All posts by Brendan Leahy

Sell Your Home for More with these FIVE Updates

Selling Tips

There are two ways sellers leave money on the table:

1. They list the home as-is (under-prepared), or
2. They over-capitalise on renovations the market won’t pay for.

Both cost you. The sharp move is the middle ground — five low-cost, high-impact updates that consistently lift a Perth Hills home’s sale price without blowing the budget or delaying your campaign.

Here they are.

1. Paint the interior in neutral tones

The cheapest, highest-impact update you can make. Fresh paint says “this home has been cared for.” It also brightens the space, which matters more in Perth Hills homes where established trees and elevation can make interiors feel darker than they really are.

Stick to: warm neutrals — off-whites, soft greys, pale beiges.

Avoid: strong feature walls, trendy colours that date quickly, anything you personally love but the market won’t.

Approximate cost: $2,000–$5,000 for a professional interior repaint depending on size. One of the highest-returning preparation investments you can make.

2. Declutter and depersonalise

This one is free. Most sellers skip it because it’s emotionally hard.

Buyers need to picture themselves living in your home. They can’t do that when every shelf is covered in your family photos, your trophies, your kids’ artwork, or your collection of anything. Pack it.

Rule of thumb: remove half of everything visible. Empty surfaces. Empty walls. Empty wardrobes — buyers will look inside, and full wardrobes signal a lack of storage.

The home should feel like a hotel-staged version of itself, not a lived-in family scrapbook.

Approximate cost: $0. If you don’t have somewhere to put it, hire a small storage unit for the campaign — usually $50–$100 a week.

3. Sort the kerb appeal

Buyers form an opinion within seconds of pulling up. If the front of your home is tired, you’re climbing a hill before they walk through the door.

Quick wins:

– Mow, edge and weed
– Mulch the garden beds
– Paint or replace the front door
– New letterbox if the existing one is faded
– Pressure-wash the driveway and front path
– Add two large pots with healthy plants by the front door
– Clean the windows inside and out

Approximate cost: $500–$2,000. Returns far more than that on sale day.

4. Minor kitchen refresh — NOT a renovation

This is where sellers most often over-capitalise. A full kitchen renovation rarely returns more than it costs at sale.

What works:

– Replace cupboard handles
– Refresh the splashback if it’s dated
– Replace the tapware if it’s tired
– A coat of paint on tired cupboards
– Deep-clean the oven, rangehood and benches

Approximate cost: $1,000–$4,000 for the whole refresh.

Do NOT rip out and replace the kitchen unless it’s genuinely unusable. The maths almost never works in the seller’s favour.

5. Modernise the lighting

Old pendant lights and yellow bulbs date a home faster than almost anything else. Walk through your home at night and look up. If the fittings are dated, replace them.

The simplest version: replace every bulb with a modern warm-white LED. Brighter, cleaner, instant lift. A few dollars per bulb.

The next step up: for visible fittings — the pendant over the dining table, the vanity lights in bathrooms, the entry light — invest a bit more. Modern fittings are widely available and disproportionately impactful for the price.

Approximate cost: $200–$1,500 depending on how far you take it.

The trap: over-capitalising

What sellers should NOT do before going to market:

– Full kitchen renovation
– Full bathroom renovation
– New flooring (unless the existing is genuinely unsalvageable)
– Pool installation
– Extensions or additions

These rarely return more than they cost. They also delay your campaign by months. If a buyer wants to renovate, let them — and price the home accordingly.

The point of these five updates is to remove buyer objections, not to add features. Buyers pay a premium for a home that’s presented and move-in ready. They don’t pay extra for someone else’s renovation choices.

The truth about presentation

Presentation matters. So does pricing. So does method.

Naked Real Estate averaged 14.01% above list price across 79 settled sales in 2025 and has been ranked on the REB Top 50 Agents WA every year from 2022 to 2025. That premium doesn’t come from any single thing — it comes from a defined process that combines correct presentation, sharp pricing, and the trademarked Select Date Sale® method to create competitive tension between qualified buyers.

Updates help. Strategy is what closes.

Truth. Strategy. Sold.

Book an appraisal

Thinking of selling? Book an appraisal with Brendan Leahy at Naked Real Estate for a frank discussion about what to fix, what to skip, and what your home is genuinely worth in today’s market.

