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Blog · March 19, 2020

Knowledge, Power and Real Estate Advertising

Knowledge, power and real estate advertising

A dangerous trend has emerged in real estate advertising, with both privacy and price implications.

Too much personal information is being revealed during marketing campaigns. Circumstances such as divorce or illness are often featured in advertisements as agents try to use bad and distressing situations to attract buyers.

The sale of a property should have no connection to the motivations of the seller. The price of a property should reflect its features and benefits in relation to its competition in the marketplace, not the seller’s reason for selling.

In negotiation, as with all things, knowledge is power.

The more knowledge the buyer has regarding the seller and their personal circumstances, the more power they have and the stronger their negotiating position becomes.

Agents and sellers constantly give away negotiation power when marketing properties. Look at any real estate advertising with headlines screaming:

·       ‘Marriage bust-up’

·       ‘Owners bought elsewhere’

·       ‘Deceased estate’

·       ‘Urgent sale – sharks circling!’

Such headlines attract bargain hunters. Get-rich-quick seminars are notorious for recommending that investors target properties with headlines like these.

A Sydney buyer’s agent recently said, ‘Why is the vendor selling? You need to ask.’ She goes on to say that knowing about a divorce, a deceased estate or a property purchase can save a buyer thousands of dollars.

The danger involved in disclosing vital personal information far outweighs the dubious benefits of such advertising.

A property is a stand-alone entity. It has no emotions or feelings, and this is how it should be marketed. The features and benefits of a property, and how these relate to the wants and needs of the buyer, are the key marketing and negotiation points in a property sale, not why the property is being sold.

Notwithstanding, sellers and their agent need to have a full and frank discussion regarding the sale. Nothing should be hidden from the agent or from the seller.

Trust is the key to personal relationships. The relationship between agent and seller is personal and private. If you can’t trust your agent with full disclosure, find another agent.

A professional real estate agent will never disclose personal information. It is neither necessary nor appropriate.

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Blog · March 27, 2020

Selling off market: The points to consider

The off market pitch by an agent will usually begin along the lines of ‘we have a serious buyer that is prepared to pay above market price for a home, just like yours’. What harm can there be in showing the buyer through? Well, if the buyer buys your home at a very good price, none. As many …

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Blog · March 19, 2020

The Deceptiveness of Public Auction

Public auction is the most deceptive method used to sell property in Australia. Right now the projects are showing up in reverse chronological order – the most recently published are at the top. But since this is a portfolio, you might want to put your most impressive projects at the top, …

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Blog · March 19, 2020

Knowledge, Power and Real Estate Advertising

Knowledge, power and real estate advertising A dangerous trend has emerged in real estate advertising, with both privacy and price implications. Too much personal information is being revealed during marketing campaigns. Circumstances such as divorce or illness are often featured in …

Continue Reading

Blog · March 19, 2020

Property And Dangers Of A Digital Footprint

Property and dangers of a digital footprint Before the Internet, properties were primarily marketed via newspaper advertisements, signs and in agents’ windows. These mediums had a remarkable and often overlooked advantage over modern forms of advertising – they left no easily traceable …

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Blog · March 19, 2020

The Dangers In Establishing A Market Price

Establishing a realistic market price can be fraught with danger. The intentionally inflated price quoted by an agent is the most common. It is the improbable lie or the lie by omission. Other dangers that are not so obvious include well-meaning neighbours and friends, and the auto valuations …

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Blog · March 18, 2020

The ‘Heart Buyer’ and Rejecting Early Offers

The location is ideal, it has the right number of bedrooms and living spaces, the yard is great – it feels like the perfect home. Occasionally, a buyer matches a property to perfection. This buyer is going to live in the property. It will become their home. There is an instant and strong …

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© Copyright 2025 Declan Hickey

Contact

0408 120 635

dhickey@ewre.com.au

 

Office

(03) 6234 5500

www.ewre.com.au


Location

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Hobart TAS 7000


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