Aaron Horne
All right, guys, welcome back to the property pod, your weekly engagement in the real estate here in the Hobart marketplace. I'm your host, Darren Horn, and I'm joined at the desk today by Patrick Berry.

Patrick Berry
Woo hoo!

Aaron Horne
What's up, my man?

Patrick Berry
Just excited to be back again.

Aaron Horne
It's good luck. I'll put it out there. It's our second week for the year. We had to scramble at the last minute to get the guest because John Dunn thought about.

Patrick Berry
Just disappear this week.

Patrick Berry
Yeah, actually John is.

Patrick Berry
I think he's in Melbourne, but I wouldn't know because he's told me that it's just because he could.

Aaron Horne
I do think he dropped a clue in last week's show. If you were an eagle eyed listener, there was a clue that we're going to Melbourne for Luke's or Adelaide, whoever they go on for Luke's wedding.

Patrick Berry
We were supposed to film that. I understand that that man is away for seven days.

Patrick Berry
Correct?

Aaron Horne
Correct. Correct. Correct. What's wrong with.

Patrick Berry
That?

Aaron Horne
So what we've done is we've reached out to the to the office. We've, we've looked wide and far and luckily this case just happened to be in the south between.

Patrick Berry
You and me articulates.

Aaron Horne
At that particular time I was the only one about because everyone was out. But I've actually really thought about this. I've brought in Simon Evans. He joins us on the pod. Not only is mine, a creative and passionate real estate agent, but he's a top performer in his very own and our very own backyard here in Glenorchy. Here's a stat for you, a top sales agent in the seventies, 010 postcode over the past 24 months.

Aaron Horne
Look at his head grow as I'm Mr. Martin has sold an impressive 24 properties in Glenorchy for a median sale price of $602,000. So with his skills in negotiation, his commitment to creating a positive experience for all of his clients, it's no wonder Martin has achieved so much success. So now that I've pumped up your tires. Martin, welcome to the property party.

Martin Evans
Well, thank you very much, Cheryl. Glad to be here myself.

Aaron Horne
I thought I'd do a little sandwich there where I'd I'd say like, oh, look, we just found the guy. I just went into the sandpit as I'll bring him down. But then I was like, I'm bringing him all the way back up on the journey. I really want him to know that we do appreciate him coming.

Martin Evans
Accomplished. How good?

Aaron Horne
How good? Well, for our listeners out there on this, on this podcast, can you give him an idea about who Martin ever needs? Is and yeah, how he got into the industry, etc.?

Martin Evans
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, no worries. So I was in sales in the automotive repair industry and well, Paul and Patrick are well, they're their relatives, they're all part of the classic.

Aaron Horne
Classic Tasmania and.

Martin Evans
I think it went down to way back in 2010 these guys were looking for a new salesperson. The conversation was had in regards to Hey, my interested in real estate.

Patrick Berry
I think it was similar to yesterday when Aaron got you here for the part.

Patrick Berry
Yeah, yeah.

Martin Evans
So, yeah, yeah, I flat on the breeze, man. Now, I had been in the industry that I was in for quite some time, knew it like the back of my hand. Yep. Just, yeah, it felt right for challenge. So.

Aaron Horne
So that's about 12 years. If you say in 2010 is kind of where you entered the into the game. Yeah.

Martin Evans
That was it. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. 2010 was when I, when I became a real estate.

Aaron Horne
Almost 13 years now. 2023. It's crazy. But yeah. So tell us about your journey. How, how do you find it? How's the market changed across the 13 year span of, of being a real estate agent? And we can call you a real estate agent. Can't wait. You're actually.

Martin Evans
Official? Yeah. Fully fledged real estate agent. Got the diploma, All the rest of it. Yeah, well, the interesting. So 13 years on, markets change. Yeah, we all know that. You know, the market went nuts a few years back yet the back half of 2016 I suppose and now we are entering a, you know challenging market. But it's okay.

Martin Evans
It just comes down to what we've done before in the slower markets where, you know, you nurture your buyers and sellers.