See our full industry recognition for the complete track record.

How To Spot A Dud Agent

Selling Tips, Uncategorized

The wrong choice of agent can cost you thousands. In a softer market, tens of thousands. In a strong market, you’ll never know how much you left on the table — because the agent won’t tell you, and you won’t ask.

Here are the warning signs to watch for before you sign anything.

 1. They overvalue your home to win the listing

Some agents tell you what you want to hear. They quote a higher figure than the market will support, win the listing, and then “condition” you down once the campaign starts and the offers don’t come in.

By that point, your home has been sitting on the market for weeks. Buyers notice. Days on market kills price.

What to ask: “Can you show me three recent comparable sales — last 90 days, same suburb, same style — that justify this price?” If they can’t show you, the price is fiction.

 2. They quote a fee but not a method

A fee with no method is a transaction. A method is a strategy. If your agent can’t explain HOW they’ll get you the best price — the marketing schedule, the buyer pipeline, the negotiation framework, the date strategy — they’re winging it.

Brendan has been in real estate since 2002 and developed the trademarked Select Date Sale® method specifically because winging it costs sellers money.

3. They can’t speak fluently about your suburb

Test them. Ask street-level questions.

In Mount Nasura, can they explain the difference between Lower Mount Nasura and the Blackwood Drive hillside? In Bedfordale, do they know which streets attract families versus lifestyle buyers? In Kelmscott, can they walk you through the difference between Clifton Hills, central, and the redevelopment pockets?

If they’re vague, they don’t sell there often enough. Suburb medians are not local knowledge. Streets are.

4. Their reviews don’t stack up

Check Google reviews AND RateMyAgent. Both. Plenty of agents game one platform — fewer can sustain both.

A solid baseline I’d recommend looking for: 50+ Google reviews, 100+ RateMyAgent reviews, star rating 4.7 or higher. If the volume is thin or the rating is patchy, ask why.

For reference: Naked Real Estate currently sits at 4.9★ on Google with 166 reviews and 4.9★ on RateMyAgent with 380 reviews.

5. They’re easy to reach during the courtship, hard to reach after you sign

This is the most common complaint sellers have AFTER they’ve signed. Calls go unreturned. Emails take 48 hours. Open homes happen without a debrief.

Ask their previous clients directly: “How quickly did they get back to you during your campaign?” If they won’t give you references, that’s a flag in itself.

6. They get defensive when asked hard questions

Watch what happens when you push back. A good agent welcomes the challenge — it shows you’re serious. A dud agent gets twitchy, deflects, or starts selling harder.

You’re hiring someone to negotiate hundreds of thousands of dollars on your behalf. If they wilt under questions from you, what happens when a sharp buyer pushes them?

7. They don’t qualify buyers

A dud agent brings every buyer through your home. A good agent qualifies first — finance approved, genuine intent, suburb-locked, realistic about price.

Walking unqualified buyers through your home isn’t service. It’s lazy. It wastes your time and signals desperation when offers don’t follow inspections.

What to ask: “How do you qualify buyers before bringing them through?”

8. They lead with discounts and gimmicks

Free appraisals are standard. But if the pitch is “we’re the cheapest” or “we’ll throw in X for free,” that’s a sign they have nothing else to offer.

Cheap commission usually buys cheap service. And cheap service usually costs you on the sale price.

The maths: a 1% fee saving on a $900,000 home is $9,000. A 2% price gain from a sharper agent is $18,000. The fee isn’t the number that matters.

What good looks like

A good agent:

– Justifies their price with recent comparable sales, not optimism
– Explains their method, not just their fee
– Knows your suburb at street level
– Has stacks of reviews on multiple platforms
– Returns calls and runs proper debriefs
– Welcomes hard questions
– Qualifies buyers before walking them through your home
– Charges what their service is worth and proves the value

The Naked Real Estate difference

Naked Real Estate has been operating since 2012, founded as Brendan Leahy Real Estate in 2006. We use a defined methodology — the trademarked Select Date Sale® — and across 79 settled sales in 2025, we averaged 14.01% above list price.

