"Dear Rod, Thank you for all that you have given us over several months as a prospective seller in the journey of change we were taking after 25 years in Ivanhoe. Your professional approach, support and follow up on whatever has been our concerns has been very reassuring in a mine field of needs and expectations which were then shown in the results you achieved in auctioning our property. A big thank you also to Liz Walker, Nick Smith, Adin Bloomer and all the team for their valuable contribution over this time. We have been impressed with the solid structure and culture your company represents - which is also a reflection of the quality of property that you attract."
Judy & Milton Preston
Charmian Close, Ivanhoe
"Rod achieved the impossible. Choosing an agent to sell your biggest asset is a daunting task. Especially as my husband Roger and I had been in the comfortable position where we could afford to have a less than warm regard for estate agents, until we had to sell our home. This had been fuelled over the years by horror stories from friends, whose experience either buying or selling their homes had always been truly terrible, especially through the auction process.
When it was our turn to sell, we were already very anxious. One of the estate agents we 'interviewed,' further increased our anxiety. They did not sell by auction and they warned us that there was a formula employed by traditional real estate agents.
We would spend a lot on marketing and then the agent would tell us a week from the sale date that they were not getting the response required. This would be primer to get us to accept a lower price if necessary, and ensure that during the auction itself, we would relent under pressure to whatever price was suggested. It sounded awful.
The first thing Rod was able to do was to convince us that Jellis Craig had a process of communication during the sales campaign, that would not put us in a position where we could be emotionally hijacked on the day of auction. This was no mean feat, as he had to get through our cynicism and demonstrate we could trust him.
Even before we signed up with Jellis Craig, we had a good understanding of the process and the marketing costs and why we should spend what we did. A few days before the auction, Rod spent an evening with our whole family to give us a full understanding of all the possibilities and how we could approach them on the day.
From before and during the campaign, Rod turned from estate agent, to trusted professional, to friend. This was an emotional sale and on many occasions he displayed great compassion for the sadness we were evidently feeling.
He kept us in the loop after all the inspections, looked after our cats, offered to feed them on one occasion when a cat sitter couldn't make it, and was always available for a chat when we felt concerned about the sale.
By the time the sale date came, we felt certain that given the interest that had been shown in the property, he would achieve the best possible price for us. Whatever the outcome, it would represent the true market value of our home at the time we sold it.
Then Rod and the team did even better than that. He delivered us a sale he called the 'skipping down the road' end of the price possibilities. The house deserved this, but we had not allowed ourselves to hope for it, so it was a fantastic outcome for us.
Everyone at Jellis Craig was warm and friendly. Adin organized beautiful flowers for us at the beginning and end of the sales campaign, and we felt they were all genuinely intent on the best for us.
We also received a bound book of photographs of our house as a memento. We may not be able to look at them for a while, but is it wonderful to know we have them.
Thank you Rod, Adin, David and everyone at Jellis Craig,
Roger and Sandy McDonald
Cape Street, Eaglemont.
"I recently needed to sell my parents' property in Ivanhoe; quite a daunting task considering given that I still live in the first house my husband and I purchased 35 years ago. I met with some local agents and right from the start Rod Watson and Annalise Newell were a stand out from the other agents. They came to our first meeting prepared and knowledgeable of the local market. In the first week I received a timetable of when deadlines, advertising and meetings would occur and all throughout the campaign Rod kept me informed as to how things were progressing. On auction day I was a little more nervous but there was really no need, everything went smoothly and Rod achieved a very satisfactory result. I have been very impressed. I have been very impressed with the professionalism and excellent service displayed by all the staff at Jellis Craig, especially Rod and would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone considering selling their property."
Linda Kirkwright
Green St, Ivanhoe.
"I am writing to say thank you to all the team at Jellis Craig who worked so hard in selling 74 The Eyrie on Saturday. The process from the original sales and marketing proposal to the auction was handled very professionally and I felt informed and involved in all aspects. Special thanks to Rod Watson for the work throughout and particularly on auction day. He was passionate, enthusiastic and used all his skills to negotiate a final offer. I would have no hesitation in recommending Jellis Craig to anyone thinking of selling their property. Many thanks." Heather Kelly
The Eyrie, Eaglemont
"The auction result for Hawdon St, Heidelberg by far over met my expectations. The success obviously was a direct result of the due diligence that Rod Watson gave throughout all the marketing and selling stages. As the Vendor to receive detailed, up to date information at all pre auction stages with the "open for inspections" and possible/potential buyers gave me confidence that it would be a successful sale on the Auction Day. I felt totally informed at all times and especially during the actual auction process on the day which was handled very professionally. I would highly recommend Rod Watson and Jellis Craig to family and friends.
Helen Boag
Hawdon St, Heidelberg
"Dear Rod and Liz, Dave and I want to say thank you so much for all your efforts in selling house. You made a great team and were always very professional and enthusiastic, and smoothed the way for us. Well done on negotiations with the buyer on the day of auction. While the bidding was a little slow, you finalised a good deal and we are happy with the price and are relieved we can move forward in buying a new house." Kinsey and David Bryant Green St, Ivanhoe
"Dear Rod, Our family would like to thank you for your professional manner in which you handled the sale of our Mother's property in Heidelberg Heights. We had a lot of issues to deal with ranging from the timing, house presentation, marketing and deciding on prices, and most importantly, the well-being of our Mother throughout this stressful period. In all of these cases your advice was first class. On auction day you fulfilled your obligations in a professional and efficient manner, which I am sure contributed to the excellent sale price that resulted. If the opportunity arises in the future, you will be our first choice. Thanks."
John and Leanne
Sullivan Heidelberg Heights
