When Candice Cattell listed the penthouse at 31/6-12 Pacific St, Manly, she knew she had a gem on her hands – she just had to convince buyers of the same.
The spacious north-facing apartment in the coveted Shearwater building was perfect for downsizers, with level access to the garage and no stairs.
But even premium properties can present challenges, and this one was no exception.
“One of the challenges I had with the property was that it had a big building next door to it, looking into the property,” the Stone Manly principal says.
“So I knew that would probably be one of the points that people wouldn’t like about it.
“Apart from that, it was lovely and much larger than most properties I sell in Manly.”
Despite the potential drawback, Candice was confident in the apartment’s appeal.
Having sold the last three penthouses in the building, she understood its unique selling points.
She just had to showcase those features to the right audience.
Put your best foot forward
The first step was preparing the property for sale.
Candice says a long-term tenant had recently vacated after 20 years, and the apartment was in need of a refresh.
She worked closely with the vendors to oversee a renovation, including fresh paint, on-trend styling and plants on the large balcony.
“I’m a big believer in the presentation of a property, and the vendor was very much on board with me on that,” Candice says.
“It was exciting to see the transformation of it.
“It was still fairly original, but we did some cosmetic tidying up, just to really capture people coming through the door…so they could see themselves having a beautiful life here.”
Let’s go digital
With the property looking its best, Candice turned her attention to marketing.
In an area where digital strategies reign supreme, she opted for a predominantly online campaign, which included a video walkthrough and photos focused on the apartment’s best points.
The cornerstone of this approach was Stone Digital, which extends and increases audience engagement through a comprehensive strategy that includes social, display ads and native ads to ensure potential buyers and sellers are found whenever and wherever they are online.
The platform is powered by view.resi’s off-portal performance product called Acquire, which can be customised to any agency’s brand to keep its presence at the forefront of its marketing efforts.
Candice says not only was the listing featured on Stone’s website, it was also on view.com.au and amplified across social media and other targeted digital platforms and placements to ensure the property reached both active and passive buyers.
“I picked the larger Stone Digital package to reach as large an audience as I could and it was just incredible to see the response.”
“I had 81,000 (page) impressions and we had 2373 buyers click through to the Stone website, to the floor plan, to the video and to the photos.”
Candice says those buyers didn’t just come from the Manly area but from “everywhere”, including Miller’s Point, Frenchs Forest, Lindfield, Rose Bay and Terrey Hills.
In addition to Stone Digital, Candice employed a range of other digital strategies, including listings on major real estate portals and a weekly email brochure to her database, which kept interested parties up-to-date on new listings, open house times, and recent sales.
Securing the sale
And the comprehensive digital strategy paid off, with the penthouse selling just before auction for $5.625 million.
“I had really one standout buyer,” Candice recalls.
“They were looking at another property and I didn’t want to lose them.
“They were happy to negotiate, my owners were happy to sell the property prior to the auction.
“So in this instance, I felt like this was the right thing in order to get my vendor the best price.”
The success of the campaign has only reinforced Candice’s belief in the power of digital marketing.
She incorporates Stone Digital into every listing, not just at the beginning of a campaign but also after a sale.
“I invest back into each property that I sell,” she explains.
“I’ve just sold two beachfront properties for over $5 million, and I’m going to be doing Stone Digital on both of those.
“It’s all about creating awareness to click on the brand and to get a lead coming back to me.”
Building a brand
This strategy of continuous digital presence has also helped Candice build her personal brand.
Recently at the horse races in Bowral, Candice says a stranger recognised her from seeing her digital ads.
“This guy came up to me and said, ‘You’re Candice Cattell. I see your ads everywhere’,” she recalls.
“So, I know the marketing is working.
“I’ve definitely seen my brand build up.”
For agents starting out in the industry, Candice’s advice is clear – embrace digital marketing.
“I feel like if you’re not investing in that, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”
