R and R Property Podcast With The Real Estate Girl Denise Haynes

Today Denise Haynes from r and r property and Lisa B talk about discrimination in real estate, (the boys clubs) how to juggle children, staff and running an office and what it's like being in rural real estate. Denise is one of our contributing authors in the book Real Estate Agents What You Need To Know Now! I asked Denise to be a contributing author in this book as she is not only a fantastic business person, she is also an amazing real estate agent and an outstanding marketer (and mum!). Denise's commitment to her office, her town and the residents of the area where she lives is simply remarkable. Claim your free copy of the paperback of Real Estate Agents What You Need To Know Now! click here. or buy the e-book on Amazon, click here.

Firstly Denise can you tell us a little bit about your area – Regions/Councils: Our area is quite vast because we cover a number of council areas, from Port Stephens,Great Lakes & Dungog. Rural and Residential: We also work in rural and residential areas. Population: Within the town of Stroud where we have one of our offices the population is only about 700 but there is a large farmland area surrounding the town. We are the only agency with an office in Stroud, but there are numerous agencies that work within the area. Country to Coast: We are so lucky that our areas cover coastal strips through to rural so we really do get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Community: We have an amazing community that all work together and help each other out. As a business we find that our community supports us so much – it's wonderful and we love to return that by sponsoring whatever local event or causes we can. Lots of customers make mention that they have found our community to have such a great vibe. Andrew Winter: Actually that is also something Andrew Winter from Selling Houses Australia said upon his arrival and when we featured on the Lifestyle show. He was truly amazed at the vibrant feel we had for such a rural community. We love to share the area: The team count their blessings everyday living in this area,and that's why we love to promote it and share it with new locals whenever we can. You have an all female team and you are in a rural area. Tell me about your experience in rural and how you are qualified to sell rural property. Does anyone ever think you can't do the job as well as a man? Born & bred: I've grown up rural, being born and bred in this area so it comes as second nature to me but from the real estate perspective, Training: I've trained extensively; amongst other things I'm a licensed stock and station agent. But honestly where you learn the most is from being in the field so to speak. Experience: I started my career in Real Estate in 2004 and it was within an agency that sold rural property, from this job I acted like a sponge and soaked in all the information I possibly could. I also live on a 300 acre beef cattle farm so you learn from that too of course. Reluctance Because We're Females? : Honestly yes we do get some buyers who initially are reluctant to deal with us regarding rural but the minute I start speaking with them they realise that I know my business. Excellent Reputation: Our vendors are well aware of our excellent reputation as rural sales agents, so they don't hesitate. Working in Hardware: It's similar to when I worked in my family's hardware business – H & D Timber & Hardware in Raymond Terrace for many years. All the tradies had no hesitation in dealing with us ladies in the shop, because they knew we were knowledgable. It was the weekend warriors we had trouble with if any, but it didn't take long to sort them out. Market Share: We are an award winning agency with a massive market share, so that doesn't come without extensive knowledge. Sales: My rural sales over the years speak volumes! You have 2 offices now in the area, Where are they exactly… I also want to say that I always see your new listings and sales coming through on social media – you really are going amazing. What's your secret to success? We have offices in Stroud and Bulahdelah Sheer hard work and determination! The support of our community who are a lovely bunch of people. Team: An amazing hardworking and passionate team who treat the business like they own it. I truly am blessed with that combination! New Team Members: I am always looking for passionate new team members to place into R & R Property whenever I can. I love seeing them thrive and create themselves a career and immense self confidence. Staff Going into their own businesses: I've also been blessed enough to have trained up and seen a couple of my team members gain the confidence and knowledge to go out on their own and create their own Real Estate businesses.That makes me so proud! You have become an amazing ambassador for your town like no other real estate agent I have ever seen. What's your inspiration? I LOVE IT: It's simple – I just love it! I truly never ever get sick of the beauty of the landscapes, whether they are our coastal strips or our rural rolling hills.I am a keen amateur photographer so I'm always pulling over on the side of the road to take an amazing shot that just can't be missed! The community members are used