Real estate agents prepare for bumper spring...
Agents are upbeat about the coming selling season, with a recent flurry of properties changing hands. Among them is a multi-million sale, still to be finalised, a potential record for Queenscliff.
Kerley’s Coastal Real Estate Director Damian Cayzer said buyers were coming from all quarters, including overseas.
“We need more properties and it’s across all price brackets from entry level at around $500,000. The buyers I have at the moment are local, Melbourne, Greater Victoria and I have a handful of offshore investors,” he said.
“There is also a mix of investor holiday home buyers and permanent residents,” added agent Campbell Potts.
“We have historically low interest rates which are not expected to change in the medium term which gives buyers and sellers certainty to make decisions.
“Our experience is that properties marketed and priced correctly are selling well at the moment.”
Figures released by Realestate.com in recent days have put the median house price for Queenscliffe at around $680,000. The cost of renting is $340 per week on average.
On top of low interest rates, a spike in Geelong property prices and a significant increase in executive jobs in the city – including the Epworth Hospital – are also contributing to a new wave of sea changers, said RT Edgar’s Felix Hakins.
“There has been a lot of off the market transactions, especially in Point Lonsdale. There have been some big prices paid and they haven’t been on the market too long. These are ones that haven’t even hit the Internet or print media.
“There are people walking into our office and saying I’d like this or I’d like that,” Mr Hakins said.
A recent Price Predictor Index identified Geelong as a “superstar” of the state’s property market, with an anticipated spike in growth. The data, provided by property identification group Hotspotting, ranked the City as Australia’s fourth best buyers market.
Fletchers Real Estate Agent Director James Gladman said a steady July and August provided every indication of a strong start to Spring.
“The bottom end of the market have been really, really good. We’ve sold 23 blocks in Point Lonsdale’s Ocean Breeze Estate in a couple of months, that’s gone really well,” Mr Gladman said.
“A small 2 bedroom brick home in Queenscliff’s Mercer Street sold within a short time of being listed for [close to $700,000]. “I think all the signs are really positive, the interest rates are low and the confidence in the market is really strong so it should be a really good spring and summer.
“We’ve got quite a lot to hit the market in the next month or so and the general feeling is there are a few more enquiries starting to come through and we’re starting to get a few buyers chasing each property, which is a good sign,” Mr Gladman said.