There's something special about the Port Hacking but it's hard to capture in words. I grew up spending most of my free time on this beautiful waterway, with some of my fondest memories spent waterskiing the glassy waters of whichever bay was the most sheltered that morning, picnicking by the water’s edge or rope swinging into the river at South West Arm. As time has gone by, my love for the water has remained, and now I’m privileged to be able to live, work and play within close proximity to the water on a daily basis. I now have my own family and although life seems busier as an adult than it did as a kid, I still find time to get out on these pristine waterways with my wife, kids and mates, reminiscing about my childhood and enjoying the natural surroundings while looking at all the beautiful waterfront properties from a different perspective.
There are so many reasons that the Port Hacking is unique. New residents often marvel at the diversity of homes overlooking the water as well as the character that the homes exude. Large, modern, multi-level homes sit next to heritage listed cottages, all framed by the beautiful bushland surrounds. You won’t find many waterways with such a pristine natural environment, perfect for swimming and all water sports. A favourite of mine is Shiprock Aquatic Reserve, a local dive site that is protected from fishing to preserve the marine plants and animals in their natural habitat. If you’d prefer to stay above the water cruising the waterways by boat, keep an eye out for waterfalls and even some aboriginal art. The aboriginal tribes known as the Dharawal people referred to the Port Hacking as the Djeebehan or Deeban and you will find the original art works in rock shelters along the water’s edge.
The waterways are an ingrained part of the Shire psyche, so much so that our most highly prized real estate purchases take into account both the proximity and aspect of the Port Hacking as much as the build of the home itself. There’s a healthy divide between those looking for a property facing East overlooking the water, whereas others insist that West is the premier aspect! Whether it’s sun in the morning or late into the afternoon that you’re after, there is undoubtedly a property that will suit you. Maybe that’s the true beauty of the area - that it can accommodate all budgets and needs with diversity of homes within a spectacular and peaceful environment.
660 port hacking road, Dolans bay
Sold $6,850,000
Team Cole Overview
This home was first listed late in 2022 when the market suffered a decline after lots of negative press relating to rising interest rates and a drop in buyer demand. The campaign attracted over 70 inspections from buyers throughout Sydney, however unfortunately while we had competitive bidding on the auction day our most motivated buyer was not in a financial position to exchange contracts. This gave the owners the option of either selling for less than originally anticipated or waiting to see if they could get a higher sale price at a later date. The owners decided to keep the home on the market for a few weeks leading up to Christmas and then withdraw the home from the market. Whilst no longer advertised online, we continued to show the home exclusively to highly motivated buyers with the capacity to exchange immediately at the asking price. After two inspections we sold the home for $6,850,000. The ability to qualify and prepare a buyer prior to an inspection is a vital skill in a changing market - something that hasn’t been needed over the past few years. Even though the market may go through challenging times an effective qualifying process can lead to a stress free sale with little disruption.
23 Grandview parade, caringbah south
Sold $7,018,000
Team Cole Overview
This property was a unique offering, as it was a large home with a solid construction on a sizeable parcel of land, however it had a south facing aspect and a very narrow water frontage. After seeing 63 groups through the home during the campaign, this culminated in 6 registered parties at auction. With two parties strongly contesting the home, bidding slowed at $6.86m. Knowing we could get more for our vendor, we passed the property in and commenced negotiations. Davey Hong from our China desk was invaluable with aiding in our vendor communication, and we were able to encourage the underbidder to increase their offer, selling the property 4 days later.
36 LITTLE TURRIELL BAY ROAD, LILLI PILLI
Sold $4,350,000
Team Cole Overview
This property was our first onsite auction after months of virtual online actions and it was so nice to be able to actually chat to the buyers in person as the ty proceedings were underway. We had 6 registrations, including a few parties from outside the local area. The property had great interest during the marketing campaign, so it was no surprise that bids were placed quickly to try and secure the home. The property ended up selling for a huge $250k over reserve.
662 Port Hacking Rd, Dolans Bay
Sold $7,200,000
Team Cole Overview
This home was previously listed with two other agents who were not successful in selling the property. I took over with an auction campaign and the house sold successfully under the hammer on the 12th December 2020. The property was shown by appointment only so I could qualify the buyers first to have only genuine clients turning up and not sticky beaks and neighbours. Prior to me taking over the sale, the highest offer was $6.2M and that buyer said several times she would not pay any more. She ended up being the under bidder and her final bid was $7.17M. After four registrations and a tightly contested auction, I achieved the record sale price at auction in 2020 for the Sutherland Shire, ultimately selling for $7.2M.
