BUSINESS FEATURE

It's the closest thing real estate has to a rule: a well presented, well marketed property outperforms the market, and a tired campaign underperforms it. Every agent knows it. The harder question is who actually does the work required to achieve the best result.

It's the closest thing real estate has to a rule: a well presented, well marketed property outperforms the market, and an unconsidered campaign underperforms it.

Every agent knows it. The harder question is who actually does the work required to achieve the best result.

That question is the subject of a short film released this month by Port Douglas estate agent Matthew Essex, made with a local videographer and shot in the Douglas Shire.

Across 90 seconds it shows the side of a sale most sellers never consider: early mornings preparing homes ahead of a photographer's arrival, and long sessions at kitchen tables working through market data, buyer profiles and campaign plans with the people selling.

"There are two parts to a strong result”, Essex said.  "The first is presentation. Everyone knows it decides outcomes, but not everyone is in a position to manage it. Some of our owners live interstate and can't be here to prepare a property.

"Some are flat out with work or life. Some are at a stage where they need a hand and don't have family close by, and plenty just want help finding trades they can trust.

"The second is a disciplined marketing strategy. Understanding the market, understanding the buyers, and knowing what makes a particular property stand out.

"Every campaign we run is built for the property rather than pulled off a shelf, and we use every tool available to us to get there, because the goal is always the same:
the best possible price."

Matthew Essex, a sales consultant, licensed estate agent and auctioneer with independent agency Property Shop Port Douglas and Mossman, spent eight years in real estate in the United Kingdom and is now in his sixth year selling across the Shire, from Wangetti to Cape Tribulation, and Port Douglas to Julatten.

"I'd rather do the key things properly than everything quickly. Every seller is different, every property is different, and the results follow the preparation. That's not a
slogan, it's how good sales happen."

The film can be viewed on Essex's Facebook and Instagram pages and will appear across the region over the coming months.