SYDNEY’S property market may well be the hottest in Australia, but Wagga has again lived up to its status as the plucky underdog – this time on social media.
A Central Wagga home has received international attention – and has opened the city’s property market to broad appeal – after a post on Facebook sparked a quest to track down a new owner.
Local plasterer Mitch Pilon sweetened the deal by offering a $1000 “spotter’s fee” for the person who could find the buyer.
The Evans Street property has since been shared hundreds of times – and Mr Pilon said he’s received more than 50 offers because of the quirky advertisement.
“Most of the Facebook messages have said ‘where do I pick up this $1000?’,” he said. “Ireland, Mexico, California, Canada, NZ – they’ve come from everywhere. I didn’t think it would end up like this.”
Mr Pilon on Monday night appeared on Network 10’s The Project to spruik house, which is still listed.
But the home already has a selling agent in Joshua Eldridge, of Eldridge First National. Mr Eldridge admits the post and reward is a departure from his normal sales, but said he doesn’t feel sidelined. The duo spoke to each other before taking to Facebook, with both agreeing it would be good for exposure.
“This is a fine demonstration that traditional methods are certainly still needed,” he said. “Mitch wanted me to take inquiries as his agent. And while you’ve got so many thousands of people who are interested, you still need someone to sort through it all and take the serious inquiries.”
Real Estate Institute of NSW president Malcolm Gunning agrees and sees agents as key to finding the right buyer.
“With advertising property on Facebook, it’s like shooting at a flock of geese with a shotgun. You might hit something, but it’s not targeted,” he said.
“Real estate agents use a very targeted approach … a Central Wagga home with a great story behind it is going to appeal to a certain group as opposed to a generic house with 20 similar.”
Mr Pilon, who established the Facebook group “Wagga Houses For Sale”, believes social media is a secondary avenue of advertisement for homeowners.
“At the end of the day, what’s 1000?” he said. “It might start a trend; I’ve had people saying they might do the same thing once mine dies down.”