Industry recognition:

– REB Top 50 Agents WA — every year 2022 to 2025, peaking at #14 in 2022
– RateMyAgent Agent of the Year for Bedfordale, Mount Nasura, Roleystone and Kelmscott across multiple years — client-reviewed
– 2023 REIWA Agency of the Year — Bedfordale, Kelmscott and Mount Nasura
– REIWA Grand Master and Master Salesperson recognition
– REIA National Finalist for Innovation, 2008

Reviews: 4.9★ on Google (166 reviews) and 4.9★ on RateMyAgent (380 reviews).

We’re not the cheapest. We’re not the loudest. We’re the ones who can show you the method, the data, and the receipts.

Truth. Strategy. Sold.

Thinking of selling in the Perth Hills? Book an appraisal with Brendan Leahy at Naked Real Estate for a direct, no-fluff conversation about what your home is worth and how to get the most for it.

Do I Really Need a Property Appraisal Before Selling? The Truth From 24 Years in Perth Hills By Brendan Leahy, Naked Real Estate

Uncategorized
Short answer: yes. Absolutely. The longer answer? One appraisal isn’t enough — and the agent who tells you it is probably isn’t the agent you want selling your biggest asset. I’ve been in real estate since 2002. I founded my own agency in 2006 and rebranded it as Naked Real Estate in 2012. Across that time, I’ve personally settled over 1,500 sales in the Perth Hills. And I’ve watched seller after seller leave hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table because they either skipped the appraisal process or trusted the wrong agent to do it. This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a warning.

Why one appraisal isn’t enough

The journey from “we’re thinking about selling” to the SOLD sticker going up usually takes about six months. In our Perth Hills suburbs — Bedfordale, Kelmscott, Roleystone, Mount Nasura, Mount Richon and Seville Grove — the market has moved roughly 13.2% in the past six months. If you took an appraisal six months ago and list at that number today, you’re listing at yesterday’s price. You’re leaving money on the table before the first buyer walks through the door. Here’s the process I recommend to every seller: 1. Get an appraisal as soon as you start thinking about selling — even if you’re six months out. 1. Ask the agent for a list of improvements that could lift your final sale price. 1. Do the work (or pay someone to do it). 1. Get an updated appraisal before going to market. The first appraisal sets your baseline and your to-do list. The second appraisal captures what the market — and your improvements — have done since. Both are completely free. That’s the part most sellers don’t realise. You’re getting professional advice on your largest financial asset at no cost. Why wouldn’t you take it?

A real example — Bedfordale, six months ago

A few months back I appraised a deceased estate in Bedfordale. The kids were cleaning the place out and planning to take it to market as-is. My initial appraisal: $1.2 to $1.25 million I told them: get a skip bin in to declutter, throw on a fresh coat of paint, and if you can stretch to it, put new carpet in the bedrooms. None of those costs are fixed — a small skip bin and a single touch-up coat is a very different bill to a large skip and a full two-coat repaint right through the home — but for their place, the total came in modestly. They did the work. Honestly, I was surprised at how well they pulled it off. When I came back for the second appraisal, I revised my expectation up to $1.35 to $1.4 million. We listed it from $1.4 million. Three weeks later it sold for $1,515,000. Run the numbers. Top of the original “as-is” appraisal: $1.25 million. Final sale: $1.515 million. That’s a $265,000 difference — and it sold $115,000 above the asking price as well. That’s the case for getting an appraisal. That’s the case for actually listening to the recommendations.

What happens when you skip it

The flip side is just as real, and I see it constantly. A nearby property recently went to market with another agent. With a skip bin and some basic decluttering — maybe a weekend’s work — that home should have sold for $700,000 to $750,000. The other agent listed it at $600,000. It sold for $585,000. That’s a $115,000 to $165,000 hit because nobody took the appraisal process seriously. Here’s why this happens. When a buyer walks into a property and sees clutter, dated paint, worn carpet — they start a mental list. “I need to do this. I need to fix that. I need to take this off the price.” Every item on that list comes off your sale price. And once a buyer starts that calculation, you’ve lost negotiating power before the offer is even written. A good agent sees that list before the buyer does. A proper appraisal accounts for it and tells you what to fix — before it costs you tens of thousands.