to seeing me doing this! There she is at it again they say! My poor daughter is always like – "Muuum can we go nowwww?!?" The Crepe Myrtle Cafe: I was asked if we could supply the photography for the decorating in a local cafe with my photography. It's like a permanent art gallery showcasing our area. Calendars: We also have our much sought after R & R Property calendars which have a different local photo for each month, all usually taken by me. We give these as gifts to our clients for Christmas each year. Social Media Photo's: I'm in charge of all of our marketing which includes loading up all of our social media pages with beautiful lifestyle shots. Sharing the area: We really love sharing the area. We see people come from the city who are stressed out and need to escape from it. They settle in our area and then the only regret they have is that they didn't do it sooner. It just changes their lives for the better. How can you not want to share that! You get amazing testimonials from your clients. So amazing that someone thought that they were too good to be true didn't they.. Can we talk briefly about that. Only because i think it's funny. Testimonials: Aah yes, we do get some amazing testimonials.I guess that comes from not only working really hard for people but also caring. I certainly don't want to feel as though I have ever done the wrong thing by anybody so we always walk them through the processes and make sure we disclose absolutely everything we can about a property and ensure it's the right decision for that customer. And whilst we don't have a crystal ball in knowing exactly what a buyer would be prepared to pay for a property we never ever buy listings, always stating the price we think it would sell for, even if that means we miss out on the listing. Fair Trading: And yes the situation you are referring to is where we put out a flyer with a couple of our testimonials on it and we received a letter from the Real Estate authorities to say that we were being accused of writing our own testimonials, they were just too good. Of course we were able to supply evidence that they were in fact real testimonials from real customers. You sponsor local fairs and sporting clubs – what a great way to meet people and be involved with the community. What do you sponsor exactly and what's involved? Gosh there really are way too many to mention individually but we do attend our towns shows & fairs with our marquee supplying free facepainting & balloons for the littlies plus we financially sponsor the events. We sponsor our local football teams and other sporting events. We attend the Medowie markets most months and just get out and chat with our community. We recently sponsored the Seaham school fete and we sponsor the Morpeth Bulls junior rugby league teamin Port Stephens. We sponsor the local cracker night, it really is extensive. It's about giving back to our community. We believe that the more we can assist, the stronger the community will be and the more businesses and new people to the area will come from that. You have an eye for marketing.. Do you think that's something you were born with, or is it something you have to work on? Creative as kid: Yes I've always been naturally creative, even as a little kid so I love beautiful marketing. I also find human nature fascinating, so forever trying to figure out the mystery of what works marketing wise with people and what doesn't. Many touch points: So we use a very very wide range of marketing because I believe marketing is not a one hit wonder, it is providing many touch points. Think outside the box a lot: I love to think outside the box a lot. I'd find it very insulting if someone said we were just the same as any other agency, because I don't think that's true. Local photography: For example I use local photography as a marketing theme because it's about making people aware of the life we lead here. Sure I do post on Facebook and Instagram for example our "Just Listed" and "Just sold" information but I mostly post my day to day life on the farm, in our lifestyle, at the beach etc etc. #notrafficjamshere: One photo range which is particularly popular is the #notrafficjamshere ones where I post pics of cows along our driveway, they always get a great response. Street Library: One of the other unusual marketing tools we have are our Street Libraries. So outside of each office is a little red house shaped box on a pole (somewhat like a large letterbox) that is a container for people to place the books that they have finished reading for someone else to collect and read. It's a great talking point. I can hear people discussing it from my office and they're fascinated by the concept. Kids especially love the idea.It works because I see the book collections changing from day to day. The Pioneer: We also have a newsletter for our area which has a local history story on the front and then real estate information on the back. We try to issue these monthly by letterbox drop but they are also printable from our website. They truly are the best marketing piece we have because I actually have people ring & complain they they never received theirs in the mail!!!! Sports Bottles: We also not only financially assist our local sports teams but we also supply them with R & R Property branded sports bottles, just as yet another touch point. Hints & Tips: We issue regular Hints & Tips about all aspects of Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers on our Facebook pages. Podcasts: We Podcast as well, all things real estate and especially tree change questions/concerns people have. Vendor tips, buyer tips, decorating & styling advice.Anything that we think people will find informative. Blog/Vlog: I create informative blogs and vlogs to educate people about our area, help them in their real estate journey. Tree Change Guide: we created a downloadable Tree Change Guide.We were receiving the same questions & concerns over & over again so we've put the answers all together in a booklet for our relevant clients. Radio Interviews: I currently have two radio interviews a week on two different stations where we discuss all things real estate, whether that's the property of the week or hints & tips for buyers & sellings, plus market updates. You've won loads of awards! Tell us how many awards you have won.. Gosh heaps! Agency of the Year: we have won the agency of the year award for our Stroud area for the past 2 years running with rate my agent. Midcoast Business Award: We recently won the Midcoast Business Award for Excellence in Small Business. That was pretty massive as the Midcoast is a huge area and includes many many businesses, including large franchised agencies. We are a small independant agency. We also walked away that night as finalists in the Customer Service Category & Excellence in Professional Services Category. I was also personally awarded as a Highly Commended Business Leader which was an incredibly humbling experience. Regional Business Awards: This also led us to be Finalists in the Regional Business awards which was another amazing night and made me very proud of the team. LAST QUESTION What else can you elaborate on as far as your marketing goes.. It's been a massive year for R & R Property. Bulahdelah Office: We opened up a second office this year, this one in Bulahdelah, due to popular demand. Since then we have also purchased one of the existing agencies there so the owner could retire. This doubled our rent roll and of course team members. Book Features: Next year I am featuring in two new book releases about Real Estate. Success Secrets: We are not finished yet though with a number of new ideas in the pipeline heading forward. I guess that has always been one of my success secrets; to never stay stagnant and to not take success for granted. You're only as good as your last sale is one of my motto's. You've always got to move with the times and try to be ahead of the pack all whilst staying grounded and empathetic to people's needs, customers, team members and of course family. And of course there will be plenty of further training as learning new skills is essential. Thank you Denise!

Award Winning Agency – Why Should You Care? If you had a life threatening heart condition would you use a specialist to give you advice and treat your illness or would you choose the cheapest alternative? I have no doubt that you would use the best in the field that you possibly could. Property is usually a person's largest financial investment and yet they don't always realise that they should have a specialist selling their property for them. Worse still, some GIVE the cheapest agent their business. There are also regular sites popping up that advocate that owners can "sell their own". Buyers love trying to deal directly with the owners as they know that they can get them down in price, thus defeating the seller's purpose of selling privately. Some Real Estate Agents are trained in negotiation and marketing and deal with buyers and sellers every day. When you employ a real estate agency that has won multiple awards in many categories, you know that you are dealing with an office serious about their customers and their career. Awards don't come easily as results and effort must be proven. You have to go the extra mile every time. R & R Property have won many awards, acknowledged by their customers and fellow business owners. R & R have been awarded Agency of the Year, as voted by their customers, for two years running with "Rate My Agent" for the Stroud district. They have also won the 2017 Excellence in Small Business Award for the Midcoast. They were also Finalists in Professional Services and Finalists for Customer Service. Denise Haynes the owner of R & R Property also received "Highly Commended" as a Business Leader for 2017 as well. This is a huge achievement given that we were up against a big brand agency as well as other much larger independent agencies, and various businesses throughout the Manning Valley, Gloucester & Stroud district. Now this achievement doesn't come easy. In the past as a small agency starting off as just one person (myself) I have worked night and day to achieve these results, thus bringing my clients the best service that I possibly can. At R & R Property, we also invest heavily into the business to ensure that we keep up with ever changing technology & services. Our client's properties are presented to the world with R & R's up to the minute marketing skills and tools. Now this is important because you are competing with so many properties on the internet, you need your property to stand out amongst the crowd. These wins are such great news for you if you are considering selling your property. You need the BEST agency at the ready to sell your largest financial investment, get the BEST PRICE and move on to the next stage in your life. Seriously think about who you would rather have working on your property's sale; an award winning real estate specialist or the cheapest agent you can find? Someone who dedicates their life to their business or someone who just does it as a hobby or considers it just a 9 to 5 job? R & R Property's slogan is "A Passion For Property". Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You'll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - "Hints and Tips". YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | "Bowen Chambers" 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: [email protected] www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty Award Winner for Excellence in Small Business for Midcoast 2017 "Rate My Agent" Agency of the Year award for Stroud District 2017 "Rate My Agent" Agent of the Year award for Stroud District 2016 Featured on Selling Houses Aus. with the Fastest Sale in the History of the show Licensed Real Estate Agent Licensed Stock & Station Agent Licensed Business Broker Accredited Auctioneer Author/Blogger Trained in Marketing & Graphic Arts

At R & R Property, through our extensive research, we know that the majority of our buyers are tree changers (clients leaving the city or highly suburban areas to move to the country) and where they are coming from. As a group, we generally know their habits, their dreams and their concerns. What we are finding though is that they have an ideal property style in their mind and we know that what we have with a little razzle dazzle could be what they're looking for. But, they can't see this. They can't see past the privet lined creek bank, the farm rubbish lying around the paddock, the falling down old dairy. You – the seller, need to make it easier for them! So what we suggest to our sellers who may be receiving inspections, but their property keeps getting rejected is to look at it from a city persons point of view. Does your property appeal? Is it magazine worthy? Buyers today expect a well presented home in a certain style and a property to match. They would like to be able to envisage their stylish furniture in what could possibly be their dream lifestyle property. They are watching programs such as Escape to the Country on the Lifestyle channel. What your tree changers are reading is magazines like Hunter Lifestyle, Australian Country Style, Australian Country etc etc. Look at your property with fresh eyes: Does it fit the ideal? These magazines present beautiful images of homes where the furniture suits the home, a bit country but clean and modern. The front of the home is welcoming, tidy and stylish. Possibly a picket fence, which is painted, a gorgeous old style fancy gate, an attractive feature front door and a neat and tidy pathway leading to it. Gardens need to be relatively low maintenance but stylish and set the home off like a piece of quality jewellery makes an outfit. Do you have carefully placed attractive tables and chairs for morning coffee, afternoon bubbles, bickies and cheese? Or for that matter an alfresco dining area? Don't forget a verandah space is another room and should be tastefully decorated accordingly. The paddocks should be slashed and park like if possible, with no rubbish or old building materials, dead tractors or cars etc lying around. If there is shedding or stables it needs to be well maintained and attractive, setting off the home and paddocks. If you have a river, creek or dam on your property, is it clear of weed such as privet? Is it easily accessible? They want to see it and be able to get to it without effort. Let them imagine them taking their little children or grandchildren down there for a paddle. A cute little moored boat on a large dam also does wonders for eye candy appeal! The interior preferably should be freshly painted in light colours, with plenty of natural light coming into each room through either doors, windows or skylights. Under foot, usually timber floorboards or natural style flooring like bamboo or floating timber style floorboards is ideal. A minimal amount of attractive pieces of furniture, décor and artwork placed throughout. No clutter. All prospective buyers say they can see past mess and clutter – this is not the case. So make it easy and you'll have far more chance of selling to this target group of buyers. These buyers are usually cashed up after a sale or living in an area where their current home could possibly sell within a week of hitting the market. Quick Checklist Front gate attractive Front fence freshly painted and attractive Pathways clear and neat and preferably attractive Gardens attractive but low maintenance, suit your home Front door, great pop of colour, attractive fittings Exterior paintwork in neutral colour and neat & well maintained Interior, clean, clutter free, light and airy, smells good. Shedding, useful and attractive, especially if it is stables Paddocks, slashed, rubbish free, fencing in good repair Creeks, river, dam attractive