Australia:

-          When sellers/purchasers were asked for the deciding factors when choosing their Harcourts agent, the answer has remained virtually constant since our surveys commenced in 2009; proving that real estate is a people business,  our clients are primarily choosing Harcourts/their agent because of a personal connection with that agent.

Q6. What were the deciding factor/s when you chose your Harcourts/your agent?

New Zealand:

-          Agents are increasingly presenting auctions as a sales method; in April 2009, only 67.57% of agents presented this to their clients, compared to 82.69% in May 2012.  Of those that were presented Auction as a sales method, 80% rated the presentation as excellent/good.

Q7. Indicate how well the following sales methods were explained to you as marketing options:

This month….

Figures continue to show signs of positivity this month especially in the Central region, but a commonality prevails. The real estate industry, although showing positive signs amongst the public and real estate agents, is on the upward curve from one of the biggest lows in fifteen years.  Record interest rate lows and first home buyer and investor activity are helping the surge.  National figures show this by way of the average sale price on the rise by 3.5% and more business being written, up 22% on last year.   Property on hand and exclusive listings will remain low both at -2.2% due to the demand and the lack of stock on hand, but our cousins across the ditch may just encourage positive spending in New Zealand.

Hayden Duncan, Harcourts Group Ltd CEO

Disclaimer:  All Harcourts MarketWatch figures are current to the end of the reported month and are compared to the same month ended for the previous year.  ‘Written Sales’ is defined by all sales brought to contract status, where ‘Settled Sales’ are the results of contracts completed at the close of the reported month.  Written Sales are a snapshot of the markets temperature while Settled Sales show what has happened in the previous month.

Four Australian-based charities have received funding grants totalling $34,180 as part of the latest round of funding grants from The Harcourts Foundation.

In Queensland, a grant of $15,000 was provided to the Australian Leukodystrophy Support Group, whose aim is to provide assistance and information to those affected by Leukodystrophy and to support research into the disease.

$11,180 was granted to the Cancer Council Tasmania while a further $4,000 was provided to Alzheimer’s Australia in New South Wales.

Another $4,000 grant was provided to the Little Heroes Foundation in South Australia which offers support to children living with cancer and other serious illnesses, and their families.

The money granted will provide these charitable organisations with the funds to carry out important research and development projects, purchase vital equipment for those in need, and run significant community projects and services.

Mike Green, Managing Director of Harcourts International, is thrilled that The Harcourts Foundation is able to provide much needed support to local community groups and charitable organisations.

“I’m incredibly proud of The Harcourts Foundation and am so thankful that as an organisation we are able to help so many communities in need. Our local communities have supported us so well over the years and I’m thrilled that we are now in a position to give back to them,” Mr Green said.

Established in August 2008, The Harcourts Foundation aims to provide financial support that helps, grows and enriches local communities, and has received close to $1.5 million in donations from Harcourts staff, offices and clients around Australia and New Zealand in its first three and a half years of operation.

To date, all funds have been raised by dedicated Harcourts team members and clients in the form of fundraising events, auctions, workplace giving, individual donations or ‘off the top’ giving (a percentage calculated from each sales commission).

“The next round of grant applications has already begun, with the closing date being the 30^th of June 2012.

“I encourage all Australian charities to jump online at www.harcourtsfoundation.org and download the grant application form. We look forward to funding as many applicants as possible,” Mr Green said.

Be sure to look out for grant application deadlines:

• 1 April – 30 June 2012
• 1 July – 30 September 2012
• 1 October – 31 December 2012

One of only a few honoured with the Roy Weston Medal, Mr Honey is the Licensee and Director of Harcourts Busselton, the region’s largest real estate agency.

“Innovative, passionate and honest are just three words often used to describe this year’s recipient of the Roy Weston Medal,” said Stuart Cox, Chief Executive Officer of Harcourts Western Australia is an introductory speech.