Patrick Berry
And that's where you're probably slightly luckier compared to some of our other agents, like for example, Sam and our and their experience in that for the first time. But you're like me and John MacGregor and Chris and Paul we've been through before. Yeah. So sort of know what's coming as exactly right.

Martin Evans
Just hold on and keep your head down. And yet, as I say, just, just, just nurture. Just, just keep working at it. It's, you know, it's part and parcel with with the whole thing.

Aaron Horne
It's, it is funny. You can kind of walk around the offices and just say this look in the eyes of some that haven't been through this before, just being like, oh my goodness, like, are we going to ride out this storm? Whereas yeah, a bit of cooler heads are prevailing in that. Yeah, we've been through this. We know how to kind of manage ourselves through this kind of tricky a period.

Patrick Berry
It's actually kind of nice, this slightly slow market because for the last four years we've been just going flat stick nonstop all day, every day, seven days a week. Yeah, And sure, it's been nice because we were able to make sales and make, you know, some good money. However. Yeah. Now that's a bit quieter and you're getting that more time to work with your clients.

Patrick Berry
Better understand them. Like most of our vendors over the last few years, we've spent, you know, a week with them and then we're on to the next one.

Aaron Horne
Yeah.

Patrick Berry
Okay. And now we're starting to get to know them better, understand what it is they're actually trying to do. Yeah, we just talk through different ways to make it happen. It may not be the plan that we set out. We might be plan B, C or D that finally gets it done. Yep. And gets them on to their next chapter in life.

Patrick Berry
But it's just working through that which is being.

Martin Evans
And is finding new skills. Yeah, it's a real estate agent, so everyone that hasn't been through this market before is going to, you know, their skills are going to be enriched from it. Yeah, Yeah.

Patrick Berry
And it doesn't hurt that there's a little bit extra time for coffee as well, which is nice.

Martin Evans
Yeah, Yeah, sure. Yeah. But and you're right, you know, you hang on to your listings for a little bit longer in most cases, but as you said, it just gives you a, an opportunity to get to know your buyers and sellers and, and all of the other bits in between.

Patrick Berry
Yeah, definitely. John McGregor talks about it a lot. He loves this market, especially working with buyers because you really the way you can be successful in this market is to really nurture those buyers and understand what it is they're looking for and, you know, go out and find it. If you don't have it for sale at the moment, go find where it is and help connect the two together.

Patrick Berry
And and that's what John really enjoys. He talks about quite often, doesn't he?

Aaron Horne
Hay loves to. He loves to let us know about that and all the people that he has in his corner and he brings them around and says, Oh, these persons are my team and this is my friend. So I'd be really interested in like, it's really good that we're talking about skills. I've kind of got a list of questions here, and one of them was kind of the skills that you've brought over from your previous career and then kind of the skills that you see being important in a real estate agent.

Aaron Horne
What are some of the things that you value as a real estate agent?

Martin Evans
Martin Well, yeah. Okay. So as I said, those in the automotive repair industry and I guess the skills there was look, I knew the trade quite well. I came from a trade in there. So one thing was product knowledge. Yep. And and just giving good service to my clients meant that I kept those, kept those accounts and grew them and you know, didn't let the opposition in just through good service knowing the products and Yeah.

Martin Evans
And being honest and transparent.

Patrick Berry
Now I guess as well you get a touch there that you used to be a tradie because you used to spray cars before you started selling the product. Yeah. Would I be right in saying that you were quite successful in that industry as well because you knew your demographic, you knew new market, so you weren't rocking up to sell spray paint in a suit and telling them that this whiz bang product was the best thing ever.

Patrick Berry
It'd be more rocking up on a Friday with a beer and.

Martin Evans
Yeah, well, I was actually a tech rep, so which meant that I could I could get in there with a new product to different repair shops and show you how it works and how it works and, you know, get the old spray gun out.

Patrick Berry
And because I think that flows through in what we do here in this industry, like we we work the northern suburbs. I definitely work in northern suburbs and I feel that I can dress a little bit more casual because of who I'm dealing with, but I'm not built for selling to anybody. But I think there's a real knack to that people want to work with who they get along well within this industry and in any sales industry.

