Megan Bruton is a Real Estate Sales Agent in BresicWhitney. She is specialised in the Gladesville area and has strong local knowledge. You can reach her on 0422 224 503.

1. SECRETS OF GETTING
THE TOP PRICE FOR
YOUR PROPERTY
Industry Expert Megan Bruton

2. 1. Hire the Best Agent

3. Professional agent with a track
record of success
The number 1 way to ensure you get the best price for your home is to hire a
professional agent with a track record of success. Many sellers make the mistake of
using the agent that gives them the lowest fee. That is a false economy and may
end up costing you a lot of money.
A good agent will bring in the most qualified buyers and will negotiate the highest
sale price for your home. If a low cost agent gets you a low sale price, then it was a
bad investment and that ‘cheap’ agent ends up costing you the most money. Good
agents are in demand and they generally charge more – that is because they get
results and you end up with more money in your bank account in the end.

4. Do a research
To find the best agent for you, ask friends and family who have recently bought or
sold property, which agent stood out? Do research on which agent/agency is selling
the most homes in your area. Go to open houses and make online enquires about
current properties on the market. Which agents follow you up after the open houses
and respond to your emails.
You want a professional, pro-active agent to represent your property. Once you are
considering an agent, get a list of recent clients you can call as references. Find out
about other people’s experience with your preferred agent. A little bit of research will
help ensure you are hiring the best for your property.

5. 2. Curb Appeal

6. Prior to putting your property onto
the market
Prior to putting your property onto the market, you need to have a critical look at the
way your property looks from the curb. Buyers will be making decisions about your
home from the second they drive up.
■ Garden: Now is the time to get the gardens in shape. Mulch garden beds, plant
seasonal flowers, trim hedges and make sure any grass is looking good.

7. A critical eye on the exterior paint
■ Paint: You will also need to cast a critical eye on the exterior paint. Are the
current colours contemporary and well maintained? If you are thinking of
changing the exterior colours, working with a colour consultant is a worthwhile
investment. If you are happy with the current colours, make sure it looks clean
and well presented. Pealing, poorly maintained paint will tell the buyer that the
house is not well cared for. Fix up all maintenance issues prior to putting onto
the market.
■ Pressure Clean: You also may want to consider cleaning the pathways and
exterior with a high pressure hose to rid it of any dirt and mold.
■ Windows: Clean, sparkly windows lift the exterior and let the light shine into your
home.

8. 3. Interior Paint

9. Impress others
One of the best ways to transform a tired house is through fresh paint. New paint
acts like a well wrapped gift – people will be impressed! Picking light neutral colours
is best. Fresh paint makes the buyer think the property is well maintained. Again,
working with a professional colour consultant is worth the investment.
Interior colour schemes make a huge impact to the appeal of your home. If you get
the colours wrong, it will impact your potential sale price. For example, beige
colours are now dated – buyers are looking for more neutral whites and cool grays.

10. 4. De-Clutter
Buyers want properties that feel light filled and spacious. Before you put your home
on the market you need to do a serious edit of the amount of ‘stuff’ you have around
the house and in your cupboards. When selling your house – Less is Best!
Organize your cupboards and pantries. Yes, buyers will look in them!
Also take away excessive furniture and personal nick-knacks. Clean surfaces and
rooms that are easy to move around in will be inviting to buyers. Remember, your
personal taste may not appeal to others. So you need to de-personalize your home
and ensure that buyers can imagine themselves living there.

11. 5. Clean – Clean – Clean

12. Make sure your home is spotless
Before you launch your home to the market you need to make sure your home is
spotless.
■ Bathrooms: Clean and bleach the grout in your bathrooms. Make sure all
surfaces are sparkling and it smells fresh. Declutter large unsightly shampoo
and soap bottles. Get new, fresh towels for the bathroom.
■ Kitchen: Now is the time to clean the oven and organize the pantry. Wipe down
all the cabinets and clean backsplashes. Buyers notice when things look
unclean and will think your home is not well cared for. This will affect your price.

13. Carpets, Floors & Windows
■ Carpets & Floors: Now is the time to have the carpets professionally cleaned
and deodorized. If there are unsightly stains that can’t be removed, you should
consider changing the carpets. Like paint, updated floor coverings make a big
difference. Tile and wood floors should be cleaned and repaired if needed.
■ Windows: Windows should sparkle inside and out. Dirty windows restrict light
and make the property seem unkempt. Clean windows are a cheap and easy
way to improve the look and feel of your property.

