next 12 months. These goals included many different things, and covered aspirations in the areas of income and personal achievements.

I look at my goals at least once a day, I find this helps me to keep focused.

There is one goal that is staring out at me like a pimple on a teenager and that is to blog and use social media religiously. So here I am back in the space. Over the next 12 months you will be receiving market updates and general chat about the market and my life.

That’s one of my written goals. You’ve seen it, here in black and white.

Meantime, the bolder point in the blog is the importance of the written goal. The point of the story? No one plans to fail…

Life as a young Auctioneer.

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:40:16 +1000

Life as a young Auctioneer.

The importance of having your reserved initialed

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:21:00 +1000

The importance of having your reserve initialed if it does change during the auction has come to my attention over the last couple of weeks and I thought I would write something about it - for clarity.

Like many of you I stand at on-site auctions on Saturdays or inrooms during the week. Properties receive good bidding on them and then, suddenly, they pull up just below the reserve. The agent talks to the owner and announces publicly “we are on the market”, I confirm with them, call it 3 times and then I sell it. A big round of applause follows and we all feel good.

But there is one really big problem here: what if, come signing time, the owner changes their mind and says “I don’t want to sign it, it was below the reserve.”

This is happening more and more as the market turns.

In order to prevent this from occuring, you simply must get the reserved initialed to confirm everything. As the old saying goes “if it is not in writing, it doesn’t exist”. Otherwise, the owner may have a case against the agent to refute the sale.

It must be in writing.

Please remember this at your Auctions. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me on 0433 338 925 skelso@raywhite.com

Ep 2 of the Opera House Auction Chronicles. Join me on my...

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:40:14 +1000

Ep 2 of the Opera House Auction Chronicles. Join me on my journey to calling Auctions at the Opera House. In this Ep we talk about the Australian lift out on the 23rd of October along with why I became an Auctioneer.

Enjoy

This year on the 8th November Ray White will Auction off some of...

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 11:12:32 +1000

This year on the 8th November Ray White will Auction off some of Australia’s finest high ened properties at the Opera House. Join Sammy Kelso chief auctioneer Ray White NSW as he brings you a more personal video blogged insight into how this unique event is coming together.

Enjoy the teaser

Rental Vacancies up in Sydney

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:10:47 +1000

Rental vacancies creep up to the highest they have been since the start of the year!

Now this is only a very small increase in the stats from 1.3% to 1.6%* June to July but it hurts when your property is on the market for rent. 3% or above is when supply will equal demand. I have been trying to rent my original rental property in Glebe for a month now. I pay $400.00 a week for a 2 bedder, I’ll admit that it is in not the best condition but I’m amazed that no one seems to want to rent it. http://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-glebe-404700169

I was rushed when I moved to Sydney and just jumped at the first thing I saw. Why Glebe? you may ask - basically, it was the only area where I had a mate living when I moved down here from Queensland. I have since rented a place in Bondi Beach which is much more where I want to be. So I signed a lease for my place in Bondi Beach thinking I would easily rent out my place in Glebe… Not to be!

So, there are 2 things I have learnt from this - don’t break a lease until you have a new tenant and also, maybe I paid to much in the rush to rent my place in Glebe.

There is new legislation coming in which means that if I was to find myself in this situation in 6 months time I could walk away from my fixed lease with 2 weeks notice. It is important to be across these new changes and any other changes that come into play. I believe that now, more so than ever, it is important to have a professional looking after your home.

*Source REINSW

Sammy
“Loving life and Real Estate”

YOUNG? Thinking of getting into Real Estate?

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:35:00 +1000

Real Estate Youth Scholarship Australia

This is close to my heart because I started off in Real Estate as a 17 year old receptionist to now being the Chief Auctioneer of Ray White NSW. There is so much more to Real Estate then selling from admin, property management, finance and calling Auctions.

Real Estate used to be an option you went into once you failed at something else. Hope to see you at the event…

The Ray White Group has announced it will offer a $30,000 scholarship and a work placement in one of its most successful Sydney franchises as part of its Young Professionals In Real Estate (YPIRE) program. Being young in Real Estate this is important to me and our company.

Deputy Chairman for the Ray White Group, Sam White, said the program was started because “success in the industry is no longer bound by age”.

“We have launched YPIRE because we have seen that some of our best sales operators and property managers are now in their 20s and some of our most dynamic business owners are in their early 20s and 30s,” Mr White said.