Patrick Berry
Yeah, So obviously your skills have helped you really grow in the area, and especially Glenorchy, which is your backyard, isn't it? You live here.

Martin Evans
Itself. That's exactly right. Yeah. Yeah. So I live here and it is, yeah. I feel it's a real advantage because you know, you're talking to buyers and sellers and you can point out all of the features of the area and you know, you've been there, you've done that.

Patrick Berry
So point out where the best schools are putting out.

Patrick Berry
Of course.

Martin Evans
But yeah, you know, I mean, it's just great to know the demographics. So that just makes it easier for buyers to Yeah. To, you know, to meet it.

Patrick Berry
Just you, me personally as a real estate agent as well. I think it's best listing in your own backyard because travel time like you go lease the house down, it lets you dodges, ferry which for people that aren't listening locally, you know it's about a 40 minute drive from where we are recording today. But to go sell a house that's, you know, nearly 2 hours of your day, by the time you leave.

Patrick Berry
So it come back like say it's a lot better be more successful in your backyard because it's a five minute drive and you get onto the next showing and the next.

Aaron Horne
While you're all down there, you get to open up the house, pull the blinds, and then you get that text message. Can't make it right. Sorry.

Patrick Berry
Why? I, I order.

Patrick Berry
I know. And it just happened to be three Friday at 330 with the text alerts.

Martin Evans
Yeah. Yes.

Aaron Horne
To you know, it's interesting. So you your wife runs a business in the Globe. I want to talk about that a little bit and kind of let people know how that you're engaged in the community, not just as a real estate agent, but yeah.

Martin Evans
Oh, yeah, Yeah. So my wife has been running Janine's dance workshop up in Bosco Drive in England. Okay. They're up near the the Dominic School. Been in business for over 30 years. Wow. And she is It's not so much a business for her. So passion. Yeah, she loves it. It's not about the money and it has never been about the money for her.

Martin Evans
She just truly loves it. So and that is why it's she's been so successful. I think it it one plays off the other. I was going.

Aaron Horne
To say it seems like a testament to the amount of people that roll through the school and come out and and I was only at a I don't know what it was something down Princess Wharf recently and the tiny little tots were there dancing away and the smile on his face was like, Yeah, this is the first time I've ever seen my little girls tail it.

Aaron Horne
And it's like, this is every, every day she's seeing this.

Martin Evans
She just loves it. Yeah, she loves it then. And of course, yes, I'm putting back into the communities is, is really large. It's what we love to do. Yeah. At every opportunity we try and do that, we get with the moment where we're looking at giving a bit of time to some oldies over the river. Oh, okay. Yeah.

Patrick Berry
So since I don't want to be.

Martin Evans
Disrespectful when I say oldies because I'm an oldie, but you know. Yes. If we can get some man dancing kids together, some mature.

Aaron Horne
Mature age students.

Patrick Berry
Yes.

Martin Evans
Well, not some kids.

Patrick Berry
Just do it the time. What was a bit. That was good.

Aaron Horne
Yeah, though that took it somewhere else.

Martin Evans
Yeah. So. Yeah, yeah. So that's. That's my wife, Junior. She loves it. She's. Yeah, it's a very successful school and, and I guess she a lot of what she does rubs off on me in regards to what I do here as well. Just, you know, the care factor. Yep. It's, yeah, it's, it's, it's important, I feel So.

Aaron Horne
Can you also give us a bit more detail on what you're doing when you're not real estate ing because you're obviously a pretty active guy. You're not only assisting with the dance school and picking of the backstage or running the.

Martin Evans
Bar and the maintenance guy, the guy that cuts the grass and fixes the props.

Aaron Horne
You're the jack of all trades. But yeah, you're out there in the community sporting groups Kind of, yeah. What what do you do when you're not selling the property when you're not in an open home?

Martin Evans
Most mornings start off with a little fitness class.

Patrick Berry
Like.

Martin Evans
My hour of fitness going early in the morning with your wife. Actually tag with Abby.

Patrick Berry
I thought you guys were too cool for each other these days. And she's a time so class but you cross paths.

Patrick Berry
Between last year we did.

