Simone,

All three areas are showing strong capital growth prospects.  Coogee and Clovelly, being beachside, should be amongst the top 10% growth areas in Sydney moving forward. Sydneysiders love the beachside suburbs.

Randwick is cool because it’s generally a fraction less expensive and has very strong infrastructure, being close to a retail strip, University, Hospital and Racecourse making it a hub of interest for a diverse range of people.

Good luck!
John McGrath

Hi Mel,

Recruitment advertising is similar in many ways to property advertising. Just as 80% of people look for property online, the same follows that 80% of job seekers look for their next job online. Using portals such as seek.com.au, my first suggestion would be to advertise online if you haven’t done so already. Seek is the recruitment industry’s equivalent of realestate.com.au.

Also, write down the key reasons why someone would want to work for your business. These could be (and usually are) cultural or lifestyle aspects, rather than just being a real estate agent. Similar to exciting buyers about a particular property by describing the lifestyle that the owner would enjoy if they buy it (it’s not just bricks and mortar).

Make sure that your recruitment ad contains the compelling “softer” reasons why working for you guys will be a great experience.

I hope that helps.
John McGrath

Hi Kathy

My advice is to view property as a long term investment. Well-located residential property is one of the few investments that offer income and capital growth, coupled with low risk, but a "smash and grab" approach to property investment will increase risk.

I hope that helps.

Shea, I think you need to decide if it’d the right time to sell.

If it is then do it properly. A good property like yours should be confidently presented and marketed when it’s time to sell.  When you say a quality price I assume that means the best price?  And the best price comes from presenting it well and marketing it to all potential buyers and entering the market at a price range that will be understood by buyers. 

If you list it for sale at, say, 20% above any other recent comparable sales then you will likely attract very little interest and very few offers, and the property will likely go stale and remain on the market for some time.

My view is that a property’s highest value is generally the day (or month) it’s listed.  Thereafter price can decline over time, so it’s important to list at the right price and secure the right offer in the first 30 days. 

Good luck!

Thanks for your question Ben.

Tough times are ahead in 2009, and this year is probably not the year I'd choose to be starting out. 2010 is the year when I think opportunity for newcomers will return.

John