Four years ago we built duplexes in Palm Beach, in a sense we were pioneers, as the buildings were probably very superior to anything else in our area. We intended to build with a partner but those plans fell through and we tried to sell the first duplex. At the time we engaged two local […] Read more
Four years ago we built duplexes in Palm Beach, in a sense we were pioneers, as the buildings were probably very superior to anything else in our area. We intended to build with a partner but those plans fell through and we tried to sell the first duplex. At the time we engaged two local agents well known in the area, who had no luck at all and after many months of having no returns on the property, we decided if we couldn’t sell it, we may as well rent it out. All the agents were talking down property values in Palm Beach and saying we would be lucky to get in the high 5’s for the property and more likely to get mid fives, and as the property owed us more than this we opted to rent it out.
We rented it for the next 2 years and then we were introduced to a friend of our sons, Conal Martin, who specialized in Burleigh sales. Our son spoke extremely highly of him, so we decided to give Conal a go as none of the local agents had had any success, and were really scaring us as to how much they still thought we would lose on the sale price of our beautiful home. Conal came along, gave us an appraisal and we signed up with him. Stress free service followed with Conal always giving us great feed back on the people he brought through. He knew what we needed to get and he promised us he’d be able to deliver. He knew the value of our property and he also knew what a property like that would go for in Burleigh at least a 100 grand more! We were really up against it though for at the time of selling there was a very similar property, similar age and size, similar distance from the beach (no pool and not as up market) that was selling for 100 grand less with a local agent!
After having the property on the market with him for less than 7 weeks he sold it, for a record sale in the area, $625K, 100 grand more than the local agents were selling the similar one in the next street for.
Terry and I were so impressed and spent the next 2 years talking him up to anyone who would listen, perhaps Palm Beach prices were being kept low by agents who were looking for quick sales, perhaps the sales mentality needed the shift Conal brought to us, in that he saw Palm Beach’s value?
Over the next 2 years property did take a nose dive and we approached Conal to try and sell our home, he was straight and said don’t sell now, the markets not too healthy so we took his advice. When 2 years later in the “down market” that all the local agents were talking about and after having a very well known agent come in and give us an appraisal of low 6’s! we once again signed up with Conal to give selling our home a go. We told him what we needed in our hand and he said no problem. We needed to walk away with 7 in the hand. A lot of our friends looked at us like they felt sorry for us, we were endevouring to sell in the down time! Without spending 1000’s and 1000’s on advertising?, we were dreaming! But Terry and I weren’t dreaming, we were confident, we knew what we had and so did our agent and if anyone could do it, Conal could.
So… 7 weeks from signing up we signed a contract with Conal for 715K! We had walked away with exactly what we needed and without forking out for massive great big marketing campaigns.. Some said we were jammy… Some said we were blessed… Maybe we were jammy and definitely we are blessed but a lot of the credit has definitely got to go to our agent who succeeded once again where all others failed to give us yet another RECORD SALE IN PALM BEACH.
Doesn’t that alone speak for itself? Over the past few years we have always handed out Conals name. Two other friends of mine selling in Miami, had had their home up for sale for over 6 months of stressed life with agents talking down their property, I put them on to Conal and yes you guessed it… SOLD for what they were initially asking for in no time. Conal Martin is an agent that will work hard for his vendor… He’s truthful, he’s principled and a no bullshit kind of guy… and in our opinion one of the finest people we have ever had the pleasure of doing business with.
Take our advice, next time you’ve got a property for sale, give him a go, he’ll look after YOUR interests not his own. Cheers and happy selling.
Janine and Terry McGrail