Downsizing.com.au joins forces with leading property agents to give empty nesters the benefit of choice.
Research repeatedly confirms that one of the biggest hurdles to downsizing is finding a suitable property. To help solve this dilemma, Downsizing.com.au is partnering with a number of leading real estate groups to ensure downsizers and baby boomers have the best possible choice available.
New partnerships. More choice for empty-nesters
In February, Downsizing.com.au announced that it is teaming up with Raine & Horne Gosford, one of the leading property group’s top 20 offices Australia-wide, to help empty-nesters, retirees and baby boomers buy and sell homes specific to their needs.
It’s a move that makes a lot of sense.
Geoff Tilden, Proprietor of Raine & Horne Gosford, says, “Gosford is an area traditionally sought-after by retirees, and this has always driven demand for downsizer properties on the Central Coast.”
However, the Central Coast demographic is rapidly changing due to technology and flexible work practices. According to Geoff, more working people aged between 50 and 65, often empty-nesters from Sydney, are keen to downsize on the Central Coast and take advantage of flexible or remote working practices.
Geoff explains, “We see great value in listing properties on Downsizing.com.au – a website that talks directly to baby boomers and the broader community of downsizers.”
A range of properties to suit different goals
It cements Downsizing.com.au as a one-stop shop website for empty-nesters and retirees seeking to downsize into smaller properties or experience a tree or sea change. But what is it about the NSW Central Coast that’s so appealing to downsizers?
“About 40% of the enquiries we receive are from downsizers – with around 50% of this buyer group looking to relocate from Sydney,” says Geoff.
This type of relocation can be a smart strategy. Many empty-nesters moving to Gosford are from the Upper North Shore and the Hills District, and the affordability of the Central Coast means they can enjoy a substantial release of equity in their Sydney homes.
After all, it’s still possible to secure a modern 2-bedroom apartment in Gosford, featuring amenities such as lifts, gyms and swimming pools, for under $600,000. By contrast, the Sydney median house price is over $1 million.
That said, plenty of downsizers are shifting within the Central Coast, often transitioning from bigger houses to low maintenance apartments.
In fact, Geoff says the apartment market on the Central Coast is benefiting greatly from downsizer activity.
Some excellent housing developments are coming online in Gosford. But plenty of baby boomers aren’t yet ready to hang up their work boots, and many want a home that lets them combine work and family. Developers are responding by building more 3-bedroom apartments on the Coast to cater for these empty-nesters.
Greg Oddy of Downsizing.com.au sums up the situation: “We are all about creating choice for people looking to downsize their home. What’s ideal for one downsizer may not be appropriate for another, so we aim to achieve a strong balance of locations, price points and a diverse selection of listed properties.”
Downsizers are embracing different options
By expanding partnerships with leading local agents across the country, Downsizing.com.au is giving downsizers more choice. And it seems empty-nesters are embracing the strategy with 1,500 new email subscribers joining the Downsizing.com.au database each month.
Greg adds, “We also have a deep pool of advertising partners including corporate heavyweights such as Aveo, Lend Lease, Stockland, plus some of Australia’s leading retirement accommodation providers and real estate brands.”
In fact, Downsizing.com.au is attracting the attention of agents operating in popular retirement locations such as NSW’s Central Coast, Nelson Bay, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland and Hobart in Tasmania.
Greg explains, “In our listings section, we offer real estate principals the option of displaying a property but they can also promote an agent or their agency. This choice makes Downsizing.com.au an excellent lead generation tool for real estate agents.”
It makes Downsizing.com.au the ideal meeting place for empty-nesters to connect with property vendors and developers. And it can all be done with the click of a mouse.
Greg Oddy is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Downsizing.com.au
