While these days, Tom Cruise might be famous for dangling from wires or leaping across rooftops to complete a mission, in 1996, he was a sports agent, struggling to stay afloat in a demanding job.
If you’ve watched the classic, Jerry Maguire, you’ll remember the borrowed tension you felt seeing the young agent drown in work, making frantic phone calls, trying to negotiate with people, and desperately hoping to hold everything together in the face of a to-do list too long to handle. He was exhausted, running on adrenaline, and constantly one step behind.
Unfortunately, buying a house can sometimes feel like you’ve donned the Jerry Maguire suit and tie, and you’re drowning in tasks just like he did. You’re glued to property listings, trying desperately to plan open homes, calling agents to follow up again, and all while aiming to organise finances.
Trying to find the perfect place can feel like a full-time job, on top of your full-time job, and your everyday life!
In Australia, most buyers don’t have agents working for them like sellers do. That means house hunting can be overwhelming. The reality is, though, it doesn’t have to be—and getting that relief doesn’t need to cost you a cent.
How to make house hunting less stressful and more efficient
1. Get ahead of the competition with pre-market properties
With demand as high as it is in Australia, off-market or pre-market sales have grown in popularity, and if you’re on the hunt, you’d be no stranger to hearing about or seeing great properties that sold before most people even knew they were available.
The fact is, agents have close networks and databases of contacts who they know are ready and looking for an opportunity, and often when they list a new property, their first port of call will be to those contacts – letting them know about an upcoming opportunity before the broader market. Not every property makes it to the major real estate sites before it’s sold. Some are snapped up before they’re even advertised.
By registering for pre-market listings, you’ll be notified about properties that match your criteria before they hit the open market — giving you a head start on the competition.
At Presence, each of our agents has a list of contacts who are looking for the right place in the suburbs and areas they service, and you can be sure that when a listing pops up that matches them, they are on the phone straight away!
Register for our pre-market list>>
2. Let the listings come to you
Endless scrolling can be one factor that makes buying a home feel like full-time job. There is this obsessive quality so many of us develop because of the feeling that the perfect property is only one listing away, but if we miss it—if we don’t see it first—someone else will snap it up before we get to it.
So, what do we do? We scroll. Then we refresh. Then we scroll. Then we refresh. And some people do this for hours on end, even when there’s so much great telly to watch on Netflix (or in Newy, so many fantastic waves to surf or sunsets to admire!).
Instead of doing the legwork yourself, set up accurate property alerts based on your budget, location, and must-haves, and we’ll send you homes that fit instantly — saving you hours of searching.
Set up or update your alerts >>
Agents aren’t just here to sell — we’re here to help
Yes, agents work for sellers. But they also pay close and genuine attention to serious buyers. At the end of the day, we want the parties on both sides of a sale to be happy—there’s nothing better than seeing that elation people feel when they secure their dream place, or take their next dream move.
If you’re actively looking, introduce yourself to local agents. Let them know what you want, and if they know you’re serious, they’ll remember you when the right property comes up. In fact, a good agent will make a huge effort to keep in touch to ensure you don’t miss that perfect opportunity when it comes along.
Many homes are matched to buyers this exact way—just by having the right conversation at the right time with an agent who has a close-up view of the market.
House hunting doesn’t have to take over your life
Buying a home is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be a never-ending grind. With pre-market access, property alerts, and local connections, you can stay ahead of the game without letting house hunting take over your life.
If you’re ready to make the process easier, register for pre-market alerts today and let’s find your next home.
