Everything before we list · Western Australia

The sale is won before the sign goes in.

Selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people ever make. And here's what ten years in this industry has taught me: the difference between an average result and a great one is rarely luck. It gets built in the weeks before your home goes live.

This guide covers what actually moves your final price. Why marketing matters more than most agents let on. Why presentation and pricing decide your first fortnight. What agent fees really cover, and how to choose an agent based on their plan rather than their pitch.

There's no obligation attached to any of it. It's simply what I'd want handed to me if I were the one selling.

Ben Wood · Licensed Sales Consultant · Summit Realty South West · benwoodrealestate.com

Ben Wood, Licensed Sales Consultant at Summit Realty South West
Meet your agent

Ben Wood

I've spent ten years in real estate, working almost entirely across Bunbury, Australind, Eaton, Binningup, Myalup and Preston Beach. This isn't a region I studied for a job. It's where I live, and where I plan to keep working. I'm not the loudest agent in the room, and I don't think I need to be. What clients tell me they value most is that I communicate honestly, follow through on what I say I'll do, and treat their sale like it's the only one I'm working that week.

I work alongside the team at Summit Realty South West, a family-owned agency that's been part of this region since 1996. So you get my direct attention, backed by a business with three decades of local runs on the board.

10 years experience4.9 / 5 · RateMyAgent580+ registered buyersSummit Realty South West
Contents
01 Why marketing decides your price 02 Presentation pays. Here's the checklist 03 Pricing: the first fortnight decides it 04 The market you're selling into 05 How selling actually works in WA 06 Fees, explained honestly 07 Choosing an agent (and the traps) 08 My campaign, week by week 09 Common questions
Chapter 01

Why marketing decides your price

A sign in the ground and a listing on the portals isn't a marketing campaign. It's the bare minimum.

The gap between an average result and an exceptional one almost always comes down to three things. How the property is presented. How many of the right buyers see it. How much genuine competition exists before offers are due.

None of that happens by accident. Buyers don't pay more because a home is listed. They pay more because they've fallen for it, and because they know someone else has too. Good marketing creates both of those conditions on purpose.

Where buyers actually spend their time on a listing

Eye-tracking research on how buyers view online listings

Photos
60%
Description
20%
Everything else
20%
118%

more online views for listings with professional photography compared to amateur shots.

5–10%

higher final sale prices are typical for well-staged, well-presented homes.

82%

of buyer's agents say staging helps buyers picture themselves living in a home.

Sources: Redfin listing research; National Association of Realtors, Profile of Home Staging; Australian property styling industry data.

The point

Professional photography, video and drone coverage, a proper digital rollout and a structured offer process aren't add-ons in my campaigns. They're the foundation everything else is built on, and they routinely return multiples of what they cost.

Chapter 02

Presentation pays. Literally.

Preparing your home properly before launch is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to lift your final sale price.

Buyers decide how they feel about a home within moments. First online, then again before they've reached your front door. Presentation isn't about making your place look like a display village. It's about removing every small reason for a buyer to hesitate, and giving them room to picture their own life in it.

The good news? Most of what moves the needle costs elbow grease, not money.

$2–$5

typical return for every $1 spent on professional staging, according to Australian styling industry studies.

49%

of staged homes sold within the first week in one Australian study. 87% sold within four.

Faster

Staged and well-presented homes consistently spend fewer days on market. Fresh listings attract stronger offers than stale ones.

Below is the same room-by-room checklist I give my own sellers. It's a guide, not a requirement. We'll prioritise the handful of changes that matter most, which is usually street appeal and decluttering, and I can help organise trades if something bigger is needed.

1. Street appeal

Buyers decide how they feel about a home before they even reach the door.

  • Mow lawns and tidy garden beds. Remove dead plants and debris
  • Pressure clean paths and driveway where possible
  • Clean windows and external doors
  • Add simple touches: fresh mulch, a new doormat, a trimmed hedge, a pot plant

2. General cleaning & decluttering

A tidy, open home feels bigger, lighter, and more inviting.

  • Remove excess furniture and clear benchtops and surfaces
  • Wipe down walls, ovens, appliances and skirting boards
  • Declutter cupboards, wardrobes and the pantry. Buyers do look
  • Remove personal photos where possible

3. Light & space

Light sells. Dark rooms read as small rooms.

  • Replace any blown lightbulbs and clean light fixtures
  • Open blinds and curtains fully. Remove heavy curtains where possible

4. Repairs & touch-ups

Small defects make buyers wonder what else has been neglected.