Agent resistance — and why some sellers ignore the advice

Not every seller follows through on the improvement list. The pushback usually comes in three flavours: – “It’s not worth spending the money.” It almost always is. Look at the Bedfordale numbers again. – “Another agent told us we don’t need to bother.” That agent wants the easy listing. They’re not thinking about your wallet. – “There’s no one to do the work.” Sometimes that’s genuine — elderly owners, deceased estates, interstate sellers. In those cases, hire someone. It still pays for itself many times over. I get it. Spending money before you’ve made any feels backwards. But the math is the math. A modest investment in presentation often returns ten, twenty, fifty times that in sale price.

Agent appraisal vs bank valuation — know the difference

Here’s a confusion I want to clear up, because it trips sellers up constantly. A real estate agent’s appraisal is not a legal valuation. Real estate agents are registered or licensed real estate professionals — we’re not licensed valuers. We give you a market opinion based on comparable sales, current buyer demand and local knowledge. That’s powerful — it’s what actually gets your home sold for the highest price. But we cannot legally provide a written valuation for a bank, a court, or a legal proceeding. I see this come up in divorce cases. Solicitors will sometimes ask three agents in to provide appraisals to help establish a property value. More often than not the judge will look at them and say, “I want a licensed valuation from a licensed valuer” — and that’s a separate person, a separate process, and it costs money. So: – Need a number for a mortgage, a court matter, or a settlement? You need a licensed valuer. – Want to sell your home for the best possible price? You need a sharp real estate agent who knows your suburb cold. Two different jobs. Two different professionals.

Short timeline? You can still make it work

Sometimes life doesn’t give you six months. You need to sell in eight weeks, not half a year. The appraisal process is still essential — you just compress it. Focus on the fixes that move the dial fastest for the least money: – Declutter. A skip bin and a weekend. – Fresh mulch in the front garden. Sounds almost too simple, but it’s one of the most effective kerb-appeal upgrades there is. – Swap old lights for LEDs. Most are plug-in. A few need a quick electrician. The difference between a dim, dated room and a bright modern one is enormous — and buyers feel it the second they walk in. Even with a tight timeline, you can lift a home’s presentation significantly. A proper appraisal tells you exactly where to spend that limited time and money.

The industry problem nobody wants to discuss

Here’s the part of this industry I’ll say out loud when most agents won’t. Agents are trained — from day one — that the listing is what matters. To survive in real estate, you need to get the contract signed. That pressure leads to a practice we call conditioning. It works like this. An agent comes to your appraisal and tells you what you want to hear — a big number. Bigger than the next agent. Big enough to win the listing. You sign the contract, and then over the next five or six weeks the story slowly changes. > “The market’s softened.” > “Buyer feedback hasn’t been great.” > “We’re not getting the offers we hoped for.” > “You’ll need to drop the price.” That’s conditioning. The agent never believed in the price they quoted. They needed your signature. Now they need a sale — at any price — to get paid. And here’s the trap. Most agents will push you to sign on for 90 to 120 days. There’s no hard rule on listing length — you can technically agree to seven days if you want — but most sellers don’t realise that, and most agents won’t volunteer it. Once you’ve signed for the longer term, switching agents mid-contract risks you paying two lots of commission. The internet has made this worse, not better. Sellers come to appraisals armed with information they’ve pulled off Google — and a lot of it is dead wrong. That makes them easier to mislead with a flashy number from an agent who’s quoting to win, not to sell. At Naked Real Estate, we put a guarantee in writing in every appraisal pack. If you’re not happy at any stage, you can pull the pin. No commission trap. If we’re not doing the job, you’re not stuck with us. That guarantee exists because the industry needs it.

The bottom line

Do you really need a property appraisal before selling? Yes. You probably need two. And you definitely need an agent who’ll give you: – The honest number — not the inflated one designed to win the listing. – The honest improvement list — even if it means delaying the sale a few weeks. – The honest follow-through — backed by something more than a handshake. The appraisal is free. The conditioning game costs Perth Hills sellers tens of thousands of dollars every single week. If you’re thinking about selling in the next six months in Bedfordale, Kelmscott, Roleystone, Mount Nasura, Mount Richon or Seville Grove, get an appraisal now. Whether you call us or someone else, get one in writing, get a list of value-adding improvements, and ask the agent to back their number with something more than a smile and a signature. The wrong choice of agent can cost you tens of thousands. So why risk your biggest asset

Truth. Strategy. Sold.