and easy access. If you are struggling to do any of the above yourself or are not sure if your home fits this description please let the team at R & R Property know. We can provide you with free feedback, helpful hints and tips. We can also provide trade references to local builders and handyman services etc. R & R Property assist their clients with a regular Hints and Tips Service on their Facebook Page – R and R Property, and also hold regular Radio Segments with Great Lakes FM (101.5 FM) on Friday afternoons at 5.15pm and twice on Bucketts Radio Gloucester (104.1 FM) at 8am & 9am on Saturdays. The bottom line is that you are less likely to receive low offers on a home and property that is well presented and ultimately meets the dream. The old tag line of – "Move in – Nothing To Do" has been used for years for good reason. _________________________________________________________ Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You'll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - "Hints and Tips". YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | "Bowen Chambers" 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: [email protected] www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty

Something that seems to concern buyers when they are considering moving to the country is the threat of bushfire. This is understandable given the tragedies that have occurred in Australia previously. The good news is that there are ways to help prevent the damage and prepare yourself and your family should it occur. We are lucky enough to have dedicated volunteer rural fire brigades in each of our areas, who all band together to save our communities and homes when bush fire does threaten us. They are an amazing crew who risk their lives to save ours, sometimes fighting for days on end in extreme heat and danger. The community is so lucky to have them. The RFS also has an aviation unit and contracts aircraft for fighting fires from the sky. Helicopters and planes water bomb areas, extinguishing or slowing down the flames before they get near homes. Here are some tips that we have put together for you according to the Rural Fire Service (RFS): Preparing your home to be survive: Make yourself aware of whether you are in a bushfire prone area Clean your gutters regularly from sticks, leaves and debris Metal gutter guards, steel flyscreen on doors and windows are recommended Make sure you maintain any holes, gaps, missing roof tiles etc on your home to eliminate places for fire/embers to enter. Install a sprinkler system on your roof spaces and filling gutters Have quality hoses long enough to water down your entire home and shedding. Ensure gardens and surrounding trees are trimmed and maintained. Keep lawns short. Keep a separate water tank full, specifically for firefighting purposes Of course ensure you have home and contents insurance that covers loss from bushfire Keep Your Family Safe: Always have a bushfire plan that you discuss and stick to if the need arises Watch the fire/wind rating/updates regularly if there are bushfires in your area Have a survival pack which you can quickly grab and take with you if you have to evacuate. Items recommended by the RFS to take are: battery operated radio, spare batteries, first aid kit, waterproof torch, candles with waterproof matches, woollen blankets, emergency contact numbers, waterproof bag, cash, credit cards, medications, toiletry items, mobile phone & charger, pocket knife, important docs & photographs, a change of clothing for each family member plus drinking water. Ensure your pets are in a safe place if you can. Have a little safety pack for any that you can take with you ie; cage, leash, medications, food, drinking water, toy. Identify a safe community place that you can evacuate to in the event of a bushfire Keep drinking loads of water to prevent dehydration. Wear clothing that will protect you as much as possible such as denim jeans, leather boots or shoes, a wide brimmed hat, glasses or goggles, gloves, a non-synthetic mask or cloth and a cotton or wool long sleeve shirt. All in all bushfires are a part of an Australia Summer, something we all have to deal with from time to time, one way or another. Thankfully they don't seem to occur frequently but being prepared and having a plan is the best bet you can make for survival. I have lived in the Stroud area all of my life and yes there have been bush fires over the years but they have always been controlled by our wonderful teams of Rural Fire Brigade Women & Men Volunteers. Here is a link to download your FREE Bushfire Plan: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/36597/GetReadyforaBushFire.pdf Check if you live in bushfire prone land: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/building-in-a-bush-fire-area/planning-for-bush-fire-protection/bush-fire-prone-land I have sourced information from the Rural Fire Service website for this blog: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You'll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - "Hints and Tips". YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | "Bowen Chambers" 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: [email protected] www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty