Real estate agents praised for 'honest' property listing for 'eyesore' home
While on the surface a three-bedroom home on two hectares sounds great, two Sydney agents are trying their best to put potential buyers off keeping the property.
In the age of sugar-coating properties with endless real estate jargon and Photoshopped images, two agents in Sydney's west have proven a breath of fresh air thanks to a recent "honest" listing.
On Thursday Joe Masters and Darren Latty at PRD Penrith went live with a vast plot in Cranebrook, 55km west of the CBD. On it stands a dilapidated three-bedroom home but as the agents point out, it's most likely not worth saving.
"This extremely well positioned rural property needs a tonne of work - actually many tonnes," they frankly put it.
Describing the fire-damaged home as an "eyesore", the pair stressed purchasing the property was "not for the faint hearted".
"This is ideal for someone who owns their own bulldozer," they admitted. Noting the potential of the plot, they said the property could be a strong investment for those with experience in rebuilds.
Agent reveals 'anti-ad' approach
The approach with the listing has been a hit with locals, who've commended the "honesty" shown by the agents. And it's not the first time the duo have rolled out such a listing that lays bare all of a property's flaws.
Masters told Yahoo News Australia it's a tactic they call "anti-ads", and one they are becoming renowned for.
"With the owner's permission, we think if you've got a home that needs a lot of work there's no point in heightening buyers' expectations before they get there," he explained. "We want them turning up and seeing it for what it is and essentially being surprised by what value is in it."
Other properties that had similar treatment were ones with significant termite damage and severely overgrown land, with the latter titled: 'I'm An Agent Get Me Out Of Here'.
"If the owner is all for it, we get the creative licence to go nuts," Masters said. "We like to do things a little differently slightly outside the norm compared to the conventional real estate way and it's why we get the work for these ones."
Masters said the response to the Cranebrook property had so far been strong and expected the property to go for anywhere between $1.6 million to $2 million. He said it was a great opportunity to get such a large plot of land at that price.
The use of misleading and edited imagery on property listings in Australia has faced scrutiny in recent years, with relevant bodies in varying states and territories cracking down on the practice.
Earlier this month a Sydney agent defended adding disproportionate furniture and changing the colour of the sky of a listing, telling Yahoo: "We don't just sell it on the internet."
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