It was our turn to have a catch up with Tony Lockyer of Doepel Lilley & Taylor for a coffee & a chat at Cafe Lekker recently.

Tony's background is in the building trade. Having completed his apprenticeship with a highly regarded local builder, he finds the knowledge gained as a fully qualified carpenter has been handy since making the switch to real estate, where he has sold 150 - 200 homes in his first 3.5 years. 

Finally, we didn't want to let Tony go without asking what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, Doepel, Lilley & Taylor and how he feels that Doepel's differs from other agencies.

Tony told us that he felt that, 'Doepel Lilley & Taylor have been servicing the Ballarat area since 1888. Our longevity in the industry reflects our commitment to giving the best possible service to our clients. We are genuine, hard-working & highly ethical. ​'​

If you'd like to talk to Tony about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Tony Lockyer
T:   0408 312 192​
E: Tony@doepels.com.au
​
You can also follow Tony on social media:

LinkedIn: Tony Lockyer

It was great to have the chance to catch up recently with Dean Teuma of Harcourts Ballarat for a coffee & a chat at Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry.

Dean estimates that he has sold over $52million worth of property across Victoria in his 6 year real estate career and prides himself on winning the Customer Service Awards in 2013, 2014 & 2015 for franchise he was working for at the time.

​

If you'd like to talk to Daniel about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Daniel Bozoski
T:  +61 429 265 220​
E: daniel.bozoski@harcourts.com.au
​
You can also follow Daniel on social media:

Facebook: @danielharcourtsballarat​
Instagram: @daniel_bozoski_harcourts_brt​

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I recently caught up with Jesse Manton of Ray White Ballarat for a coffee & a chat about current state of the market in the beautiful surroundings at Craig's Royal Hotel.

Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Jesse:

His favorite food is – Steak and Veg 🥩
 
He loves talking about – Cars and Property
 
The last song he listened to was – Ed Sheeran (South of the border)
 
His favorite movie genre is – Action / Comedy
 
He really wishes he had more time to – Spend with my wife and daughter
 
His favorite city is – New York 🗽
 
He thinks the best aspect of his job is – The flexibility that it has to offer and it is always changing from the properties I see down to the people that we meet

Jesse says the one thing all buyers have in common is – Buyers are all unique and I feel they all have different needs and are at different stages in life with comes with different criteria that they are looking for, the one thing that they have in common is that they are all each other’s competition

He believes that the one thing all vendors should know is – That auctions offer shorter days on market and the campaign is same as if you listed for private treaty. Except you are in control of the outcome

Jesse tells me that if he didn’t sell real estate he would – I would think that I would be in some sort of sales role, I haven’t really given it much thought to be totally honest.

Finally, we didn't want to let Jesse go without asking what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, Ray White Ballarat and how he feels that Ray White differs from other agencies.

Jesse told us that he felt that, 'We are a long running & well established business & have built a great foundation in the Ballarat community with a true passion for real estate, integrity & commitment to all our clients. We are always looking to improve our customer service & make the experience memorable. Also, being backed by the largest real estate group pin Australia is a huge benefit to our clients.​'​

It was great to have the chance to catch up recently with Will Munro of Ray White Ballarat for a coffee & a chat in the beautiful surroundings at Craig's Royal Hotel.

With a little over 7 years in the real estate industry, Will was recognised in 2017 as an Alan White Elite Member, putting him in the top 2% of the Ray White Group.

Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Will:

His favorite food is – Can't beat a good home cooked roast! (We're totally on board with this - especially if it is cooked by someone else! 🍗)
 
He loves talking about – Anything & everything real estate
 
The last song he listened to was – Steady, As She Goes by The Reconteurs
 
His favorite movie genre is – Action / Syfy
 
He really wishes he had more time to – Play music. I'm a guitarist and have been in bands since I was 15 and loved it. May not have been the best but it was always a great time.
 
