Realising the True Value of Your Home – Part Three

You Can’t Sell a Secret… Or Can You?

Agents often say, “You can’t sell a secret.”

While that may once have been true, in today’s digital age no property is a secret. Online portals, buyer databases, filtered searches, and automatic property alerts ensure that serious buyers will find homes that match their criteria — regardless of how flashy the advertising campaign is.

Yet many agents and media companies continue to encourage sellers to spend heavily on the amount, size, and positioning of advertising — all at an additional cost to you.

What Is Quality Marketing?

Quality Marketing is a smarter, more cost-effective alternative that often delivers the same — if not better — results than expensive advertising packages.

Quality Marketing focuses on what truly matters to buyers:

• ✅ The right price

• ? Professional photography

• ✍️ A compelling, accurate property description

• ? Smart tracking and recording of buyer enquiries

It does not rely on excessive or expensive advertising. Instead, it ensures your property is presented professionally and positioned correctly to attract all genuine buyers.

Why Quantity and Positioning Matter Less Than You Think

The two elements that drive marketing costs — quantity and advertising placement — are often the least important factors in a successful sale.

A well-priced home with excellent presentation will always attract buyers, regardless of how many premium ads are purchased. Once buyers are engaged, it is the agent’s ability to negotiate — not the size of the marketing budget — that determines the final sale price.

The Hidden Cost of Failed Campaigns

Not every property sells with its first agent. Auction clearance rates vary widely and rarely exceed 60%.

When campaigns fail, it is sellers — not agents — who bear the marketing costs, often amounting to thousands of dollars. These sunk costs directly reduce your overall return.

Maximising Your Return: Revenue vs Costs

Realising the true value of your home comes down to two simple factors:

• Incoming revenue: your final sale price

• Outgoing costs: including marketing expenses

While your sale price determines how much you earn, unnecessary marketing costs directly reduce what you keep.

? A bigger, flashier, more expensive campaign will rarely increase your final sale price.

Your marketing simply needs to be good enough to attract all likely buyers. From there, a skilled agent can negotiate the best possible outcome for you.

What’s Next?

Next month’s newsletter will introduce the final piece of the selling puzzle: The Right Price — the most critical factor of all.