Area specilaist agents- are they worth their salt?

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My friend recently engaged an agent to sell his flat. The agent felt that the asking price was unrealistic and for sometime, did not manage to find any potential buyer. So my friend found a contact of an "area specialist" agent from those flyers and engaged him as well.

On the same weekend, the specialist managed to line up some potential buyers for him and a deal was struck the same day. My friend managed to sell his flat at the price he wanted, which the first agent said was unrealistic.

Are area specialists really worth their salt, and if we should just cut the chase and approach them from the start? Or is my friend's case just a fluke?

[rattydrama]

they are familiar with the area and have all the hard facts to convenience potential buyer.

they do keep contact and can be easily identified by other agents.

[mcmlxxvi]

Its just a case of bad agent against good agent, thats all. Nothing quite to do with area specialist or not.

[kingkong1984]

Area specialist are good for you, provided that they are real specialist in your area.

Some agents have special contacts or request from buyers to target specific blocks or units. Over the long term, they know which are the units in demand for that area.

When u want to sell, no harm letting as many agents know and make it a open listing. Fair competition. Timing and luck are what's required for a successful sale at your asking. Some agents promised record highs...

[Regulators]

I will just advertise and sell myself, easy paperwork

[tericia]

My friend recently engaged an agent to sell his flat. The agent felt that the asking price was unrealistic and for sometime, did not manage to find any potential buyer. So my friend found a contact of an "area specialist" agent from those flyers and engaged him as well.

On the same weekend, the specialist managed to line up some potential buyers for him and a deal was struck the same day. My friend managed to sell his flat at the price he wanted, which the first agent said was unrealistic.

Are area specialists really worth their salt, and if we should just cut the chase and approach them from the start? Or is my friend's case just a fluke?

i was a specialist in Dover HDB (no more agent now) and being a specialist in an area for many years, other agents and clients call you just to find out about the area. Many agents will also trust you to close the deal faster because you know the ins and outs of the houses in that area.

So if they get a lead, they will sometimes call you to sell for them because they know you can do it much faster than them.

So your friend's case isn't a fluke.

[Regulators]

since you were a specialist in Dover area, do you happen to know why blocks 12-14 of Dover are fetching such high premiums when they are more than 30 years old? They are also not exactly near the MRT

i was a specialist in Dover HDB (no more agent now) and being a specialist in an area for many years, other agents and clients call you just to find out about the area. Many agents will also trust you to close the deal faster because you know the ins and outs of the houses in that area.

So if they get a lead, they will sometimes call you to sell for them because they know you can do it much faster than them.

So your friend's case isn't a fluke.

[tericia]

since you were a specialist in Dover area, do you happen to know why blocks 12-14 of Dover are fetching such high premiums when they are more than 30 years old? They are also not exactly near the MRT

hahaha, well i stayed at block 12 for the first 6 years of my property and marriage life before selling then exiting the HDB market altogether. I must say though i now have only private properties now, i still love the place very very much.

When i bought it after i got married, many friends were buying Punggol at $190000. It was tough being the butt of friend's joke on paying so much for a HDB at a depressed market.

But when you stay there, the place is fantastic. Only 1 carpark and serves that 3 blocks. On top of the hill so the view is good, but now not so good cuz there are other taller buildings around blocking.

As a newly married couple, i think the experience i had at block 12 was really fantastic. The residents meet you in lift say hi and call you by name. If you look at the ceiling of block 12 - 14, you will see that it's almost brand new although they painted it years ago, while block 17 - 19 was all black, even when they are brand new flats.

Residents don't litter and each level has only 4 houses. So we were quite close to our neighbours. There is also a parent - support group there that meets at the playground when i was living there. So parents that want a night out without kids can park their kids at someone else's place and then vice versa to reciprocate the favour.

Downstairs there is a garden where people usually barbecue (their own portable pits) but the area quite festive during the festive season.

So yeah, these are some of the reasons why the place usually sells high.

[hopeful]

DO you need area specialist agents in order to buy condos at recently transacted price or market price? I don't want to buy at record price, which I think any agent can do.

If fellow forummers know area specialist agents for River Valley and CBD areas, please PM me the agents' contacts. My purpose is to buy to let.