His favorite city is – Cusco in Peru is an amazing place! Would love to see New York (We can vouch for New York 🗽, now we can't to check out Cusco too 😆)
 
He thinks the best aspect of his job is – Knowing that what we do really can change people's lives! It is a great feeling

WIll says the one thing all buyers have in common is – that whilst they all have a different list of things they require in a home, they all know when they have found the right one

He believes that the one thing all vendors should know is – Your home is your most important asset, invest in marketing so you can create buyer competition, which will ultimately achieve a premium price

Will tells me that if he didn’t sell real estate he would – Try being a rock star! No, probably something business orientated, accountant 

Finally, we didn't want to let Will go without asking what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, Ray White Ballarat and how he feels that Ray White differs from other agencies.

Will told us that he felt that, 'We are a long running & well established business & have built a great foundation in the Ballarat community with a true passion for real estate, integrity & commitment to all our clients. We are always looking to improve our customer service & make the experience memorable. Also, being backed by the largest real estate group pin Australia is a huge benefit to our clients.​'

If you'd like to talk to Will about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Will Munro
T:  +61 427 401 798​
E: will.munro@raywhite.com
​
You can also follow Will on social media:

Facebook: @WillMunroRayWhiteBallarat
Instagram: @willmunro.raywhiteballarat

It was great to have the chance to catch up recently with Chris Gladman of HockingStuart Ballarat for a coffee & a chat at one of our new favourites, Higher Society.

As he approaches 9 years in the real estate industry (5 years selling, with the previous 4 in property management), Chris loves his current role, transacting about 60 properties a year, but its clear that he regards his 2 children as a special achievement, against which everything else seems pretty small

​Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Chris:

His favorite food is – pizza! The Forge is always our go to place!
 
He loves talking about – Houses… sadly enough! (It is pretty all consuming… cars come a close second! 🚘)
 
The last song he listened to was – Something from Matchbox 20
 
His favorite movie genre is – Thriller
 
He really wishes he had more time to – spend with my two kids
 
His favorite city is – Melbourne – love a weekend getaway full of great coffee and food!
 
He thinks the best aspect of his job is – helping clients achieve their property goals

He believes that the one thing all vendors should know is – not all agents are the same!
 
Chris tells me that if he didn’t sell real estate he would – I would have love to have been an architect! But probably mow lawns (I do like to garden!)

Finally, we didn't want to let Chris go without asking what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, HockingStuart Ballarat and how he feels that HockingStuart differs from other agencies.

Chris told us that he felt that was about, 'doing the very best for our clients and getting them the best results possible. I’m pretty down to earth with the whole process, and people care expect to deal with the real person, not a fake agent with slick lines and dialogue!'

If you'd like to talk to Chris about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Chris Gladman
T:  0424 179 188​
E: cgladman@hockingstuart.com.au

You can also follow Chris on social media:

Facebook: @ChrisGladmanRealEstate

If you'd like to talk to Dylan about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Dylan Thomson
T:  0438 490 773
E: dthomson@hockingstuart.com.au

You can also follow Dylan on social media:

Facebook: @DylanThomsonHS​
Instagram: @dylan.hockingstuart

We recently caught up with Samantha Prince of Stone Ballarat for a coffee & a chat at the Golden City Hotel. ​

​Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Samantha:

Her favorite food is – Chicken & Pumpkin Massaman Curry  
 
She loves talking about – her children Elsie & Patrick  
 
The last song she listened to was –  'Sunflower' by Post Malone
 
Her favorite movie genre is – Romantic / Comedy 

She really wishes she had more time to – sleep; with two young children, working full time and trying to have a life, it leaves little time to sleep HAHA
 
Her favorite city is – Melbourne
 
She thinks the best aspect of her job is – the people that you meet and enabling them achieve their property dreams (we enjoy this aspect of our work too 😊)
 
Samantha feels the one thing all buyers have in common – they’re vulnerable

She believes that the one thing all vendors should know – the selling process is all about them; if their agents focus isn’t on them they need to choose a different agent
 
Samantha tells me that if she didn’t sell real estate she – couldn’t imagine working in any other industry

Finally, we didn't want to let Samantha go without asking what she thought it was important for people to know about the agency she represents, Stone Ballarat and how she feels that Stone Ballarat differs from other agencies.

