Principal of LJ Hooker Double Bay, Aaron Del Monte, is a firm believer that if you ‘never ask, then you never know’ and the philosophy recently clinched an extra $500,000 for a young family selling a home they had only just purchased in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Mr Del Monte recently showed clients, who were looking to downsize, a renovated duplex listed off-market in Matraville. Its newly reconfigured layout wasn’t suitable, but he knew that the adjoining property would be perfect. The only problem was that it had just traded for $2.55m, with a young family given the keys three days earlier.
“I knocked on the door and asked the owner if the price was right, would they consider selling, but they were not interested at first, they had only just unpacked,” Mr Del Monte said.
“I was convinced that my clients would go for the property, so I followed up with a phone call a few days later. I explained that in the worst-case scenario, nothing would happen, and in the best-case scenario, they may receive a windfall, and they agreed to let them come through the property.
“My clients loved it and made an offer that was $500,000 higher than what the owner had paid less than six weeks earlier – and not a cent had been spent on it. Even during the negotiation, the young family were in disbelief that it was happening.”
LJ Hooker Head of Network Australia, Chris Keating, said the sale is a reminder for agents to think outside of the box when it comes to finding solutions for clients.
“A successful real estate agent does more than just showing potential buyers through homes that are on the market; they are out there actively thinking strategies for a sale,” he said.
“Aaron built a good relationship with his clients and was able to match them with the perfect property while presenting an attractive offer for the sellers. This is not an easy feat, and it is a wonderful example of looking for opportunities and having a go, even when it may seem the odds are stacked against you.”
The purchasers were happy to pay the premium, having achieved a street record for the sale of their Randwick home, also handled by LJ Hooker Double Bay. The sellers then used the unexpected profit to buy a brand new home in the same suburb.
“Even though the family had paid $500,000 less six weeks before, my clients feel like they got a good deal because it was everything they wanted,” Mr Del Monte said.
“We’ve had quite a few people who have been amazed at this result and asking for something similar – we haven’t pulled it off yet, but we are trying.
Just over 23 years ago, one of Mr Del Monte’s earliest sales came from door-knocking a property a client had long admired. By chance, the owners were considering selling, and that opportunity turned into a successful deal, setting the tone for a career built on proactive thinking, persistence, and finding solutions.
As principal of LJ Hooker Double Bay, he has already expanded the business opening of a second office in the city’s east and is actively growing through new recruitment and acquisitions.
“There is a shortage of stock in the Eastern Suburbs, so if we can connect the right buyer with the right property, then everyone benefits from that,” Mr Del Monte said.
“Harbourside buyers are starting to explore suburbs outside of Rose Bay, Double Bay and Vaucluse and are seeing value in areas still located in the east but a little bit further away, such as Kingsford, Matraville and Randwick."
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