Venns dish up house specials
JOHN and Robyn Venn, the husband and wife team who ran Coastline Real Estate in Helensburgh for 10 years, will return to the property business with the opening of a real estate agency in Stanwell Park next month.
The yet-to-be-named agency will operate from the former Parklife café on the gallery side, which is owned by the Venns and approved for redevelopment.
Mr Venn said the proposed mixed retail/residential project was on the backburner for now. “We still have 12 months to run on the DA,” he said.
The opening is scheduled for early February and will fill the void created by the closure of the PRD nationwide Stanwell Park office about three years ago. “It will be the first office as you come down the coast,” Mr Venn said.
The agency will focus on sales while property management (rentals) will not be taken on unless someone is able to operate as a stand-alone business within the agency.
“Over our many years experience in the area, we have found the most effective and best set-up is Robyn and I being directly involved with the customers,” Mr Venn said. “The key is the right office manager.”
The Venns are currently recruiting for that position.
They recently sold their 50ha property in Stanwell Tops for $2.25 million, which was negotiated privately.
“It’s always better selling through an agent – we have always been prepared to spend considerable time with both buyers and sellers of real estate, that way you get to know them.
“However, we know it can be heart-wrenching when you’re promised the world and the agent fails to deliver.”
He said when Coastline opened in Helensburgh 15 years ago, they were told the area wasn’t big enough for four agencies.
“What we found was that a lot of people listed with us who had tried other avenues and weren’t happy with the result.
“We don’t necessarily have to take sales away from other agents – it’s for people who want another style of agent.”
Mr Venn said the agency would conduct auctions through an external auctioneer.
“In some ways, the purchase of a property is a small thing – the bigger picture is 'are the new people going to be happy with the area?'
"In recent years we have travelled Australia extensively and can honestly say that the Northern Illawarra is unique and the best spot people are likely to find.
"So we take the trouble to get people into the car and show them not only properties for sale but try to convince them that this is the area they should settle in."
For more information, phone Mr Venn on 0429 949 800 or email john.venn@hotmail.com
