2 MALVERN AVE, GLEN IRIS

A few months ago I asked J.A. Cain First National to sell the house at 2 Malvern Ave, Glen Iris, that my wife and I had occupied for 48 years. I could not be more satisfied with the result.

I had approached other firms, but decided that my best choice was to have J.A. Cain do the job. Although it is a small, family firm, it has advantages not always offered by other operators. All the people at J.A. Cain know the area well and were involved in the auction and the lead-up to it. Bryan Cain, the leader of the team, participated in all aspects of the operation, big and small, and was always ready to consult me – he didn’t just turn up to conduct the auction on the day. He and his team ensured that the property was advertised and marketed thoroughly, but not extravagantly. This was demonstrated by the strong and steady flow of potential buyers eager to inspect the property. At the same time Bryan and his colleagues and staff made every effort to keep the lead-up as unobtrusive as possible. They know that selling a house can be a stressful business, and that I was under extra pressure of coping with my wife’s recent death and with the purchase of a new home for myself in Mornington, where I could be closer to my children and their families. Nothing was done without my being given the opportunity to make suggestions and the final decision.

The Glen Iris house is a weatherboard Californian Bungalow. It did have renovation potential, and this point was made to potential buyers. But it was always likely that the property, which is covered by a single-dwelling covenant, would be sold for redevelopment – which is what happened.

I was most impressed by the way Bryan conducted the auction. He and I had the same reserve price in mind form the outset – no argument there! But I was alarmed when the bidding stopped well short of the reserve. After quietly assuring me that I shouldn’t worry, Bryan returned to his task, got the bidding going again and with cool, unhurried confidence nudged the price well beyond the reserve.

The result he achieved set a record top price for a property in Malvern Avenue, which has seen many real estate deals in recent times. I understand that it is still the record for a property sold for redevelopment.

Yours Sincerely
Neil Jillett

1/50 BURWOOD RD, HAWTHORN

Dear Catherine,
 
With respect to the sale of my apartment by auction, I would like to express my thorough appreciation of your company’s performance to Michael, Bryan and yourself.

I am happy to confirm in writing that J.A. Cain First National delivered a most competitent and successful service and in addition showed itself sensitive, helpful and supportive. The entire complex marketing and selling process progressed smoothly and without any untoward incident.

Michael, in particular, gave knowledgeable advice and handled the pre-auction process conscientiously and with charm and reassurance to me. Bryan was, of course, equally successful and very skilled in the auction process.Together with your lovely feminine manner, the three of you make a great team.

I would be happy to recommend your firm to any other seller in this region of greater Melbourne.

Yours sincerely
Pat Keogh

34 FLOWERDALE RD, GLEN IRIS

To the J.A. Cain team,

Thankyou for achieving an amazing result for us in selling our family home.  Given that we are living interstate, your assistance and expert knowledge on the current state of the market, and in preparing our house for sale, was invaluable.  The home was beautifully presented and a sale achieved in very quick time and a minimum of fuss.  We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending JA Cain to our family and friends. 

Kind regards Dean & Fiona Lear

3/7 MCCUBBIN ST, BURWOOD

Dear Catherine,

Paul and I would like to acknowledge your contribution to our recent campaign and ultimately the auction of our home. Due to your efforts and enthusiasm in selling our home, we felt we were able to achieve the best possible result on auction day.

We found both yourself and Bryan to be courteous, clear and concise with your communications throughout the campaign, taking the stress out of a stressful time. The companies combined years of experience in the industry showed in their vast knowledge of the area, putting our minds at ease that we were in safe hands.

So we take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to you and thank you again for your hard work and professionalism. We would unreservedly recommend your services to anyone and would most certainly choose your company again.

We wish you and all the staff at J.A. Cain First National continued success and thank you once again for their efforts.

Yours Sincerely
Paul Bulich & Simone Madigan

12 LEXINGTON ST, VERMONT

To the team at J.A. Cain First National Real estate,

To all who were involved in handling the sale of our property we extend our sincere appreciation of the professional approach to all matters from the initial interview with your managing director to the actual signing of the Contract of Sale.

During this period Catherine Cain gave us tremendous support and advice together with organising inspections with minimum interruption to our daily routine.

We always felt confident and secure in our dealings with your company, this confidence was reinforced by attention to detail and ongoing feedback from prospective purchasers.

Our property sold well above our reserve, this we believe was a direct result of experienced marketing and negotiating skills of your company, plus a sound knowledge of real estate in the area.

We would have no hesitation in recommending J.A. Cain First National to our friends and should the occasion arise, use their services again.

Yours Sincerely
Bill & Mary Walsh

2/35 LITHGOW ST, GLEN IRIS

To the J.A. Cain team,

The business relationship was excellent. I appreciated your agency's ability to read quickly that my personal choice for a private sale was supported by the team and a simple and effective marketing plan put in place promptly. I was buoyed by your confidence in the potential sale and ability to give a realistic and quite compacted market estimate. The ongoing campaign was excellent, with regular feedback and professional advice on how to present the property, very useful for a client who has an inclination towards some untidiness!

The end point in finalising the sale was a supreme effort and I was struck by both Bryan and Catherine, in how you were prepared to put in extra hours to achieve the fine result.

Have already recommended agency to a potential vendor in Glen Iris and am now forever confident in working with an agency that though may not be as big as some of the other agencies in the area in terms of profile, but this family staffed agency has a terrific capacity for personal attention, responsiveness and commitment, and one that really gets the results that are confidently outlined at the start of campaign. Great result for me in this somewhat fragmented market at present, so thanks to the team - no doubt you will continue to achieve great results in the future.

Best wishes.
Kevin McCormack

 1/9 MAVERSTON ST, GLEN IRIS

Dear Catherine and Bryan,

Thank you again for your assistance with selling our home, which we have loved living in and will definitely miss.

In our selection process we were impressed by your listening skills (i.e. what we wanted) and professionalism. The personal approach of your long standing family business made us feel that we weren’t just another listing.

After lots of hard work, we were pleased to achieve a sale and see you be appropriately rewarded for your effort. We would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone else in the area looking to sell a home.

We wish you all the best for the future.

Yours Faithfully
Sonia Spiroska & Michael Mewton

5/8 SUMMERHILL RD, GLEN IRIS

• "I met Bryan and he suggested that an auction was not necessary for the property, but that I should undertake some basic refurbishment. I followed his advice in respect of what I needed to do and also in respect of matters that I did not need to worry about. His advice proved to be 'spot on'. The property went open for inspection early in February. There was good response to the firm's internet listing.  Newspaper advertising was minimal, with the whole advertising expense coming in under budget. Within 3 weeks of being on the market, the property sold at a price higher than we expected. It sold 'as is'; we did not lift a finger.

• "I have worked in customer service for 10 years so I am fussy when it comes to professionalism - I cannot fault J.A.Cain First National.  They realise that both the rentals department and the sales department go hand in hand, they really work as a team.  They are trustworthy and committed to both the customer and the company".