  • Patch and paint minor wall marks. Fix sticking doors, handles and taps
  • Replace cracked tiles or damaged fittings
  • Confirm smoke alarms and RCDs are working (a legal requirement)

5. Kitchen & bathrooms

These rooms influence buyer emotion, and price, more than any other.

  • Clear benches and put away personal items
  • Confirm every tap, drain, fan and light works
  • Deep clean showers, grout, sinks and glass
  • Fresh towels and neutral accessories for presentation

6. Bedrooms

Calm, neutral rooms let buyers imagine their own.

  • Remove bulky furniture. Fresh, neutral bedding
  • Clean windows and mirrors. Keep wardrobes tidy (yes, buyers look)

7. Outdoor areas

Buyers value lifestyle as much as they value the house itself.

  • Wipe down outdoor furniture and sweep alfresco or patio areas
  • Remove toys, tools and clutter. Clean the BBQ area
  • Mow, edge and tidy any backyard space

8. Pets

We love them. Buyers don't always want to smell (or meet) them.

  • Remove bedding, food bowls and toys during viewings
  • Take them for a walk if possible. Some buyers are wary of dogs, even the goodest boys

9. On the day of photography & home opens

This is the version of your home the whole campaign is built on.

  • Open all blinds and curtains. Turn all lights on
  • Hide cords, bins, remotes and toiletries. Move cars off the driveway
  • Fresh airflow through the home, and soft background music if you like
Chapter 03

Pricing: the first fortnight decides it

Your home will never have more attention than in its first two weeks on market. Pricing strategy is about using that window, not wasting it.

Every portal alert, every buyer notification, every "just listed" email fires in week one. The serious buyers see your home immediately. These are people who've been watching the market for months and know exactly what things are worth. If your price reads as fair, they act, and competition does the rest. If it reads as ambitious, they don't argue with you. They simply don't show up.

That's the part overpricing gets wrong. An overpriced home doesn't sell slowly at the high price. It sits. The market watches the days-on-market count climb, and buyers start asking what's wrong with it. When the price cut finally comes, it lands on a smaller and more sceptical audience. The final result is regularly below what accurate pricing would have achieved in week two.

Buyer enquiry over a campaign

Illustrative pattern: a well-priced launch versus an overpriced one

High Low Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Priced right: offers land here Late price cut, smaller audience

So what does a proper price look like? Not a number picked to win your listing. A real appraisal is built from recent comparable sales in your immediate area, current buyer activity and enquiry levels, your home's condition and presentation, and broader market conditions. I'll always give you a conservative figure and a more optimistic one, so you can plan realistically for either.

The honest version

The agent who quotes you the highest number isn't necessarily the one who'll get you the highest price. Sometimes that number is just the price of your signature, and the market corrects it at your expense. Ask every agent to show you the comparable sales behind their figure.

Chapter 04

The market you're selling into

Some good news. The South West is one of the strongest property markets in the country right now. Here's what that means for you.

$785K

Median house sale price in Bunbury. The upper quartile is above $1M.

+12.6%

Annual growth in Bunbury's median sale price.

45

Median days on market for a Bunbury house. Well-priced homes are moving fast.

10%+

REIWA's forecast house price growth for WA in 2026, with regional centres tipped to lead.

Annual price growth across the patch

Change in median house sale price over the past 12 months, by postcode (REIWA/Landgate)

Harvey · 6220
+30.9%
Eaton · 6232
+17.5%
Australind · 6233
+15.9%
Bunbury · 6230
+12.6%

What's driving it. Stock levels across the region remain very low while buyer demand stays deep. Lifestyle migration, a strong local economy and major projects like the Transforming Bunbury's Waterfront development keep bringing people here, and new home building hasn't kept pace. More buyers than homes is the simplest description of this market.

What it means for you. A strong market rewards a well-run campaign disproportionately. When several motivated buyers compete for limited stock, presentation, marketing reach and a structured offer process convert that competition into real dollars. A strong market forgives a weak campaign. It just doesn't pay it.

Sources: REIWA/Landgate suburb data (median house sale price, 12-month growth by anchor suburb for each postcode); REIWA 2026 market forecast. Figures current at time of writing (mid-2026) and they move with the market. At an appraisal I'll walk you through the sales evidence for your street, current to that week.

Chapter 05

How selling actually works in WA

Every state does this differently. Here's the WA version, from appraisal to settlement.

Appraisal & strategy

An evidence-based price opinion, plus a plan: method of sale, timing, presentation priorities and the marketing your home actually needs. Not a one-size-fits-all package.

The agency agreement

The selling agency agreement sets out the fee, the listing term and what's included. All of it agreed upfront, nothing buried in fine print. Read it, ask questions, and don't sign anything you don't understand.