Samantha told us that, 'We are about the journey, not the transaction. We understand that selling a property is a complex and emotional process. For us it’s not just about getting the property sold – we are there with you from start to finish, from helping get your property ready for sale to finding your next home and all of the details in between.

We go above and beyond expectations, organising services such as removalists, stylists, cleaners, landscapers and concierges to ensure that every need is looked after.'

Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Jarrod:

His favorite food is – Red Duck Curry
 
He loves talking about – Family
 
The last song he listened to was –  'Purple Rain' by Prince
 
His favorite movie genre is – Action 
 
He really wishes he had more time to – Spend more time at the beach (we cannot argue with this idea 🏖🌞)
 
His favorite city is – Brisbane
 
 He thinks the best aspect of his job is –  satisfaction of getting a difficult deal together
 
Jarrod feels the one thing all buyers have in common – they’re happy to buy if they see value in the property
 
He believes that the one thing all vendors should know – presentation plays a massive part in achieving the best price (amen to that! 🙏🤣)
 
Jarrod tells me that if he didn’t sell real estate he would – a stay at home Dad

Finally, we didn't want to let Jarrod go without asking what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, Stone Ballarat and how he feels that Stone Ballarat differs from other agencies.

Jarrod told us that, 'We don’t try to fit our clients into a mould – we build our service around them. Our main focus is you, ensuring you’re informed every step of the way so you have complete control over your property. Our clients range from property investors with multiple investment properties to those buying or selling for the first time. We understand that the services we offer to each and every client have to be individual.

We are one team, not a team of individuals. In a traditional real estate office or franchise the business consists of one owner with teams of individual agents all working for their clients, individually. When we sell your home, our entire team carries it through all of their opens, to all of their buyers and through until the completion of the sale.'

27 July 2019 - Domain Ballarat
The Courier Ballarat - ​Australian Community Media
​(Click image to read full article)

I recently caught up with Sonia Gray of One Agency Ballarat for a pot of tea & a few laughs at the recently opened Higher Society. 

Although Sonia was part of a team that won a Franchise Australia No. 1 - Highest Number of Sales in Australia, I was interested to learn that the number or value of sales isn’t something that Sonia has ever felt the need to track.  For just over 6 years, Sonia has done this job because she loves it, not for a number. She loves her job and what One Agency stands for.

​Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Sonia:

Her favorite food is – Pork Belly
 
She loves talking about – Animals & plants
 
The last song she listened to was – Joan Jett - 'I love rock n roll'  
 
Her favorite movie genre is – Action 
 
She really wishes she had more time to – get some more renovations done at home (You're not alone there Sonia 🏡🛠)
 
Her favorite city is – I haven’t travelled much, I had my daughter at 22 and have been busy working and raising the family. New York would be the city I would love to see the most.
 
She thinks the best aspect of her job is – meeting new people every day and hearing all the different stories to why they are selling or buying. I have made some great long life friends, and its wonderful to catch up with them.
 
Sonia feels the one thing all buyers have in common – Misunderstanding the real estate agents role. Real estate agents are friendly people and in the course of shopping for a house, you will spend a lot of time with various agents. However, the wise home buyer understands who’s working for whom. Unless you have engaged an exclusive buyers’ agent, then the agents are working for the sellers . In fact, they’re legally and morally obliged to work for their client, the seller.
 
She believes that the one thing all vendors should know – Big agencies don’t mean higher prices, it often means less customer service.  You can become a number, and this can lead to your agent spending less time on your most valuable possession.
 