“Neil attributes the success of his business largely to his support network – from the leadership of his fellow directors to the strong team of dedicated professionals behind them.

“With a firm belief in transparency and honesty, Neil offers a service that is rare in real estate today. He is deeply committed to client communications from listing right through to settlement, and has established many long-term relationships with clients that have extended well beyond settlement date.

“These beliefs are echoed by his team, and together they have developed a strong commitment to changing the expectations of service within the real estate industry,” Mr Cox said.

Since forming his Harcourts office in 2006, Mr Honey and his fellow directors have taken the company to new heights, including achieving national recognition for their outstanding level of service in 2009, amongst many other awards.

“In his spare time, Neil can be found on the golf course, supporting his beloved Melbourne Demons Football Club, or spending time with his cherished family. A loving husband, father to four children and grandfather to six, Neil’s name is synonymous with professionalism, innovation and quality real estate service,” Mr Cox continued.

The Roy Weston Medal is judged on several areas including length of service with the group, peer recognition, and promotion and contribution to the Harcourts group.

Although it is very seldom that tenants find their dream home within a rental property, small changes can make a big difference. Unlike many buyers who purchase their home with the intention of altering the existing property, most tenants do not want to embark on costly renovations to a property that ultimately does not belong to them.

“Before deciding to make any permanent alterations to the rental property it is essential to either check the terms within the lease agreement or to discuss proposed plans with the landlord. If the planned renovations will make the house more valuable in the future, the owner may encourage the remodelling. Should the landlord oppose the renovation plans, tenants need to accept the property for what it is and save their renovation plans for when the time comes to purchase their own property,” states Myburgh.

One way to feel at home in your rental home is to give it a fresh coat of paint. After discussing it with your landlord, put your mark on the house by painting the rooms in your favourite shades. Hanging pictures of loved ones and friends from the walls will instantly make the area feel like home.

“Just remember that in many cases, the landlord will want the tenant to leave the house the same way it was found- therefore the walls may need to be restored to their original colour, with any new holes in walls to be filled in and painted over. If the landlord does not give permission to paint the walls, bright décor such as curtains, cushions and rugs can help to brighten up the space,” adds Myburgh.

When living in a rental house, it is the perfect opportunity to invest in some great pieces of furniture, as these will instantly personalise the space and transform the house into an area in which you are comfortable in. Items in the house that can be easily removed, such as light fittings and door handles, can be replaced with ones more tailored to the tenant’s likings and style. “The tenant must however ensure that these items are refitted when the time comes to leave the property,” says Myburgh.

He continues, “If the alterations being made to the rental home are well planned, tasteful and professionally carried out, when it comes time to vacate the property there will be a minimal amount of repair work required and you will not risk losing your deposit”.

“This year we have had more words than ever to describe the real estate market – soft, changing, challenging, tough, stable, optimistic, bullish, weak, buyers and investor market, rough, hammered, upbeat.

“We have a two speed economy that is impacting the retail, corporate and property sector, there is low confidence in our leaders, Europe is still unstable, and despite the latest RBA rate cut there seems to be a battle between the banks and the RBA leaving us wondering who is running the economy,” Ms Smiles said in her opening address at the awards ceremony.

“The story is the same across not just NSW but most of Australia. Stock levels are high but buyers are at a premium, the rental market is tight however we are generally not seeing massive rent increases.

“We can’t control the economy or the market however we can control how well we manage our vendors, how we work with our buyers, how sharp we are at pricing property, how good we are at communicating to all parties. You will often hear those of us who have been around for a while say – do the basics well and in this market do it really well,” Ms Smiles continued.

Ms Smiles suggests that across the country many real estate groups and independent offices are starting to consolidate while the Harcourts group has continued to grow.

“We are 75 offices strong in NSW and with our new Franchise Development Manager set for growth over the next 12 months. We are the third largest franchise group in Australia and have 800 offices globally.

