Sellers: Phil & Glenda

Their property: A large 3 bedroom 1 bathroom corner bay villa on a half site in the Grammar Zone close to Remuera Primary School, Remuera shops and transport.

Sellers' motivation: Glenda & Phil were looking for a more substantial family home to keep long term. They bought a new home a week after they had sold unconditionally.

How they decided on me: Glenda & Phil met me at one of my open homes while looking for a home in good school zones. They were big advocates of Private Sales. Having sold privately in Manukau, they also bought a privately advertised property in my area. I kept in touch with them throughout this period and they eventually chose to sell through me because I sold more homes in their area than any other agent.

Selling Method: In a very buoyant market Glenda & Phil decided to advertise privately for about two months. I found out that they were trying to sell via one of my buyers who had been through their home. I called and offered my services, but they were determined to keep trying themselves. Statistics show that about 90% of private sellers eventually list with an agent. I didn't pester them and offered to help out in any way. They allowed me to show some potential buyers through on the understanding that I would be paid if I could find them a buyer at a price they were happy with.

Marketing: Phil & Glenda wanted to sell but there was certainly no urgency to do so. The only marketing that was required to sell their home consisted of a few phone calls from me to selected buyers and several visits to their home. There was no sign, no advertising, no internet, etc. At any one time I have a database of potential buyers for most homes. The number of serious buyers I have at my fingertips varies depending on the most recent price ranges I have been working in. In this case I had three potential buyers. Interestingly, all of them bought in a similar price range within a week of Phil & Glenda's sale.

Results: The eventual buyer had flown to Auckland from Australia the previous evening to bid at one of my auctions. I showed him Phil & Glenda's home on the same day as he missed out on the other property. Without fear of competition he offered $540,000 initially and paid $550,000 the next day. Although there were probably other buyers who may have paid more for their home, Phil & Glenda were delighted with the result. The process was stress free and it worked.

Main Success Factors: Phil & Glenda were passive sellers. They tested the market privately without success and had just agreed to list their home for sale with me. Theirs was a case of being in the right place at the right time. Glenda & Phil successfully tapped into the database of the most active agent in their area.

Footnote: Three years after this case study and three property transactions later, Glenda & Phil came full circle and bought their current (2006) home from me. Knowing them so well made this transaction so much easier.