Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Sells The First Property For The Brand

Sally-Anne Lawlor from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate sells the first property for the brand since its Australian launch.

We’re very excited to announce that Sally-Anne Lawlor from our Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate office in Central Sydney has sold the first property under the lifestyle real estate brand.  In order to learn more about this milestone, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate CEO Michelle Delaney spoke with Sally-Anne about the customer journey and experience.

Michelle: “So firstly, Sally-Anne, congratulations on your first very first sale under Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. It’s an amazing achievement and milestone for our brand.

I’d just like to take a little step back and ask about the marketing process for this property and your discussions with the vendor. What were the vendor’s thoughts around all things Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate?”

Sally-Anne: “All my clients I know very well because I’ve helped them buy and sell before.  This particular client has a fashion business and does a lot of multimedia work so was very excited about the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand. When I initially told her I was joining the brand, she loved it and wanted her property to be part of this.

Michelle: “And what did she think of your marketing efforts?

Sally Anne: I compiled a specific marketing program for her as it was a particularly special property.  As an experienced agent, I know that you tailor your marketing programs for each client, however, what was most fascinating about the response was that the vendor was very much in love with the look of the brand, it’s media presence and lifestyle appeal. The point of difference for our clients is that we do what we say we’re going to do, and we deliver.

Better Homes and Gardens is such an iconic brand and is so well recognised I would feel confident in referring to the business as a staple of the Australian household. Having the property associated with myself and therefore with the brand brought a high level of trust to the process which in turn resulted in buyer confidence which in this case was evident from day one.”

Michelle: “Now I know you said it sold really quickly, which was amazing. How many open for inspections did you do?”

Sally-Anne: “Five. One, I took my database through, while the other three were advertised and I showed it once privately which turned out to be the buyer.”

Michelle: “Was there a variety of reactions from prospective buyers coming into a Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate inspection?”

Sally-Anne: “I’ve operated in the Mosman area for around 20 years, and have been associated with very well recognised brands so the local community were people I knew well and attended the opens. They were all very excited and couldn’t get enough of the Better Homes And Gardens magazines on offer. In fact, I spent a considerable amount of time talking to people afterwards because they wanted to know what was going on. You know, with Better Homes and Gardens it’s just that – it’s better…the TV show’s better, the magazine’s better, our service is better, and the customers I spoke to felt it was a better approach.

Michelle: “So the property achieved the price the vendor wanted or more?”

Sally-Anne: “I think most vendors always want more, to be honest, but they were really happy with the outcome, and even happier because it was an investment and we could negotiate a really quick settlement…14-days in fact which the vendors were over the moon about.”

Michelle: “That’s awesome Sally Anne, what a great achievement, Can I ask you if you’ve listed any properties since then and what the activity has been like?”

Sally-Anne: “We have, and are expecting another signing tonight, and one early next week. People are very excited about the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate approach and that’s becoming increasingly evident with the enquiry channels and level of interest we’re seeing.”

Michelle: ” Sally-Anne you bring that special approach as well because you are very much the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand. You have that naturalness about you which I think resonates with people, and you really do care about those you represent.”

Sally-Anne: “Michelle – for me it’s a personal thing, selling your home and buying a home. It’s where you spend most of your time and it’s part of who you are. Not only is it super exciting to do but so rewarding when you know that it’s the right person for the right property.”

Michelle: ” And do you have a specific process for the way you deal with your buyers?”

Sally-Anne: ” Yes, so the first thing I do is keep a very tight database and talk to my contacts frequently to find out what they want. The other thing is I always make time to speak with buyers even if they’re not interested in the property as learning what it is they don’t like about it helps with linking them to a property that is suitable. It’s not just about selling the property, it’s about getting the absolute maximum price and about finding the right person for the property. To do that you have to ask questions and more importantly, you have to listen.

Both of my parents are country folk and my dad Noel used to always say to me, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” In real estate, that really applies that you have to find out what your customer’s needs are and you have to look after them.”

Michelle: “That is wonderful. That’s not just going the extra mile, that’s actually understanding your client.  That’s a real point of difference.

Thank you for taking the time to talk us through this Sally-Anne we truly can’t wait to see the heights you will certainly achieve with the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand and by the sounds of it we should all be very jealous of your clients!”