Rewind! MMBA’s High and Lows of 2023
Wow, what a year for my team and I!
2023 has been jam-packed with client success stories, a crazy property market, microwave dramas, eye-watering strata reports and tears of joy at auction.
Here’s a snapshot of our year.
THE HIGHS
Property Party in the Park
We hadn’t got everyone together since 2019, and it was so much fun. People don’t often meet face-to-face, so it was nice for our clients and referral partners to chat, drink and eat cheese. Mountains of cheese! It was also great for the team to put a few faces to the names.
Clients Stories
There were so many stories over the last 12 months, but we like a challenge, so we enjoyed helping this particular buyer who needed a home with space for his vintage car collection. That one took great detective work and patience, but Nicola got there and purchased an amazing property for her client.
We bought a house for a client in Summer Hill. They were happy with their price, but it turned to pure delight when two very comparable houses sold for $200,000 more in the weeks after!
Oh, and whilst we remain professional at all times, I do have to admit I cried at auction this year… One of my clients had been through the mill, and buying a new home was a huge moment in the next stage of her life. So, when the hammer went down in her favour, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
We also love all the baby, renovation and life stage pictures our clients send. Keep ‘em coming!
Celebrating My Industry
I love what I do, and I’m passionate about ensuring everyone knows the good that Buyers Agents can do when they help with a search. So, you’ll often find me quoted in property magazines and on the TV, and 2023 was no exception.
Being asked to be a judge for the Buyers Agent of the Year category at the REINSW Awards was a real high for me. It allowed me to see the great people and innovation out there and celebrate those making a real difference in the industry.
THE LOWS
The Mad Market
Even the full Covid era wasn’t as challenging as 2023!
Buyers were more anxious than any other year because interest rate rises kept wrecking their pre-approvals. They’d often been trying to buy independently for a long time and not getting anywhere, which is stressful.
And there was just no stock. Well, there definitely was apartment stock available, but much of it was in complexes with major issues, or will long tenancies till in place, so not really an option for our owner occupier clients. Houses continue to be scarce and I worry that FOMO will force people to accept substandard properties. It is our job to steer clients away, and they will all attest to the fact that we have said ‘No, you can do better’ many times this year….
Red Tape and Red Flags
I like to have ALL the details at my fingertips when considering a property, but I struggled through a 2,526-page strata report this year, which is a record. Top tip, when it’s that long the report is unlikely to be packed full of good news!
We are also known to keep digging to find answers that are hard to find. One council really took the cake this year by providing us with a ‘ sorry it took us so long to get back to you but the answer is…’ 4 (!!!) months after the initial request…. Needless to say we had moved on and actually bought a much better property for our client well before then.
THE FUTURE
More Great Clients
I hope 2024 brings more great clients that we can help into their perfect property and, in one case, talk them through how to use a microwave step by step! We will never stop giving 100% to your property-buying cause.
In fact, we have over 100 five-star Google reviews from happy clients. Please check them out.
I will keep doing my regular podcast, Buy Your Side, so anyone can get the right advice, no matter where they are located. It’s worthwhile when I get a message like this: “I've been listening to the podcast religiously, and thanks to your advice, I've been able to buy my first property!”
Dream Team
I’d like to finish on the biggest high with a shout-out to my team. Where would I be without Nicola, Allysha and Naomi? I love working with you and can’t wait to see what 2024 holds!
Are you thinking of buying in 2024? It pays to work with experts who know the market inside out and can also give you access to off-market opportunities. If you’d like some personalised advice, my team and I are always on hand to help.