The event, which was held at the International of Brighton in Melbourne, attracted over 160 guests including many new people looking to break into the real estate industry.

Doubling as a recruitment drive for Harcourts, many fantastic career opportunities with the company were discussed with those in attendance. Harcourts Victoria Chief Executive Officer, Brent Pullar was pleased to see so many potential new recruits at the event.

“Most of the people who attended stayed back and spoke to our business owners regarding employment in their desired areas. It was fantastic to see so many people interested in a new career with Harcourts,” said Mr Pullar.

The Industry Night also attracted real estate professionals from many of Harcourts competitors who were amazed at how many tools and services the company provides to its business owners and their staff, both in sales and property management.

There was also a lot of interest in the training programs provided by the company’s dedicated training facility, The Harcourts Academy. The Agents Representative course attracted the most interest with the next scheduled course already booked out.

The Harcourts Victoria Industry Night is one of the biggest in the state and represents the perfect opportunity to show people what the brand is all about.

“I really believe in the Harcourts brand and I am excited to share everything this company has to offer. We’re confident that the event got people interested and enthusiastic about the Harcourts brand,” said Mr Pullar.

Established in 1888 in New Zealand, Harcourts is one of the world’s fastest growing real estate companies and continues to go from strength to strength in the local and international real estate industries.

CEO of Harcourts Victoria’s State Office, Brent Pullar hopes that the Industry Night will attract well over 300 current and future real estate professionals.

The event aims to provide attendees with information on everything Harcourts, plus general details on the real estate industry and the current Australian property market, in a fun and informative manner.

“We’re really hoping to show the world what Harcourts is all about, while also giving guests an update on the real estate industry and the general climate in the Australian property market,” said Mr Pullar.

As well as being informative, the event will double as a recruitment drive for Harcourts with many outstanding career opportunities potentially available to those in attendance.

“I really believe in the Harcourts brand and I am excited to share everything this company has to offer with others. We’re hoping that this event will get people interested and enthusiastic about the Harcourts brand,” said Mr Pullar.

Established in 1888 in New Zealand, Harcourts is one of the world’s fastest growing real estate companies and continues to go from strength to strength in the local and international real estate industries.

Harcourts provides industry-leading training, technology, marketing and communications solutions for its team, as well as a dynamic, well-renowned corporate culture. 

The Harcourts Real Estate Industry Night will be held on Wednesday the 1^st of September from 6:30pm at The International of Brighton, 81 Bay Street, Brighton, Melbourne. To register for the event simply email victoria@harcourts.com.au or call 1300 856 773.

22 Shipston Road, a 581sqm barren lot, is one of, if not the only remaining empty block in Cheltenham and has been left untouched since it was purchased by the Mannering family in the early 1900s.

Located 18kms south-east of Melbourne’s CBD just off the Nepean Highway, Cheltenham offers both convenience and affordability, coupled with the type of desirable lifestyle that comes with being just moments from the beaches of Port Philip Bay.

Current owner, Mrs Mannering sadly lost her husband in recent months. The pair owned the plot of land for many years and always intended to build their dream home on it, however Mr Mannering’s recent passing meant that the couple’s dream was never able to come to fruition.

The property has generated a great deal of hype amongst the Cheltenham locals who were curious to learn that it has been put on the market after lying empty for so many generations.

Anne Tysoe of Harcourts Cheltenham is confident that this level of hype will help to achieve a great result for Mrs Mannering.

“The auction at 22 Shipston Road has come as a great surprise to many of the local residents and I believe that the excitement surrounding this auction will ultimately result in a fantastic return for the owner,” said Ms Tysoe.

“This is a generous piece of prime soil that has sat untouched for generations and has never once been disturbed or built upon. This property truly is one of a kind and an opportunity like this will never be seen again in suburb like Cheltenham.”

As well as the uniqueness of the property, Ms Tysoe is sure that this auction will also be one of a kind.

“Given the sad circumstances of the auction and the amount of attention the property has already received, I’m sure that both emotions and excitement will be running high for all involved on the day,” said Ms Tysoe.

Business owners Robert Ozzimo and Andrew DeSanto are extremely excited about the new business venture.

Mr Ozzimo was born into the real estate industry. He worked for his father’s real estate business while going through university, before entering into business ownership himself.

“I have a passion for the local area, and firmly believe this is a fabulous town to invest in.

“That’s why I decided to open up a real estate business in the area with Andrew – to share with clients my passion for Epping, and all the positives the area brings to a family’s living situation,” Mr Ozzimo said.

Mr DeSanto has many years’ experience in real estate, and brings a solid business background to the partnership.

“I chose to work under the Harcourts brand because of its superior quality compared with other real estate franchise companies – it really does feel like a family, and that’s important to me,” Mr DeSanto said.