Brendan Leahy is the founder and CEO of Naked Real Estate, specialising in the Perth Hills since 2006. In 2025 the team settled 79 sales at an average of 14.01% above list price. To book a free appraisal, call (08) 6254 6333 or visit nakedrealestate.com.au.

NAB Quarterly Property Survey – Commercial Report

Buying, Selling

The Commercial Property Report for December 2024 is here.

Key highlights:

  • The NAB Commercial Property Index moved back into positive territory in the December quarter amid improved expectations for future capital growth and rents.
  • Sentiment was higher in all sectors and turned positive for office property for the first time in almost 3 years.
  • Market sentiment improved in all states bar Victoria, which is now the only state in negative territory. It is also lagging the rest of the country in all sectors, particularly office and retail.

For more detail, please see the attached report.
NABCommercialPropertySurvey(Q42024) (1)

Australian Property Investor Q4 2024 Property Sentiment Report

Buying Tips

Q4 2024 Property Sentiment Report

Australian Property Investor Magazine is excited to publish our latest Property Sentiment Report, available to you for free!

This comprehensive report is based on survey responses from our readers during the fourth quarter of 2024. It provides valuable insights into our audience’s outlook on the property market, including their concerns, 12-month forecasts, buying intentions, and highlights changes compared to previous survey results.

Download your free copy of the Q4 2024 Property Sentiment Report to explore:

Key insights
Property market concerns
Sentiment on interest rates and finance
Investor transaction plans
Comparisons with past survey data
Respondent feedback… and much more!

Download your copy now!

2022-23 Federal Budget – What We Know And How It Effects Real Estate

Buying Tips

The 2022-23 Federal Budget has officially been handed down, so what does this all mean for Real Estate? Within the budget there were a few different strategies aimed at assisting the housing industry, read on to find out more… 

 

National Housing Accord

Housing supply has been one of the focuses with the Federal Government setting a target to build one million affordable homes over a five year period which commences in 2024. This will be done through a new National Housing Accord, which has been seen as a good start to tackling the housing crisis but is definitely far from a solution. Under this accord both state and territory governments will be accountable for meeting these targets and changing land release and zoning of properties. 

Another item the accord is focusing on is 10,000 new affordable 7-star rated, which is the new standard raised from 5.5 stars,  green homes which will be funded through a new financing model through the accord. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rates Australian homes out of 10 based on its energy efficiency, things that impact the rating are: Layout, Insulation, Design Features, Building Materials, Orientation and Aspect.

The breakdown

The Federal Government has also extended the exemption of home sale proceeds from asset testing which is especially important for pensioners looking to relocate without affecting their pensions. 

 

A few other mentions are the previously announced: Help to Buy equity scheme, First Home Guarentee Scheme, Regional First Home Support Scheme being actioned. All housing tax settings are safe (including negative gearing). The acceleration of the $10 Billion Housing Australia Future Fund. 

What the experts say

REIA President Hayden Groves highlighted the importance to remember that the recent budget won’t be an immediate fix to the housing and rental affordability issues. 

 

Mr Groves mentions “Since May, repayments on a $500,000 mortgage have increased by almost $700 each month, and household savings is forecast to slump below pre-pandemic levels,” 

 

“Constraints on housing supply, including a backlog of new builds from supply chain pressures, all mean affordability pressures for home buyers and renters are unfortunately likely to continue.” 

 

“affordable housing measures, whilst both necessary and welcome, will have no immediate impact on housing and rental affordability and availability woes for many Australians”. He concludes.

 

So we can definitely see a firm stance on housing supply and affordability with the 2022-23 Federal Budget.

Perth Property Market Stays Strong

Selling, Selling Tips

Over the last few weeks we have been inundated with information about property prices slowing due to interest rate hikes. While we can’t deny this is happening in a few states, we aren’t seeing this for the Perth property market. In fact, sixty five suburbs in Perth have had median sales prices increase over the month of July. 

REIWA President Damian Collins said “The Perth market typically slows in winter, so it’s pleasing that when we drill down to suburb level, a large number are still seeing growth – especially considering the three recent interest rate rises,”

 

We have found buyers are still out in force, and aren’t deterred by the wild weather Perth has been experiencing. One of the Naked Real Estate properties had a private viewing scheduled for 2pm Tuesday (2nd of August) which was one of the many days we have had strong storms this week, in the morning of that viewing the agent for this property decided to open it to the public. The home open was only advertised to the public for a few hours, and yet four parties came through plus the original interested viewer and an offer was made on the same day. 