Compliance & paperwork

WA requires compliant hard-wired smoke alarms and RCDs before settlement. Title details, rates and water information, approvals for any additions and disclosure of known material facts all get organised early so nothing delays you later.

Preparation & launch

Presentation work, professional photography and the full marketing build happen before launch. Your home hits the market at full strength, not half-ready.

Offers on the O&A

WA offers come in writing on the Offer & Acceptance contract with the Joint Form of General Conditions. Price, deposit, settlement date and any conditions (finance, building inspection, subject to sale) are all negotiable. You accept, reject or counter.

No cooling-off period

WA has none. Once both parties sign, the contract is binding, subject only to its written conditions. As a seller that's security: a signed offer with clean conditions is a real sale, not a maybe.

Conditions & going unconditional

The buyer's finance gets formally approved, usually within about 21 days, and inspections happen. Once every condition is satisfied the contract goes unconditional. The sale is locked in.

Settlement

Your settlement agent (conveyancer) handles the legal transfer, adjusts rates and water, and lodges everything with Landgate. Typically 30 to 60 days after acceptance, the property changes hands and the funds land in your account.

Chapter 06

Fees, explained honestly

Nobody loves talking about fees. So let's do it properly: how they work, what they cover, and how to compare quotes without getting burnt.

How agent fees work in WA. Most agents charge a percentage of the final sale price, agreed upfront in the agency agreement and payable only when your home actually sells. There's no set rate in WA and fees are fully negotiable. Structures vary too: a flat percentage, a fixed fee, or an incentive model where the rate steps up if the agent clears an agreed threshold. That last one ties the agent's reward directly to your result.

What the fee should buy you. Not just access to the portals. It should cover strategy, pricing evidence, buyer qualification and management, negotiation, a structured offer process, communication through the campaign, and steering the sale through to settlement. When you compare agents, compare what each of those looks like. Not just the number.

Marketing is usually separate. Photography, portal placement, signage and digital advertising are typically billed separately from commission. That's normal. But it should be itemised, agreed in writing before anything is signed, and sized to your campaign. No surprise invoices, and no pressure to spend more than your home needs.

The maths worth doing

On Bunbury's $785,000 median house price

Fee gap, 0.5%
$3.9K
Result gap, 5%
$39K

The gap between fee quotes is usually a fraction of a percent. The gap between an average campaign and a great one is regularly several percent of your sale price. The fee is the small number in this equation.

A fair question to ask any agent

"What does your fee include, and what will your campaign do that a cheaper one won't?" A good agent can answer in specifics: strategy, database, process, evidence. If the answer is vague, the fee is the least of your worries.

The discount trap

An agent who folds instantly on their own fee is showing you exactly how they'll negotiate with buyers on your price. And a cut-price service often means cut-price marketing and a "list it and hope" campaign. Cheap can be very expensive.

Where I stand

My fee structure is simple and I'm happy to walk you through it, including an incentive option that ties my reward directly to your result. Every cost is agreed transparently in writing before you sign anything. Ask me at your appraisal and you'll get a straight answer, in dollars, for your home.

Chapter 07

Choosing an agent, and the traps

You'll likely interview two or three agents. Here's how to run those conversations so the best campaign wins, not the best pitch.

Most agents are decent people who work hard. But a listing presentation is still a sales pitch, and a few classic moves show up again and again. Knowing them puts you back in control.

The conditioning play

Quote high to win the listing, then spend six weeks talking your expectations down using "market feedback". The listing was never worth the quote. The quote was the price of your signature. Ask for the comparable sales behind any appraisal figure, and be wary of the number that's mysteriously higher than everyone else's.

The vanish

Wonderful before you sign, radio silence after. You deserve a call after every inspection with honest feedback, good or bad. Not a monthly summary when you chase them. Ask: "How often will I hear from you, and who exactly will I be dealing with?"

The package shuffle

A glossy "marketing pack" where your money buys generic branding for the agency more than exposure for your home. Every marketing dollar should have one job: reaching a buyer who might pay more. Ask what each line item does and what happens if you remove it.

The open-and-hope

List it, open it Saturday, wait. No launch strategy, no buyer database, no offer deadline, no tension. Ask every agent to walk you through their first fourteen days. If the answer is a shrug and a home open, keep interviewing.

Seven questions that sort good agents from bad:

What are the three comparable sales behind your price?

Evidence, not enthusiasm. A good agent has these ready and explains the differences honestly.

Walk me through your first fourteen days.

The launch window is everything. You're listening for a plan that's ready before day one.

How many active, qualified buyers do you have for a home like mine right now?

A real database with real numbers beats "we'll find them" every time.