The partners plan for Harcourts Epping to be recognised for providing a high calibre of service in the local market place.

“Being on the fringe of Melbourne’s north, Epping is a market full of opportunity.

“There is an ever-growing supply of new land, which has led to the building boom we are currently experiencing,” Mr Ozzimo said.

“This gives first homebuyers the opportunity to get into the market. It also means builders and tradespeople are finding steady work in the new Estates and local businesses are thriving,” Mr DeSanto said.

About Harcourts:

With nearly 620 offices internationally, Harcourts is the fastest growing real estate agency in Australia.
Harcourts is the exclusive Australasian and South Pacific representative of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ™, the largest real estate network on earth consisting of 650 companies, 5,000 offices, and 150,000 sales consultants.
This also provides membership of the exclusive Luxury Portfolio marketing options for the effective global marketing of properties valued in excess of $1 million.

Harcourts auctioneer, Alisha Hobart

The REIV Senior Auctioneer’s Competition will be held be held on Wednesday 7 July at the Arts Centre in Melbourne, and has five competitors set to take the challenge from around the state.

Harcourts auctioneer, Alisha Hobart said the heats were extremely competitive, and it was refreshing to see three females enter the competition.

“I’m very proud to be the first female ever to make the finals. I now have a month to prepare for the event, and will be working my hardest to ensure my performance is the best it can be,” Ms Hobart said.

At just 30 years of age, Ms Hobart has been an auctioneer for only two years, and she is already at a national level of excellence in the profession.

“I knew I had a knack for auctioneering, when I took out the 2008 Harcourts Novice Auctioneer competition.

“Coming from a dancing background, I have always been a performer and I think this really helps me when I take the stage and run an auction for my clients.”

This year’s REIV Senior Auctioneers Competition has many requirements that must be abided by the finalists.

“Two that stand out for me are that all material must be original, so your ‘one-liners’ must be different from the heats, or points will be deducted.

“Secondly, all performances must have a theatrical nature, which puts me in my element,” Ms Hobart said.

“The auctioneering industry has always been dominated by the male professional; however I do believe times are changing.”

“People always ask me if the male majority intimidates me, being in the minority, however I think it gives me and all other female auctioneers for that matter a great point of difference.”

“It’s a female’s nature to be compassionate and have a calming nature, which definitely helps in a stressful auction environment, and I use this to my advantage at every auction I call.”

Speaking on behalf of home buyers, Harcourts Victoria COO, Gary Dans said stamp duty reform is urgent for assisting buyers who currently pay more than their fair share in stamp duty.

“We currently have a 22,000 shortfall of homes and increasing the First Home Owners Bonus could help to boost this supply.

“This is instrumental to creating a larger supply and in term, producing more sustainable property price growth,” Mr Dans said.

The majority of home buyers however, purchase existing dwellings rather than new homes, units and so on.

As part of the new grants, new home buyers will receive $20,000 in Melbourne and $26,500 in regional Victoria.

“These increases will most definitely assist the younger market to move from the competitive rental market into home ownership.

“What concerns me is the $2,000 decrease in support for purchasers of existing dwellings (from $9,000 to $7,000 from 1 July).”

It is evident that housing affordability is a concern in Victoria, and remains at the forefront of a home buyer’s worries.

“The Government’s lack of stamp duty reform now ensures that anyone buying a regular purchase will pay, as a percentage of the purchase price, a large amount of stamp duty compared with years gone by.

“Harcourts encourages the Government to re-visit this issue in a bid to level out the property market and return sustainable growth to the industry.”

“Without stability, and sufficient support for investors, the property industry will continue to spiral and housing affordability will be further out of the average buyer’s grasp.”

Harcourts Victoria Chief Operations Officer, Gary Dans

There has been a buzz this month surrounding these changes, and how the tightening of foreign investment in Australia will alleviate the increasingly evident housing shortage.

Specifically, the rules target temporary residents that have been allegedly ‘flouting’ Australia’s previous foreign investment laws.

Harcourts COO Gary Dans said what hasn’t been discussed however, is how the Federal Government plans to police these laws.

Assistant Treasurer, Senator Nick Sherry said in his announcement of the reform earlier this month, “If you are a temporary resident or foreign non-resident investing in Australian real estate, or a real estate agent working in this area, your activities will be proactively monitored with top-of-the-line data-matching and this will be backed up by tough new civil penalties.”

This implies agents will be penalised for letting foreign investors from purchasing if they are only temporary residents.

“How does a real estate agent ascertain whether a property purchaser is an Australian citizen or has authorisation to purchase property in Australia, without starting down the slippery slope of discrimination?”

“Australia prides itself on being a multicultural nation, so by having these laws in place it makes it difficult to sell property.

