Sales Trifecta Shows Strength of the LJ Hooker Brand

LJ Hooker has notched an impressive trifecta of successful sales, involving three different agents, showcasing the superbrand’s cultural intent to become the most powerfully connected real estate network in Australia and New Zealand.

A Sydney family’s sea change to the NSW South Coast sparked the series. While it is not unusual for a vendor to sell their home and buy their next property through different LJ Hooker offices, it is less common for the transaction to become an ongoing chain of transactions across different locations. 

Sales agent Karen Van Der Stelt from LJ Hooker said it was network-wide effort involving a lot of phone calls and negotiations with fellow agents Patrick Tynan from LJ Hooker Nowra and Matthew Lucas from LJ Hooker Blacktown. 

“It is definitely unusual for there to be three sales and there was a lot happening behind the scenes to make it happen – but we got there,” she said.

“Sometimes I would be on the phone six times a day. One property would settle, then the next one, then another one, and we have to keep all our vendors and purchasers happy.”

LJ Hooker General Manager of Network, Stephen Mutton said it is rewarding to see the collaboration between their strongly engaged real estate network. 

“The recent trio of sales, led by three dynamic LJ Hooker agents, underscores the strength of the brand. Quite often we see a referral here and there, but to see a three-line transaction is unusual, it is the power of the LJ Hooker brand and the power of our reach - we are a network that communicates and works well together.

“As part of our offering, we ensure that we give our people ample opportunities to connect at networking and training events, so that we can continuously foster a culture of peer-to-peer learning and support – and more business opportunities like this more recent one,” he said.

Ms Van Der Stelt listed a brand new residence at Malua Bay for $1.255 million on the higher end of the property market for the Bateman’s Bay region. She had strong interest from a couple who had inspected the home four times but were reliant on selling their home in Nowra. 

“They were just about to make an offer on my listing when the buyer for their home – a couple looking to make a sea change – pulled out after a change of heart about leaving their long-term home,” she said.  

“I kept following up to see how my couple were going and fortunately the original buyers for their home came back. This enabled my purchasers to make an offer on the Malua Bay property, but everyone was very nervous about whether everything would go ahead.”  

Mr Lucas who was on the other end of the three-way deal fast-tracked a marketing campaign once given the green light by his vendors to sell their Sydney home. The property at Plumpton was on the market for seven days, attracting 27 groups at inspection and selling for $900,000. 

“The vendors were retirees and once they had purchased the Nowra property we really had to move like the wind to get their property sold within a week,” Mr Lucas said.

“It was a complex deal to align everyone’s desired settlement date and meet their needs. As agents, we came together to streamline the process and also to ensure there would be no hurdles at the end. 

“It is not that common to work so far down the line with a sale and it shows the influence and trust in the LJ Hooker brand. I do believe if we had to include another agency it would have been so much more difficult because we wouldn’t have the same connection.” 

Mr Tynan from LJ Hooker Nowra agrees the successive sales reflect the trust vendors see in the LJ Hooker brand. It is not the first time he has worked with the LJ Hooker Blacktown office to enable others to make a sea change to the South Coast or move to the city. 
 
“The three-way sale is a great example of how our network works together. If your property is within the LJ Hooker brand, then your property is exposed to all the offices across our vast national network,” he said.

“If a vendor tells us they want to relocate to another area, then we will make the call to the nearest LJ Hooker office and see what is available for them.  It is about working within the network and that is what makes it successful.”