Mark and Jackie: From novice to knowledgeable

This beautiful couple had a rocky start to their property search. New to the auction scene, they needed someone with experience to clarify what agents were really saying, and someone working for them to give realistic advice. They were unsure where to turn to gain the necessary knowledge in a short period of time to avoid overpaying for their ideal home. Once we began, things changed for the better...

"We felt reassured that someone in the process was on our side, and we were swiftly educated in the gap between what is stated and how things really work. Most of all, we felt we had a strategy for securing a property rather than just hope.

I think the most significant difference once we engaged Claire was the amount of facts and data we had access to. Even at our preliminary meeting, she arrived with a pile of previous sale prices for the area, insights into the selling agent's approach, advice on what would constitute a bargain versus what would constitute overpaying, and guidance on how the relationship between us could work to best effect. That degree of thoroughness and professionalism was what made us feel confident and that, if we won the property, we'd be happy, and if we lost, then we would have stepped aside when the price became too inflated to justify continuing.

Our excitement and naivete was replaced with hard-headed confidence. We'd been wide-eyed and hopeful, but bringing Claire in made us practical, professional and a force to be bargained with.

The biggest lesson we learned along the way was that enthusiasm, hope and a decent budget aren't always enough, and that research, experience, and a little extra investment in a different area --hiring Claire -- can vastly alter things in your favour.

Working with Claire made us feel that we were going into battle with a secret weapon others couldn't match and wouldn't be ready for.

If you're thinking about working with Claire, I'd say 'do it' in a heartbeat. The investment in Claire's services was small in relation to what we were prepared to spend on our house and the investment gave us a return many times greater than the initial sum paid out. For a small fee, we gained knowledge, an advocate, guidance, counsel and, of course, our home."

Mark and Jackie were delighted to have had someone handle the auction preparation and bidding for them, and I'll never forget the enormous grin on Mark's face when he arrived with his son to sign the contract after winning the auction. It was brilliant - one of life's happy moments. They're now enjoying weekends with the family, running around with kids' activities rather than the treadmill of another weekend of open homes. We’re delighted to have been able to help them secure their dream home.