Martin Evans
This not just high five on the way out Look. Yes. So I am a rubbish golfer, but I do enjoy the game. So I try and get out a couple of times. It's only about twice a month, except once every couple of weeks have a hit of the golf balls, which is fun. And AFL nines is something I do too.

Martin Evans
So. Yep, just a little a little game of I guess it's AFL morphed with netball.

Aaron Horne
I know.

Martin Evans
Both with. Yeah. You know, it's a, it's an interesting one but it's a lot of fun. So during it a couple of different parts of the year, we get different times of the year, we go out and do that.

Patrick Berry
So circling back to your rubbish golf skills, if you can't be that, be in the gym because she's pretty competitive in that space. Marty I took her to the driving range with Packer last Saturday. Yeah, and I tell you what, you're rubbish. Golfing is Tiger Woods quality like, Oh, I think Abby was aiming for those weather balloons that were floating around.

Martin Evans
Well, you know, it's it's one of those things, as we all know, we applied it. We understand why there's so much prize money in it because.

Patrick Berry
It's kind of like bloody odds for hit a ball.

Martin Evans
Yeah. Yeah. So apart from apart from that. So that's sports wise. That's what I love to do. Yep. About the odd, the odd lap around the Risdon Brook Dam every now and again it's good, you know, the fun runs and things like that. I think you've got to, you've got to stay active. I'm in my mid fifties now so it's important to, if you can, to just get out there.

Aaron Horne
Well you looking as sharp as a tack mate, it shows that you're out there. Yeah. Keeping yourself physically fit. That's all. Pat was in his activewear yesterday as well, heading down the gym. So you might have another 5 a.m. start.

Patrick Berry
I don't think so. I'm not a morning person. I'm a Bailey wake up morning person.

Martin Evans
It all starts happening for you later on in the day.

Patrick Berry
Yeah. Yeah.

Patrick Berry
I've got to just give myself up to anything active.

Martin Evans
Was a kept of coffees first before you get in there. Yeah. So. Yeah.

Aaron Horne
Lots of fun. No. So yeah, look, it's, it's obviously that you're active out in the community. You're building that database of, of knowledge both in, in sales but then in being, you know, a pretty decent human being kind of breaking down that barrier of a real estate agents are. Yeah. I see guys.

Martin Evans
Yeah. I mean everyone needs to be, you know, a well-rounded sort of person. You just can't do stick at one thing. You've got to spread yourself out a bit. But yeah, the stigma of, you know, real estate, especially over the last few years too, where we have copped it because of that, yes.

Aaron Horne
We can sell a cardboard box basically for 100 grand.

Patrick Berry
Yeah.

Martin Evans
You know, I've always yeah, the last few years I've said you could write an address and a price on a pipeline, throw it outside, someone to pick it up and say, oh by the.

Patrick Berry
Way you go. She said she's bigger. They could do this to such.

Martin Evans
A market we've had. So yeah. You know. Yeah. So it's, it's interesting you've got to bring all your skills to this market and it's challenging and I love it. It's, it's.

Aaron Horne
Great. All right. So just before we wrap up, hit us with some details on kind of how to be successful as a buyer seller in the in the coming market. What do you see as the as the way to buy and sell in 2023?

Martin Evans
Well, being genuine with your buyers and your sellers, be genuine, honest and transparent, really important things to do. And of course, as much as you can know the property that you're selling, you know, at the time of the appraisal, just, you know, jot down all the features of the property and ask good questions without being too intrusive. You don't want to make people feel uncomfortable, but ask the right questions.

Martin Evans
So you know the motivation of the seller. Yep. And then on the flip, when it comes to the buyer, ask those right questions as well and get to know what they're looking for. And then, of course, you know, they've chosen this house to come and have a look at. So you've really got to represent your buyers. And it once again, it goes back to knowing your product, you know, knowing that the property that you're selling and and just being honest and transparent about the whole thing, it helps, as we touched on, it helps knowing your area.

Martin Evans
So you can you can be of assistance there with, you know, with the schools and the shops and 100%. So yeah, just to wrap that up in a bundle, that's basically what you need to do. You just need to be genuine.

