Real estate agency claims new approach

A new real estate agency has been established in Umina, claiming to take a different approach to the real estate business.

Woodpark Coastal Realty principal Mr Craig Sheilds has joined with his father Mr Robert Sheilds to purchase The Professionals of Umina Beach and then relocated to other premises that will be renovated to comply with their new real estate business philosophy.

Craig Sheilds has been a real estate agent in Umina for five years while Robert Sheilds comes from a marketing and promotions background.

They say have looked at the industry from a fresh perspective and have discovered what they believe has been missing from the industry.

They believe that real estate agents do not provide a level of service that they should and that individuals within most agencies are doing too many different things.

They have decided to separate key roles and set up specialities so that they have a property listing specialist, a marketing specialist, whose job is to attract prospective buyer interest by preparing innovative promotion of properties for sale and a buyers' specialist to service all prospective property purchasers.

The agency also has a specialist finance officer to arrange mortgages.

Commissions earned on sales will be shared by all parties.

Property management has also been separated not only by having a property manager but also physically so that all aspects of property management are dealt with in a separate part of the building with its own entrance planned.

Here they plan to have tips for property owners to increase their rental income, open houses for rentals, rewards for good tenants paid for by the agency and even a tenant of the year award to receive a special prize.

All employees and service suppliers are local and the agency is looking to employ more people in many of the areas mentioned.

Cec Bucello, February 23