Just one hour’s drive north of Brisbane, Queensland’s Sunshine Coast offers a relaxed, yet sophisticated lifestyle. With its pristine coastline and the lush countryside of the hinterland, the beauty of the region is very appealing.
Its temperate climate and ease of access by any mode of transport means it’s no surprise that it’s a desirable place to live.
From Caloundra to Mooloolaba up to Noosa on the coast, including the hinterland villages of Maleny and Montville, many have come to visit and have stayed.
This week’s decision by the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates for the first time since 2001 may bring some relief to mortgaged homeowners around the country. And with prices levelling somewhat, it might be a good time to consider jumping into the market, downsizing from the mansion or buying that investment property.
Jodie McDonell, Sales and Marketing Consultant with Ken Guy Real Estate in Maroochydore, explained to The EpochTimes how the current property market can be challenging and gives her advice on what to look out for when buying or selling property.
“With the past year seeing interest rate hikes, stock market crashes and changes in government, you could be wondering: ‘What next?’” she says. But Ms McDonell believes that as with everything, there is a cycle and it will change.
“Historically, this next period up to Christmas is a solid sales time, with many families migrating to the Sunshine Coast wanting to be settled in time for the festive season and for the children to start the next school year,” she says.
From her experience as a real estate agent, Ms McDonell offers some advice about the process of choosing an agent: “The biggest hint when choosing an agent [is choosing one] who has a proven sales record in that specific area and, most importantly, one who listens and responds accordingly.
“For sellers, avoid agents who are willing to negotiate on commission and advertising straight up, since they should be confident in the services they’re providing to do a professional job.
“And it’s a good idea when buying to avoid being uninformed – do your own research,” she added.
Ms McDonell believes that to be a good, thorough sales person you need to guide your clients and go the full length with them – find out why they are selling, what their circumstances are and what they want to be doing.
She has recently produced a simple booklet called Make the Move Easy – A guide to vacating the castle..., which contains helpful hints about making the move to unit or townhouse living – often not an easy transition.
• Be merciless! Decide what you really need. Start with your furniture and go from there.
• Don’t be afraid to move “too much”; you can “cull” slowly if you really need to!
• Remember family and friends for things you don’t need – they’ll love you forever!
• Of course, have a Garage Sale or two!
• There’s many storage solutions available; check them out!
• Take it slowly; it can be an emotional journey.
• Enjoy the “freeing” experience downsizing provides!
Helping her clients to downsize has been a very successful business strategy, according to Ms McDonell. She says it’s not uncommon to see or hear from past clients after they have moved, telling her how happy and thrilled they are with their new surroundings.
As to advice for being a successful real estate agent, Ms McDonell recommends good time management, keeping motivated and staying positive.
She is also a keen golfer and draws a lot of parallels with life and her golf game.
“On the golf course, you keep your mind and your eye on your own track, and that’s where you become a good golfer because you are not worrying about what the other people are doing around you.
“That’s a parallel with life too…don’t worry too much about what’s happening around you; be aware of it, but don’t be focused on it, because it will take your focus off your own track,” she says.
“I’ve got a little plaque in front of me on my desk which says: ‘Sales calls – communication is the essence of great selling’. In the hard times…you have to keep up that communication, person to person – not e-mail, not phone messages. It’s got to be face-to-face as much as you can and that is the essence of great selling, whichever market you are in.”
Ms McDonell says the Sunshine Coast continues to offer a myriad of properties with great appeal.
Jodie McDonell can be reached at Ken Guy Real Estate Maroochydore at [email protected] or on 0419 762 309.