Patrick Berry
And if I'm a vendor listening today and I'm deciding, yep, Martinstown is like the guy for me. Yeah. What would be your top five tips for me as far as presenting the home or getting it ready to sell it? So if you were to walk into my house today and what are five key things that you're looking for in a place to be able to say, Yes, this one's going to be a ripper?

Martin Evans
Well, presentation straight away, you know, So as you walk through the front gate, just make sure that you've you've trimmed your trees and your bushes back and it's.

Aaron Horne
You won't be selling pets then these grasses turn into straw. Straw.

Patrick Berry
I'm a typical tenant at the moment, modern house tenants. We don't believe in God. We just let it. Let it go. Yeah.

Martin Evans
When it gets past your knees. Okay, maybe. Yeah. Look, you know, first things first is. Is your. You know, your first impressions. You've really got to tidy that place up. If you've got pets, you know, make sure that they're under control. And there's, you know, not too many pet smells going on in there because that's just another thing.

Martin Evans
The whole the sense of smell as well. Walking through the front door.

Aaron Horne
It is often one we forget about. It's but yeah, yeah, yeah. And yet sticks in the mind.

Martin Evans
Yeah. Just gives you that. So yeah, whether it's your pets or your cooking or whatever it may be, it's something to keep in mind and yeah, just, just making sure that everything is neat and tidy because in these markets that are sort of swinging towards a buyers market, your if, if if this something let's just say if there's a little job that needs doing, just do it.

Martin Evans
I mean there's only so much that we can do, but all of the little things that the buyer doesn't need to do will will equate to a good offer or they're making an offer. If there's bits and pieces that it's I, I will be right, you know. Yeah.

Aaron Horne
What would John call this Pat.

Patrick Berry
Oh you're talking about this one now.

Aaron Horne
I thought, you know, he mentioned that every third week removing the.

Patrick Berry
Butts, removing.

Martin Evans
The money.

Aaron Horne
I like this place, but.

Patrick Berry
Yeah, yeah. Cool. It's well, understand that.

Martin Evans
Yeah.

Aaron Horne
And he's a Batman. He's a big Batman.

Patrick Berry
Oh, it's interesting. You point out time neat and tidy. I went to an Open on Saturday with Hamish to look at it and online. The photographer done wizard work.

Aaron Horne
That's what we do because.

Patrick Berry
Yeah. And obviously the agent had gone in and given very similar advice to yourself, Marty, because it was beautifully presented. Everything was in that spot until you got to the fourth bedroom. You could only just open the door because they had put everything in there and like literally closed it and pretended that does not part of the house.

Martin Evans
No, I'm okay with that, though, because, you know, the agent should be, say, fourth bedroom junk room. Yeah, right. Yeah. Everything out here that's nice and neat and tidy. It was, you know, it was that. It's in there.

Patrick Berry
So I think the idea of going around with sticky notes, it's a junk group. Junk?

Aaron Horne
I don't mind that. That's good. I should do that on Photoshop.

Patrick Berry
It's just like presentation wise. This place was mint. Yeah.

Patrick Berry
Cool.

Patrick Berry
So, yeah, it's good to say that. Yeah, there's a lot of value in that and it definitely pays off because I think those 12 people through that open home when I was there that time sighs.

Martin Evans
At the moment, yeah, yeah. To get to offer. Yeah. So that's basically it you know price at well within your market it's very important to know your market and and that's where your real estate agent comes in to know the market. So there's nothing worse than, you know, properties that go into the market with other agents that might be from outside the area.

Martin Evans
And they're just too far above the market. So therefore, that's the first hurdle. As a seller you've got to try and get over. So yeah, it's just that's it. The whole package just price it within the market, get it looking, it's absolute best.

Patrick Berry
Now.

Martin Evans
And away you go.

Patrick Berry
If you are struggling to get it, looking at it, it's absolute best. I may have heard a little rumor that you took your own lawnmower out recently to a property.

Martin Evans
It's a level of service tax that I love this. So last week we had a settlement happening in the middle of the week. The buyer, the lawns were a bit untidy and the buyer did actually say, hey, look, you know, can we get the lawns done? There was a compromise. There was no barbecue. And the old table outside is happy for them to leave them there.