14. 6.Interior Styling

15. An investment that pays you back
As the property market becomes more competitive, more and more sellers are
turning to professional stylists to help them present their properties for sale. Owners
can work with stylist to help bring their current furnishings together in a more
cohesive way. Other sellers choose to professionally stage their property for sale
which entails bringing in hired furniture and accessories. I cannot overstate the
power of presentation. A well styled property can command a much higher price. I
am constantly amazed how little imagination buyers have. They cannot see past a
property’s choice of colours and furnishings.
While styling a property can be expensive – I think it is an investment that pays you
back. Buyers who enter a styled home get seduced by its presentation and they are
more likely to look past a home’s disadvantages.

16. 7. Marketing
Now that your property is ready to launch to the market, you need to make sure
your agent has designed a marketing program that is right for your home.
■ Professional Photos: Most buyers look online and decide which property they
want to inspect. You need to make sure your photos are of a high standard and
they will entice buyers to choose your home as one they want to inspect. If your
home is near water or the City, you may want have drone photography to have
aerial view of your property.
■ Floor Plan: One of buyers’ biggest complaints is when a property does not have
a floor plan. Floor plans help buyers imagine living in your home.

17. Print Advertising:
■ Print Advertising: Most buyers now look online when they are looking for
property. Print advertisements are becoming less relevant. If your property will
appeal to a downsizer, you may want to consider investing in print advertising in
local papers. The older generation still likes to search for property the old
fashioned way and look through their local paper. I also recommend print
advertising for high-end properties that will appeal to out of area buyers. If your
home is going to attract to young families or professionals – I would not
recommend print advertising for your home.

18. Online:
■ Online: Since most buyers search for property online, it pays to have your
property featured on the main online real estate portals. Most of these websites
charge a higher price for your home to be featured as a premium listing – but it
ensures that your property will come up higher in buyer’s search of your suburb.
If you don’t pay for your property to be a feature listing, the websites will put
your property last on the list of properties for sale in your suburb. This is a huge
disadvantage. Online advertising is getting more and more expensive – but it is
a necessary investment.

19. Professional Brochures:
■ Professional Brochures: Good brochures sell properties. Generally buyers look
at several homes in a day. Once they leave the open house, details about the
property can fade. When they get home, buyers usually go back through the
brochures from the open houses. A good brochure will use quality pictures, have
a floor plan and give buyers relevant information about the property. The
brochures will reinforce the positives of your property and will encourage them
to keep your property in mind.

20. 8. Price it Right

21. In real estate, time is money
The pricing of your property can make or break your sale. It is important that you set
a fair and realistic price or guide price for your property. In real estate, time is
money. If you set your price too high, your home will sit on the market longer. The
longer a property is on the market, the less value it holds to buyers. Your property is
the ‘hottest’ the first 2 weeks of the sale campaign.
Buyers who are actively looking in your area are regularly checking for new listings
and making sure they come to the first open houses. If buyers see your property’s
price as fair and reasonable, you have a better chance of multiple buyers pursuing
your property. This helps increase your chance of a premium price through
competitive offers or attracting multiple bidders at your auction.

22. A good agent will give you
accurate information
A good agent will give you accurate information about recent comparable sales in
the area. A good agent will also tell you a price you need to hear, rather than one
you want to hear. You need to listen to your agents’ advice on price – because
launching your home at an unrealistically high price will actually ensure you get less
interest in your property. In many cases, too high of a price can ultimately give you
a lower sale price and a longer time on market. I know you love your home and you
may think it is the best in the area, which is why you need to rely on your agent’s
professional opinion on price to guide you.

23. 9.Method of Sale
Each sale needs to be developed based on the individual needs of the owner and
the current selling conditions of the market. There should never be a ‘one size fits
all’ approach to selling your home. In Australia’s major cities, auction tends to be the
preferred method of sale. Most auction campaigns are 4-weeks in duration, which
results in an auction at the end of the campaign.
Auctions are a good way to find out the true market price of your property, since
buyers are competitively bidding for your property in an open and transparent way.
Auctions are effective, because they create a sense of urgency by giving a deadline
for the sale and people need to compete for your property.

24. Auctions are not for everyone
Auctions are not for everyone. Some people who are more private in nature and
they don’t feel comfortable with open houses and an auction where neighbors and
strangers can view the proceedings. Also, some areas are not conducive for
actions, since market conditions don’t support it. This is where a set price or a guide
price can be best for the sale process.
Some prestige properties are sold by tender. This is where interested parties deliver
a signed contract in a sealed envelope by a specific time and date.
Again, each process has its benefits and you need to work with your agent on a
program that works best for you and your property.

25. Premium prices are not by chance
Applying these strategies to your property sale will ensure you maximize the price
your home sells for. Premium prices are not by chance and they come from a well-
planned campaign and a well presented property.

26. Megan Bruton
Megan Bruton has been an estate agent in Sydney, Australia for over a decade.
She specializes in prestige properties and works for BresicWhitney’s Hunters Hill
office. BresicWhitney is Australia’s premiere property lifestyle group.