“Not because the laws are lacking, but because there is no explicit plan for policing these laws.”

“The Government is leaving it up to real estate agents to determine whether potential buyers are Australian citizens or not in the purchasing process.

“This creates an issue of discrimination, leaving agents in sometimes difficult situations. While this is unavoidable to a point, the Government needs to recognise the ethical issue created between buyer and agent, and develop stricter legal policies on the purchasing process so these sensitive questions don’t have to be asked, but rather requested.”

Harcourts Victoria Chief Operating Officer Gary Dans said preliminary figures showed total sales achieved in March was $181.3 million compared with $129.5 million in the same month last year.

“As evidenced in the media in the past couple of months, the Victorian property market is red hot at the moment, and Harcourts is seeing this across the state,” Mr Dans said.

“We have seen price spikes across the state, with the vast majority of our properties not listed for more than three months total before they are off the market.

“Regularly, you could expect a property to be on the market for a total of six months, so this is a serious spike in housing demand.”

Harcourts’ report is yet another sign of a flourishing Victorian property, however Mr Dans warns buyers to plan carefully when entering the market.

“Currently, the Australian property market as a whole is strong, and interest rates are still low, historically speaking.”

“Purchasers must be sure they can endure interest rate rises and the general buoyancy of the market.”

“This coupled with the housing bubble fears may lead to general unrest in the market as 2010 goes on, so buyers should consider purchases carefully.

Overall, the Victorian property market is very strong at the moment, but buyers are warned by to consider purchases carefully, weighing each decision with long term budget strategies to cater for interest rate rises and the market’s general movement in the years to come.

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Blog: http://blogs.harcourts.com.au/garydans/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/garydansVIC

Business owner, Gerard Cosgrave

Harcourts Ballarat is headed up by local real estate veteran Gerard Cosgrave, who has successfully worked in the industry for nearly 30 years.

“The vast majority of my experience has been in the Ballarat area, so I am confident and excited about our new office,” Mr Cosgrave said.

“I decided to move my existing company under the Harcourts banner because it’s recognised within the industry for its excellence, and the national brand allows us to expose the local market to a wider audience.”

“Our goals for 2010 are to expand the Ballarat and Creswick offices by increasing our existing successful team and implementing the new Harcourts systems.”

“I foresee the Harcourts brand becoming a strong presence in the Western District, in particular with the rural and farming sectors.”

“The market in Ballarat and surrounding districts has always enjoyed good sales turnover and represents an excellent opportunity for people, not just locally, but across Australia.”

“The opportunity is there for buyers to purchase excellent real estate at very affordable prices, particularly when you consider the size of the region.

“Another added benefit is the services that Ballarat offers, especially in the education and health sectors.”

In the long term, Harcourts Ballarat will be looking to grow its offices in other regional areas.

“Specifically, Daylesford will be a main focus for our business growth going forward,” Mr Cosgrave said.

“For the coming months however, our focus will be on delivering first-class service to Ballarat, Creswick and surrounding areas.”

About Harcourts:

With nearly 620 offices internationally, Harcourts is the fastest growing real estate agency in Australia.

Harcourts is the exclusive Australasian and South Pacific representative of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ™, the largest real estate network on earth consisting of 650 companies, 5,000 offices, and 150,000 sales consultants.

Harcourts International has its own charitable foundation – The Harcourts Foundation ‘To provide support that helps, grows, and enriches our communities’.

Harcourts Victoria Chief Operating Officer Gary Dans said preliminary figures showed total sales achieved in February was $147.3 million compared with $98.6 million in the same month last year.

“As evidenced in the media in the past couple of months, the Victorian property market is red hot at the moment, and Harcourts is seeing this across the state,” Mr Dans said.

“Despite a slow start to the year, our sales activity went up by 36 per cent from January to February, which certainly is in line with the market’s activity.”

“Despite market jitters surrounding interest rate rises, sales figures in Victoria have warmed up any cold feet.”

Harcourts’ report is yet another sign of a flourishing Victorian property, however Mr Dans warns buyers to plan carefully when entering the market.

“Currently, the Australian property market as a whole is strong, and interest rates are still low, historically speaking.

“Off the back of RBA Governor Glenn Stevens’ comments in the last couple of days, it would be wise for all potential property investors to take stock of their situation.

“Purchasers must be sure they can endure interest rate rises and the general buoyancy of the market.”[1]

Overall, the Victorian property market is very strong at the moment, but buyers are warned by to consider purchases carefully, weighing each decision with long term budget strategies to cater for interest rate rises and the market’s general movement in the years to come.
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Blog: http://blogs.harcourts.com.au/garydans/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/garydansVIC

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[1] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/markets/stevens-warns-on-house-price-speculation/story-e6frg926-1225847174474