“The financial year ending March 2012 provided some interesting numbers. We had a 26 per cent increase in settled sales, a 24 per cent increases in sales volume and a 50 per cent increase in the average commission per sales consultant. And we have not dropped our commission,” Ms Smiles said.

“This puts us in a strong position moving forward this year. However the biggest win we have had this year is the energy we have in NSW today. It is an exciting time to be part of Harcourts NSW.

“Over the next 12 months you will see us grow in terms of the number of offices and people, you will see new marketing and training initiatives, and despite what the real estate market is doing Harcourts NSW will continue to grow its market share in all areas,” Ms Smiles added.

Starting his lengthy finance career with ANZ Bank as a teller, Paul Kershaw worked his way to the position of Lending Manager.   Eventually Mr Kershaw took on the challenge of becoming an independent mortgage broker, and during that time also assisted a client with financing a business, as well as taking on a directorship, performing a staffing and finance role for that business.

“I am proud to have joined such a strong mortgage and lending brand, with international real estate representation in the form of Harcourts,” he said.

Mr Kershaw is committed to providing a personalized and efficient service for each one of his clients.

“My experience for two years selling prestige real estate, and completing my own conveyancing, gives me a rare and thorough knowledge of the entire buying and selling process, including the emotions and stress it can cause people.”

Mr Kershaw believes in providing a complete choice of products to his clients, and then advising on the best product for their present and future needs and goals, taking both cost savings and possible refinancing of other loans into account. He also firmly supports keeping clients informed at all stages during the process, to put their minds at ease.

Marguerite Foxall, Franchise Development Manager for Harcourts Victoria, has created a video campaign about the journey of being a successful sales consultant and deciding to join Harcourts as a business owner.

“The campaign is designed for all the sales people I speak to on a daily basis who are scared of making the big jump into business ownership, and I hope the video will highlight that taking this step is extremely rewarding,” Ms Foxall said.

“There are many sales consultants out there who have experienced everything the real estate industry has to offer, and now want to create their own future, work towards a better lifestyle and grow a solid asset base.

“As a business owner, the rent roll asset is something you can build up and sell upon retirement – I haven’t seen another industry where you can build such a strong asset so quickly,” Ms Foxall suggested.

Ms Foxall says the campaign is about breaking the mental roadblocks surrounding business ownership.

“Many real estate professionals put up obstacles such as the ‘fear of failure’ or it never being the right time, but with the right franchise, support structure and systems, business ownership is not something that should be feared,” Ms Foxall said.

“In the video, our business owners from the Epping and Thomastown offices speak about their journey, from where they started, to where they are now. Their stories should inspire people to move forward with the support of Harcourts, because now is the time.

“The current market conditions are perfect to take on the challenge of becoming a business owner as there are plenty of opportunities to build and grow a new business,” Ms Foxall added.

As well as offering reprieve for Australian home owners, Mike Green, Managing Director of Harcourts International, believes that the RBA’s decision to cut rates signifies a positive step forward for the country’s property market and wider economy.

“Given the current challenges facing Australia’s property market, the RBA’s decision to cut rates was the best possible outcome.

“Although the mining and resources sector is performing well, many other areas of the economy remain subdued, with retail sales and consumer confidence down.

“I believe that the latest cut to interest rates will encourage renewed consumer spending and should increase buyer activity within the housing market,” Mr Green said.

At its May board meeting, the RBA cut its key cash rate by 50 basis points, bringing the official cash rate to 3.75 per cent, representing the first reduction since the consecutive cuts in November and December 2011.

“This is the first time that interest rates have been cut in 2012 so the effects of this decision will be interesting to monitor.

“Although it is uncertain, many economists and industry pundits are discussing the possibility of more interest rate cuts in the coming months, which will encourage further activity in the housing market,” Mr Green said.

“For now, the burning question is whether or not Australian lenders will pass the latest rate cut on in full,” Mr Green continued.