Sonia tells me that if she didn’t sell real estate she would – be doing something with marketing, I’m a very creative person and love learning new skills. 

If you'd like to talk to Sonia about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Sonia Gray
T: 0417 781 421 / 4301 7760
E: soniagray@oneagencyballarat.com.au

You can also follow Sonia on social media:

Facebook: @soniagrayoneagencyballarat
Instagram: @soniagrayoneagency
​

I recently caught up with Shani Stevens of One Agency Ballarat for a pot of tea & a chat at the recently opened Higher Society. 

I was interested to learn that after commencing a real estate career in her fathers agency in the mid-1980's, Shani took a long break, returning to the industry 3 years ago. This year has been an amazing year for Shani, with the opening of One Agency in Ballarat which has provided the opportunity to continue the work which led to her winning a Bronze franchise award, in her first 12 months back in the industry.

Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Shani:

Her favorite food is – Sour dough toast with vegemite, chocolate (We'd just like to clarify that these are best enjoyed separately 🤣🍞🍫)
 
She loves talking about – Life
 
The last song she listened to was – Layla 
 
Her favorite movie genre is – Crime
 
She really wishes she had more time to – Travel
 
Her favorite city is – Ballarat; although she prefers the country lifestyle

She thinks the best aspect of her job is – Meeting people and working with them towards their goals
 
Shani feels the one thing all buyers have in common is – A budget they must stick to

She believes that the one thing all vendors should know – Research the agent you are thinking of using.  Do they have knowledge of your area, are they going to negotiate fiercely to get you the best price or just take whatever comes just to “get another sale”.  Marketing and negotiation can make thousands of dollars difference to the end result.
 
Shani tells me that if she didn’t sell real estate he would – Be a surgeon (Well there's one out of left field 👩‍🔬🤣)

Thanks for your time Shani & to Higher Society for the fantastic hospitality!

If you'd like to talk to Shani about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Shani Stevens
T: 0467 266 667 / 4301 7760
E: shanistevens@oneagencyballarat.com.au

You can also follow Shani on social media:

Facebook: @Shani.Stevens1

I recently caught up with Brayden Dorney of Buxton Ballarat for a coffee at the newly established 1816 Bakehouse. 

It's been a big year for Brayden, clocking up over $7 million in sales in this first year of his real estate sales career, and getting married but what really struck me about Brayden was his genuine passion for our community, which resulted in his recognition as Ballarat Young Citizen of the Year Award, in 2016.

Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about Brayden:

His favorite food is – Chicken Parma with chips and salad (no veg!)
 
He loves talking about – Real Estate hot spots and facial hair.
 
The last song he listened to was – Hilltop Hoods – Exit Sign (We like this one too 🎼)
 
His favorite movie genre is – Comedy
 
He really wishes he had more time to – Travel the world
 
His favorite city is – It would definitely have to be our city, Ballarat. I was born and bred here and loving seeing how much it has grown with more and more exciting new bars and food venues opening up all the time.
 
He thinks the best aspect of his job is – Meeting new people and helping them achieve their Real Estate goals.
 
Brayden feels the one thing all buyers have in common – Passion and excitement when looking for their new home.
 
He believes that the one thing all vendors should know – It is important we help vendors understand and feel comfortable with the processes involved in selling their home.
 
Brayden tells me that if he didn’t sell real estate he would – Strive towards becoming a champion at the “World Beard & Moustache Championships”. (We think you've got this one covered Brayden 😉)

Finally, it didn't seem right to let Brayden go without asking him what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, Buxton Ballarat and how he feels that Buxton differs from other agencies.

Brayden told us that, 'our philosophy at Buxton is to ensure all our clients achieve their absolute best possible outcome. Our technology, premium marketing and superior database reach are important factors to achieving these results.'

Thanks for your time Brayden & to 1816 Bakehouse for the excellent coffee!