 

After the interest rate rises were announced most capital cities experienced at least a slight decline in home values, but the Perth property market has still seen continued growth. Mr Collins has a few suggestions as to why we are seeing this trend in other capital cities but not our own, he states

“Western Australia’s strong economy, growing population and affordable housing mean we are in a much better position to manage the increased costs of servicing a loan than our east-coast counterparts. We’re also experiencing a housing and labor shortage simultaneously. We have low stock levels and properties are not being built quick enough. For as long as this remains an issue, competition amongst buyers will remain high and prices will continue to rise.”

 

Time on Market and Listing Numbers

Perth Properties are staying on the market for a day longer than June. The median time to sell a house is sitting at 17 days for July, but even with a slight decline this is still two days faster than July of last year. The amount of listings, which on REIWA is currently 8,592, is still at a similar level to the June numbers. These low listing numbers could be part of the reason the housing market remains so competitive in Perth compared to other states. 

 

The fastest selling suburbs for July were as follows:

  • East Cannington: Average of 4 days on market
  • Parmelia: Average of 5 days on market
  • Orelia: Average of 5 days on market
  • Erskine: Average of 6 days on market
  • Padbury: Average of 6 days on market.

 

 

 

Perth House Prices Highest in Years- And they Won’t Slow Down Yet.

Selling Tips

As a Real Estate Agency we often get asked when is a good time to sell your property, and while there are many factors that go into this answer we think the current market is ideal if you’re looking to sell quickly and get a great price! 

Want to know why we say that so confidently, then read on.

 

Median House Prices Soar

The median Perth house price has risen again, now officially surpassing the median recorded during the housing boom of 2014. Domain statistics have shown that the price of a Perth home has increased by 1.5% in the first three months of 2022 alone! The Median price for a house in Perth is now sitting at $622,000 compared to the previous record of $616,000 in 2014. 

 

During the pandemic families realized they needed bigger yards, and more space inside and they were happy to pay to upsize. With the Perth borders now open, and interstate buyers running to enter the property market we’ve seen an influx in interest in Perth property to live and invest. This isn’t slowing down either, while we’ve seen an initial rush from interstate buyers and Perth residents moving back home we predict there are still individuals that are keen to enter the market who haven’t made the first step yet. While the property prices smash Perth records, they are still relatively affordable compared to the other capital cities which is why the property shortage won’t ease for a while and why we can confidently say our vendors are getting great prices for their properties and they’re selling in weeks. Perth property overall continues to sell quickly, and produces great prices for sellers. 

 

The President of the Real Estate Institute of WA, Mr. Damian Collins has explained that he believes these conditions will continue for the remainder of the year 

“We don’t anticipate market conditions slowing any time soon, with a further 10 per cent price growth expected in the 2022 calendar year.”

 

2022 Federal Election- How it Affects the Current Market

The above figures can comfort buyers and sellers that are anxious with the incoming 2022 Federal Election. From what both of the major parties have currently announced, neither party has said they will make any major changes to housing policy which could impact property investors, first time buyers or general buyers. Experts are saying that this time around the election should have very little impact on buyer and seller confidence, or market conditions which is a relief for all. In the 2016 and 2019 Elections the proposed changes to negative gearing lead to market doubt, but in the current election there is bipartisan support to hold on to negative gearing which means more certainty for the property market. So even with an upcoming Federal Election, we can see that the Perth Property Market will remain strong.

 

While writing this blog post the Labor party has announced a new shared equity scheme. This would actually make it easier to enter the housing market for individuals earning less than $90,000, or couples earning less than $120,000 that have no property currently. The scheme has 10,000 spots available, and sees the government cover 30-40% of the purchase price by taking part ownership of the property. The percentage is able to be bought back by the homeowner from the Government, or they can leave the shared ownership. The only conditions are to live in the property for two years and, if an owners’ income increases during this period, they would be required to start purchasing more of the property.

 

Are you looking to sell your home? Why not book a free appraisal with one of our agents, and see how your property measures up in the current market.