Client Testimonial
After attempting to sell the home with numerous other agents to no avail, our main priority was a stress-free campaign while achieving the maximum price possible. From the minute we engaged Murray, he filled us with confidence with his knowledge of the market and honesty in what to expect leading up to the auction. We trusted Murray’s sale process and recommended marketing campaign, which culminated in multiple registered bidders at auction. His negotiation skills were exceptional, gaining us a record sale price, well above our reserve. Our sincere thanks to Murray and the team for being accommodating to our needs, reliable and reducing the level of stress over the campaign. We are thrilled with the result, and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Murray and his team.
John and Michelle Thomson
82 Parthenia street, dolans bay
Sold $6,000,000
Team Cole Overview
This property is an example of how out of area buyers will often pay more for a home, as they see value for money when compared to a similar home in the Eastern Suburbs. After a successful marketing campaign guiding the property from $5m - $5.5m, we had 4 registered bidders on the auction day, 2 of which were from out of area. The owners set the reserve at $5.5m, but were happy to sell within the guide and lower the reserve on the day if necessary. The bidding went back and forward for 100 bids until one of the out of area buyers finally secured their dream home for $6 million. The owners were thrilled to have gained an extra half a million dollars in their pocket at the end of the sale.
Client Testimonial
Thank you to Murray and the McGrath team at Cronulla for a fantastic result – better than our expectations actually. Murray is a true professional at what he does, in his sales and marketing. We are very impressed.
Ian and Tracy Cassidy
160A Gannons Rd, Caringbah South
Sold $5,450,000
Team Cole Overview
This sale proves how essential agent negotiation skills are and the difference it can make to your final result. While there were three registered parties on the day, bidding slowed at $5.2M. Murray was able to negotiate with this buyer, encouraging them to bid on top of themselves two more times, resulting in a sale well above the next best buyer. The owners were thrilled with the result.
Client Testimonial
From our first contact with Murray, we were impressed with his knowledge of the local market and his interest in meeting our objectives. His advice and feedback proved to be sound and he went out of his way to communicate regularly. Murray has a terrific team who worked seamlessly together to ensure our questions were answered, our needs were met and the inevitable intrusions during the marketing campaign were minimised. We would happily recommend Murray and his team.
Robert Reis
32 Grosvenor Crescent, cronulla
Sold $7,000,000
Team Cole Overview
Off Market Sale - The owners had tried to sell the property previously with other agents, to no success. Their price was non-negotiable, but another main priority was a stress free sale with no marketing or open homes. I had a buyer in mind that I knew would be perfect for the property, and after some negotiations I was able to push them up to meet the vendors price expectation. We sold the property off market within a week and the vendors were ecstatic about the ease of transaction.
Client Testimonial
We had tried over the years to sell our home with no success. Murray was just so straightforward, knew what we wanted, knew the price we wanted and got exactly what we wanted. It was excellent service – swift and seamless.
Willi and Margaret Durkowyak
28 Moombara Crescent, Port Hacking
SOLD $5,013,000
Team Cole Overview
This property highlights that an extensive marketing campaign leads to increased exposure and in turn higher competition on the home. After a successful Sydney-wide marketing approach, there were four registered parties at auction, two of which were from outside the Sutherland Shire. Bidding began at $4.311m and was hotly contested with over 40 bids placed. The property sold for $5.013m, over $700k above the opening bid and well above the vendor’s reserve price.
Client Testimonial
We always say we’re never going to use anyone else apart from Murray as he has done a fantastic job. I think the thing that separates you from others who I deal with in this profession is that you’re kind and you’re caring and that really shows. It shows with your staff, because the staff are just fantastic. Brittany, Mel and Maddi what a job - a fantastic job. You said to me today “I will get every dollar possible” and I can tell you, you did. Thank you everyone. It is tough leaving 28 Moombara Crescent I have to admit, but it’s time for us to move on and we couldn’t have gotten anyone better than Murray and his team. Thank you very much guys.
Peter Bergin
34 LITTLE TURRIELL BAY ROAD, LILLI PILLI
SOLD UNDISCLOSED
Team Cole Overview
This property was sold during the second Covid-19 lockdown where only 1 person could attend the home at a time, and the auction was conducted online. While it was an uncertain climate and an unusual process for buyers, the auction campaign was successful in providing a timely result for the vendor. There were 3 parties registered for the auction, however, the buyers were hesitant to bid in the online format and wanted to have one more look at the property before proceeding. We ended up selling the home late the following evening and both the purchasers and the owners were thrilled with the result.
Client Testimonial
We were very impressed by Murray Cole and the team at McGrath during the sale of our house. From the very beginning, Murray and the entire team, put our minds at ease with clear communication and detailed information. We were always well informed and any question or query was promptly answered. The time and effort shown by everyone was very impressive. Thank you Murray and team! We highly recommend you to anyone that is looking to sell their property.
Andrew and Rose
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