Property Point

Many years ago I found myself relaxing under a tree in a big park in central New Delhi, desperate to peacefully escape the frenetic intensity of the city’s people, noise and bustling activity.
Sometimes it becomes too much in India and you need to have a break from it all; so I pulled my cap down over my forehead, closed my eyes and started to embrace the tranquillity. It lasted for five seconds.
“Excuse me, you want a drink? Can of coke?” “No thanks.” “Fanta?’ “No thanks”. The drink vendor left but another bloke immediately arrived.
“Shoe shine?” No thanks”. “Your shoes are very dirty”. “Yes, but I just want to sit here quietly by myself.”  “Okay”.
He left but was replaced straight away by another vendor, this time someone selling bongo drums. He gave me a quick burst of drumming and offered me a go. “No thanks mate. I don’t want any drums.  I just want to sit here quietly.”  “Okay.” He walked away.
Suddenly I felt someone behind me rubbing my neck. I quickly turned around. “What are you doing?” I asked. “You are very tense. I give you a massage.” “No, I don’t want a massage. I just want to sit here quietly and relax.” He rubbed my shoulder again and said, “Very tense”. I said, “Sorry I don’t want a massage” and he left and I pulled my cap over my eyes.
Within seconds there was a tap on my shoulder. I thought: “Who can this be? I’ve had the drinks bloke, the shoe-shine bloke, the bongo drum seller and the massage bloke. What’s left?”
I looked up at the young Indian man. He wasn’t carrying anything but I did notice some cotton buds poking out from his headband.
“You want an ear clean?” he asked. “No, definitely no. I don’t want my ears cleaned.”
He might have previously come across a degree of caution from potential clients who didn’t like the idea of a stranger sticking cotton buds into their ears. So he had a little book with hand-written testimonials from “clients” saying he was “the best ear-cleaner I have ever had” and “my hearing was so much better” after his work was done.
I said the answer was still no. He said: “Sure, sure, okay. Just a look. I will just have a look.” I said: “I’m not gonna let you clean my ears but, sure, have a look and then please go.”
He leaned over and peered into my right ear and, in the most dramatic, concerned voice he could muster, said: “Oh. My. God!” I suspected he never looked into a tourist’s ears and said: “Your ears are perfectly clean and you won’t be needing my services.” I laughed and said no again and he shook my hand and went on his way.
In Australia 30 years later there are different but unlimited services available to us and real estate is part of that.
Options and features for sellers are endless: Do you want video, drone shots, a floor plan, a boost for social media, open homes or private inspections? But wait, there’s more: can we have your rates notice, insurance documentation, smoke alarm certificate, rental records? The services, requests and options are different to those of a park in Delhi but I am sure sellers at times feel similarly overwhelmed.
The job of the agent is to do the best job possible and get the best price for a seller but it is also to understand the needs and desires of the client. Understand how and when to communicate, offer what’s available but understand that some people don’t want the lot.
Our job is to explain the value of the services we offer and the impact those features can have on getting the best possible price for a seller. Rarely does it involve an ear-clean.

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