“As the market leader, we want to educate more young people on what they can achieve in our industry without having to wait or serve time as they do in some other industries.

“YPIRE is a program that Ray White and many of our business owners are very excited about.”

Mr White said there was a real risk that the job market would continue to tighten in coming years and that could be the catalyst for youth employment to become a significant issue.

“In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of school leavers taking on skills-based training and apprenticeships and if demand for those skills drops, then the youth of today are going to need an alternative career path,” Mr White said.

People interested in applying for the scholarship can attend a YPIRE information evening at 6:30pm on September 22 at The Ivy in Sydney. This will be the first of a series of events to be held around the country.

The event will include case studies and interviews from some of the Ray White Group’s most successful real estate professionals – all of whom are under the age of 30.

“The career path options and unlimited earning potential sets the real estate industry apart,” Mr White said.

“The energy that youth is able to bring to the role is an essential ingredient in ultimately being successful.”

For more information visit www.ypire.com or contact me on 0433 338 925 skelso@raywhite.com

Sammy

“Loving life and Real Estate”

Auction Update

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:16:47 +1000

Auction Update

North shore tops auction sales with 100% clearance

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:53:41 +1000

AUCTIONS across Sydney have kicked off with an impressive 78 per cent success rate during early February listings. The lower north shore, one of last year’s weakest auction precincts, has sprung back to life with agents scoring a 100 per cent clean sweep of its initial 13 property sales. The inner west and eastern suburbs were the next best performers with an 84 per cent clearance rate.
It is not just auction sales that are booming, with private treaty negotiations concluding with the sale of a Belle Epoque-style Manly mansion, Fairy Bower, at a record $9.5 million plus. It was sold to a local couple by the former car dealer Terry Mullens and his wife Wendy, who paid $6.5 million in 2004. The 1920s heritage listed house, built for the Appleroth family of Aeroplane Jelly fame, was initially listed with $12 million hopes. Its asking price was reduced to $10 million after initial buyer feedback late last year.

The Bower Street house has a lease to 2031 plus two 17-year options negotiable with the Catholic archdiocese. The suburb’s previous record – also on Bower Street – fetched $6.75 million in 2007. January stock levels were up, with 9300 new listings across NSW, compared with 7400 new listings at the same time last year. It puts total listings across NSW at 51,000, according to RP Data. There were 55,000 listings last January.

The significant volume of new stock speaks for the current levels of confidence in the property market,” a RP Data researcher, Cameron Kusher, said. “Homes for sale are being absorbed by the market at quite a rapid pace.” Last year ended with the strongest December auction clearance rate on record at 69 per cent, according to Australian Property Monitors. Since records began 21 years ago, no February auction market has ever been weaker than its preceding December clearance rate.

One of the biggest changes in market sentiment during a summer break came between December 2008, which recorded a 44 per cent auction clearance rate, and February 2009, which opened the year at a very healthy 63 per cent.
The head of Ray White NSW, Stephen Nell, said the year had started with strong results. “We are anticipating a solid year … after some fluctuating results the previous year,” he said. “While it is considered inevitable that rates will head north from nearrecord lows, there remains plenty of buyer confidence and people are encouraged by the way Australia’s economy has been performing.”

Jonathan Chancellor
Source: Sydney Morning Herald

North shore tops auction sales with 100% clearance

Sammy

“Loving Life & Real Estate

Photo

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:48:18 +1000

Calling Auctions for Ray White Toowong

Calling Auctions for Ray White Toowong

It was a beautiful hot day… Sold Sold Sold

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:39:54 +1000

It was a beautiful hot day… Sold Sold Sold

Reserve Bank tipped to lift interest rates

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:56:46 +1000

Reserve Bank tipped to lift interest rates what this could mean…

My biggest concern if the RBA lift rates on Tuesday (which the are tipped to do) is the people that bought their house say mid last year before any of these rate rises and did not lock in their interest rate…

What we may see is some pressure come onto these people who could only just afford it in the first place before all the rises… If this happens we may see a a flood of properties under $500,000 back on the market in turn will see more supply then demand (the opposite affect to when they bought it with demand far out weighing supply 6 months ago).

Add all this up and we could see prices under $500,000 fall slightly in certain areas…

Sold 2 from 2 today yeah baby…

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:49:11 +1000

Sold 2 from 2 today yeah baby…

Anyone go to hulk hogan last night? Any good?

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:05:32 +1000

Anyone go to hulk hogan last night? Any good?