Market springs back

SOLD: John and Renae sold their home in Jimboomba in one week.

WITH spring in the air Logan real estate agents are gearing up for what is traditionally their busiest season.

While most agents The Reporter spoke to agreed the winter months were generally slower, they believed it had been an even slower season this year due to the global financial crisis and the recent election.

PRD Nationwide's Rob McFarlane said he was gearing up for a busy spring.

“It's been a fairly slow year, but the last six weeks have been fantastic,” he said.

Admitting that even he went into a bit of a hibernation during winter, Mr McFarlane said spring was more of a ‘feel good' season.

“I don't think it's so much the crisis, but I think it's the nervousness amongst the punters out there, people aren't ready to commit,” he said.

“There's so much media, good and bad, that people don't know what to do.”

Sue Ward, a sales and marketing consultant from Professionals Jimboomba Real Estate, said sales had experienced a lull for the majority of the year so far.

“We've sold more than $8 million in property in the past six weeks, we're very happy with that,” she said.

“I think with us we have the best marketing in the area and buyers are coming to our properties because they're presented in the correct way.”

Ms Ward said they were struggling to get listing at the moment, but things were starting to pick up.

“This time of year is better than the winter months,” she said.

“We get a small influx from down south this time every year, people like to leave moving until the end of school.”

Principal managing director at Primeland Real Estate, Les Gray, said his business had experienced a dramatic improvement in the marketplace during the past three weeks.

“I've been working in the industry for 32 years and I've been through this before,” he said.

“During the year we've had about two months that were extremely quiet.

“They were due to what was happening out in the economy, and it was also related to an election looming.

“People hold back when an election is called.”