If you'd like to talk to Brayden about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

Brayden Dorney
T: 0408 124 576 / 5331 4544
E: bdorney@buxton.com.au

You can also follow Brayden on social media:

Facebook: @braydendorney
Instagram: @braydendorneybuxton

Want to learn more about 3 Pea's Property Styling?

I recently caught up with James Montano of Buxton Ballarat for a coffee at the newly established 1816 Bakehouse, and aside from learning that James became  a fully licensed agent as of late 2018, with three years in the industry and in excess of $52 million dollars of sales under his belt, I found him to be a relaxed and pretty chatty bloke.

Here's some of the topics we covered during the course of our discussion and what I learned about James:

His favorite food is – Chicken
 
He loves talking about – Anything in general really ( I can vouch for James on this one! 😉)
 
The last song he listened to was – Higher Love - Kygo / Whitney Houston
 
His favorite movie genre is – Action
 
He really wishes he had more time to – Travel 
 
His favorite city is – NYC (yep, we love NYC too 🗽)
 
He thinks the best aspect of his job is – Once we have closed a deal, see very happy vendors and also see the reaction of purchasers purchasing their dream home.
 
James feels that the one thing all buyers have in common is – Excitement / Passion
 
He believes that the one thing all vendors should know is – The Process - Trust the process
 
James tells me that If he didn’t sell real estate he would – be a Storm Chaser (ok, this one goes to the top of our topic list for our next catch up James 😂)

Finally, it didn't seem right to let James go without asking him what he thought it was important for people to know about the agency he represents, Buxton Ballarat and how he feels that Buxton differs from other agencies.

James told us that, 'at Buxton Real Estate, we pride ourselves on achieving the best possible outcome for our vendors each and every time, which comes from our premium marketing campaigns, technology, negotiating skill set and a huge reach within our data base throughout Victoria.'

If you'd like to talk to James about your real estate needs, you can get in touch via the following links:

James Montano
T: 0424 157 499 / 5331 4544
E:  jmontano@buxton.com.au

You can also follow James on social media:

Facebook: @james.montano.9
Instagram: @james_montano_buxtonrealestate

Want to learn more about 3 Pea's Property Styling?

3 Pea’s Property Styling has been announced as a Finalist in the Property Styling category of the national Property Investor Awards, for the second year running. 

Named as one of three finalists from a shortlist of fifteen home staging services nationally, 3 Pea’s Property Styling has been identified for their contribution to the industry, which includes presenting in excess of $60 million dollars worth of Ballarat real estate for sale, increasing property sale prices and decreasing time taken to sell in the process. 

Recognizing Australia's leading property professionals, the Property Investors Awards, is celebrating the best specialist professions adjacent to real estate and seeks to establish a benchmark for excellence in the industry, allowing investors to reference Australia’s top performers and what they’re doing right. These businesses help navigate the complex waters of investment, and at their finest can really transform potential storms into smooth sailing. 

There’s a saying about property investing: you pay for your education somehow, whether it’s by investing in experts to support you, or learning from your mistakes. The former is far less costly than the latter, so with these awards we hope to shine the spotlight on those who get results and make life easier for investors,” said Sarah Megginson, in underlining the importance of the awards. 

3 Pea’s Property Styling is proud to assist local property owners to achieve the best possible outcomes when it comes time to sell. Business Owner, Jo Powell, said, “we are delighted with our nomination and it is tremendous to have our work recognized at a national level once again. Our background and experience means that we can not only furnish a property to look its best for sale, but in addition, we can, where required, take a more holistic approach and thoroughly prepare and present a property for sale. It is this level of service that we believe sets us apart from our competitors. We thoroughly enjoy our work and we think that this shows through in the results that we are able to help our clients achieve.” 
​
An independent panel of judges, comprised of respected industry commentators is currently reviewing the finalist's entries to select the winner, which will be announced on 29 August 2019.

03 June 2019 - Herald Sun / Realestate.com.au
News Corp. / REA Group
​(Click image to read full article)