Martin Evans
But can we mow the lawns? Spoke to the seller and the seller was absolutely flat out. He had a lot on his plate and just couldn't do it. So it would have been easy for me to just say, Yeah, it is what it is.

Patrick Berry
But you know, nobody.

Patrick Berry
It was.

Martin Evans
Foolish. I just I can't not I love this.

Patrick Berry
I love the 5 minutes.

Martin Evans
Of the time in the middle of the day. And I just with the hour over it and it was sweet.

Patrick Berry
Right now I've seen two of our agents here at four one for well, I have only seen one in person, but I've now heard two stories of our age.

Aaron Horne
This lorry as well.

Patrick Berry
Lorry inserts mowing lawns of properties.

Martin Evans
When I was in Missouri, I got home in Marshall.

Aaron Horne
Then I put his body stubbies shorts on.

Patrick Berry
Or on.

Aaron Horne
The Dowd single had a baby written on there and he just sent.

Martin Evans
Out.

Aaron Horne
Marty's mail.

Martin Evans
And here we got Kerry telling his.

Aaron Horne
Sons, Mark, that.

Patrick Berry
Driving past this open line ones and lorries in the front yard mowing the lawn in his suit before the open road, I was like, There is dedication, making sure that property is perfect.

Aaron Horne
I love it. I think that's great. It just goes to show the the extra touch that goes into selling homes here at four and four and the amount of care. And you mentioned with your wife before, it's kind of not just a job, it's your passion. You're you're out there doing it on the rig. I know that every time you have holidays, you'll still be moseying into the office.

Aaron Horne
And for that matter, what are you doing here? Oh, just got to do this for this person and this for that person.

Martin Evans
Like I like to be out of the country. Yeah.

Patrick Berry
Yeah.

Aaron Horne
The holidays have got to be mandated from here on out. Thank you so much for coming in. Thank you for being that person in the in the South pit when I went looking. But also thanks for being there for.

Patrick Berry
Make me Feel so welcome.

Aaron Horne
I just wanted to get your head out the door because we built you up so much. We can't we can't have you walking around just the king of the city.

Patrick Berry
Now it's fine.

Aaron Horne
Well, you are the king of Glenorchy, so I'll be watching Australian Survivor and there's the king of Georgetown on there, as he calls himself. Oh, okay. So yeah, King of Glenorchy over here at the end of the table.

Martin Evans
Yeah, I like that. That's a bit uncomfortable. It's not just a battler like everyone else that.

Aaron Horne
Don't mind it. Just before we go, do you have any listings that you want to pump up on the podcast at the moment? You can give you a video, some free publicity.

Martin Evans
Okay. One front of mind is 11 Foss Court Inn in Montrose. It's up the hill.

Aaron Horne
I love that. Yeah.

Martin Evans
Setting. But it's just up the road.

Aaron Horne
That giant window that looks out over to the Moana Ferry.

Martin Evans
Keep your TV off because the the main living room window is just amazing. Yep. To sit there and watch the world go by. That's for a large family or professional couple, but lots of space over two levels. The deck, the garden. Really good. And I've got a few for investors as well, you know. 206 Risdon Road, Blue Tana I'm currently tenanted.

Martin Evans
Really lovely. It was built in the fifties, solid brick, four bedrooms, little workshop underneath. That's brilliant. That's really good. That's had wiring, plumbing, roof, guttering.

Patrick Berry
The works, you know.

Martin Evans
Yeah, it's a good one for investors. Yeah. Not into. Yeah. So that's probably to a front of mind.

Patrick Berry
No problem. Well when you get offers on that come Friday when this goes live just remember who sent you to though.

Martin Evans
Why is it always.

Patrick Berry
We take a cart We do here at the property fire house.

Aaron Horne
All right. Voice Yeah. Thank you so much for coming in. MARTIN Episode Hope Thanks, Pat. Always good to have you at the desk and to be here. Maybe John will be back next week. But as you.

Patrick Berry
Point out.

Aaron Horne
Notice that the property board likes to subscribe to all those things that we never tell you to do. So next week, my.