The Adelaide house price median is quoted in every suburb report, every agent appraisal, and every property news story as though it reliably reflects underlying value. It reflects something more specific - what sold, in what mix, at what point in time. The difference matters more than most buyers and vendors realise.It rarely does.… Read More

Most people decide to sell before they know what selling actually costs.The decision comes first - prompted by a life change, a market update, a conversation with a neighbour who just sold well. The emotional commitment is made. Then, somewhere between signing the agency agreement and settlement day, the full cost of the transaction reveals… Read More

Most homeowners who invite three agents to appraise their property expect the numbers to be close. They are rarely close. A difference of $30,000 to $50,000 between the lowest and highest appraisal on the same property is common. A difference of $80,000 or more is not unusual. And all three agents, when pressed, can produce a rationale that sounds … Read More

Most vendors who invest in home staging think they are paying for their property to look beautiful. They are actually paying for something more specific - the removal of reasons buyers use to justify paying less.The difference matters because it changes the measure of success. A property that photographs well but leaves buyers uncertain abo… Read More

Buyer competition at its most useful is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate decisions made across the campaign about timing, positioning, buyer management, and information control.Those things are not wrong. They are just incomplete in ways that matter.What follows is an explanation of what actually happens when a campaig… Read More