There are many phrases in real estate designed to instill a sense of urgency in the market. There's not any however that are designed to instill a sense of patience. Why would there be, I’ve asked myself, when our collective aspiration for sales volumes is the same aspiration that allows us to have financially rewarding careers? It would seem counterintuitive for agents to aim for anything but a swift and effective selling process when we've spent the last decade or more trying to demonstrate our ability to achieve results.

Sometimes, however, it's necessary to do what's counterintuitive. It's necessary to break away from the commonly held mindsets and approaches, to slow down, to be patient. Patient with buyers, vendors, the market, and the campaign process. It’s an approach that’s perhaps the most relevant it's been since the 1990's, given the significant challenges that ongoing cash rate rises are posing to would-be and current homeowners. Urgency in the current market won't deliver cut-through, nor will it build trust in you as an agent, when so many are re-evaluating their financial wellbeing and livelihoods.

When dealing in the prestige space, patience is more than necessary - it's essential - and not only because it means you’ll approach the campaign with the consideration and calibre your clients expect. Participants in the prestige space have the equity and nous to wait until the time is right and have likely been considering their next move for some time. They don’t make decisions on a whim, least not in a transient market. 

While I'm confident that patience is a strength of mine (thanks in part to being a father of four), I was reminded of how beneficial it can be to you as an agent, and your clients, during the recent on-market campaign and sale of 1 Carieville Street, Balmain. 

With a guide of $6.5 million, the home was a newly built collaboration between a leading interior designer and architect. It defined modern luxury. Like the some 200 groups who inspected the home, I was enamored by the understated elegance, quality and lifestyle that it exuded. Come auction time, 18 bids saw the price rise from $6.5 million to $8 million. While the auction was perhaps the only setting in which urgency was shown, I’ve been reflecting on the various ways patience shaped the campaign, and why I think it’s a skill worth talking about.

Find the light.

It's one thing to hope for blue skies for a photoshoot, but it’s another to reschedule once – or more – if you’re not happy with the mood of the day. Ahead of shooting 1 Carieville Street, the creative team and I delayed the photography on two separate occasions. The light needed to be perfect, and we needed to be patient. With a video and drone photography also planned, natural light was going to be key in showcasing the home’s character.

While keeping to a timeline was important given my client had committed elsewhere, I was fortunate in that they understood the need for patience. They appreciated that premium photography would capture the market’s attention, and if you operate in the prestige space, you’ll find this appreciation to be shared among most.

diningkitchen-2.jpeg

main-3.jpg

Believe the hype.

A key benefit of having patience in the pre-launch phase was that it allowed me to build a sense of exclusivity and intrigue around the home. I invested this time in notifying all possible buyers and buyers’ agents, and was fortunate to have my colleagues do the same. We were able to build a network of engaged parties who knew the story of the home and bought into its opportunity before it even launched to market. This meant that when we held the evening preview event prior to its on-market launch, there was a palpable sense of anticipation among guests. It was clear this patience just a few weeks earlier had delivered credibility, excitement, and social proof for all in the room that this residence was a special one.

image17.jpg

image28.jpg

Time and space.

Knowing that a Saturday auction wasn't the right strategy for this home, we decided that a mid-week auction would further the sense of exclusivity and give the auction the breathing room that it deserved. While this may seem like an insignificant detail to some, especially if you’re confident the property will sell regardless of when an auction is held, a mid-week date helped us to ensure that the crowd was comprised of engaged locals and qualified buyers. This limited the opportunities for passersby on their weekend inspection route to pop in, and while this is welcome in many situations, we were adamant to run the campaign with the same exclusivity and intrigue we’d launched it with. 

Complete trust.

Trust is what I believe to be the foundation for all success in real estate. I had the good fortune of representing the vendor of 1 Carieville Street three times prior. They knew me, what I stood for and how I operated. My patience and continued investment in building a relationship with them over years is what had allowed me to be in the position to list 1 Carieville Street in the first place. It also happened to be their most prestige property to date, and with their full confidence and trust, I could focus on delivering what I’d set out to. 

It can be tempting to rush in real estate - to always be in motion or moving onto the next listing. I’ve learnt however that there’s power and strength in taking it slow.

To view previous sold feature with more information for this property click here.

To view previous feature for sale article with more information for this property click here.

To view the listing or for more information click here.

Related reading:

BresicWhitney reveals 2025 strategic direction