How do you handle multiple offers?

A structured best-and-final process is one of the biggest levers on your result. "We just present them" is the wrong answer.

What will you tell me after each home open?

You want specific buyer feedback and the truth. Not "lots of interest!" for six straight weeks.

What's included in your fee, and what's extra?

Full written breakdown before you sign. Vagueness now becomes invoices later.

Who actually does the work? You, or someone I haven't met?

Some big names sell the listing and hand the campaign to a junior. Know who you're hiring.

Chapter 08

My campaign, week by week

Here's my plan in full, so you can compare it against anyone. Ten years in, one thing has proven true every time: a clear plan creates momentum, and momentum builds the competition that maximises your result.

Weeks 1–2 · The foundation

  • Presentation review: simple, high-impact tips that help buyers picture themselves living in the home
  • Compliance documentation organised upfront, so there are no delays later
  • Professional photography, video and drone, showcasing the lifestyle rather than just the floorplan
  • Marketing build: ad copy, social rollout, email blast and neighbourhood flyers, all prepared before launch

Week 3 · Launch week

  • Live on all major portals with the full marketing firing at once
  • 580+ registered South West buyers notified the minute the listing goes live
  • Every enquiry answered instantly, not the next day
  • First home opens scheduled to concentrate buyer competition, not scatter it

Through the campaign

  • Honest, transparent feedback after every single viewing, good or bad
  • Ten years of reading buyers: who's hot, who's warm, who's just looking
  • If the market talks back, we adjust together. Price, presentation or approach, discussed openly rather than waiting and hoping

The multiple-offer process

  • In this market, competition beats negotiation every time
  • When genuine interest builds, every party is asked for their absolute best and final offer
  • The number where, if they missed by $500, they'd still feel they gave it everything
  • It consistently delivers results above market average. One of the biggest levers in the entire campaign
4.9/5

RateMyAgent rating across 50+ client reviews. Awarded the Trusted Agent badge, June 2026.

580+

Registered local buyers across the South West, notified the minute a listing goes live.

10 yrs

Working almost entirely across Bunbury, Australind, Eaton, Binningup, Myalup and Preston Beach. This is where I live and where I plan to keep working.

Behind the scenes

You'll also deal with Dannielle, my Executive Assistant. She guides you through the paperwork and keeps the compliance side of your sale handled correctly and stress-free, so nothing falls through the cracks while I'm focused on your buyers.

Chapter 09

Common questions

The ones every seller asks, answered straight.

How do you land on my recommended price?
A combination of recent comparable sales in your immediate area, current buyer activity and enquiry levels, your home's condition and presentation, and broader market conditions. An appraisal is a professional, evidence-based opinion rather than a guarantee. That's why I'll always give you a conservative figure and a more optimistic one, so you can plan realistically for either.
What if the home doesn't sell in the first few weeks?
We talk about it openly. Buyer feedback after every inspection tells us whether the issue is price, presentation, or something else entirely, and we adjust the strategy together rather than just waiting and hoping.
Am I locked into a long contract?
Listing terms are discussed upfront and set out clearly in the agency agreement. Nothing is buried in fine print, and I'm happy to talk through the options before you sign anything.
Do I need to complete the entire preparation checklist before listing?
No. It's a guide, not a requirement. We'll prioritise the handful of changes that move the needle most, usually street appeal and decluttering, and Dannielle or I can help you organise trades if something bigger is needed.
What does the marketing actually cost me?
Marketing spend is separate from commission and is agreed transparently before your campaign launches. You'll know exactly what you're paying for and why, with no surprise invoices along the way.
When is the best time to sell?
The best time is when your home is ready and stock is low, because competition among buyers matters more than the season. Spring brings more buyers but also more competing listings. In the current South West market, well-presented homes are selling strongly year-round. Timing is something we'll look at together against what's actually on the market that month.
Should I sell before I buy, or buy before I sell?
It depends on your finances and the market you're buying into. Selling first gives you certainty on your budget and makes you a stronger buyer. Buying first means you know where you're going, but it can add pressure to your sale. There are also bridging options and subject-to-sale strategies. It's worth a proper conversation, because the right answer is personal.
Do I have to hold home opens?
No. Some sellers prefer private inspections only, and that's fine. Home opens simply concentrate buyer competition into one moment, which tends to work in your favour. We'll pick the approach that suits your home, your privacy and your schedule.
What legally has to be in place before settlement?
Compliant hard-wired smoke alarms and RCDs (safety switches) are mandatory in WA before settlement. Your settlement agent will also need clear title details and rates information, and any known material facts, encumbrances or easements must be disclosed. Dannielle steps you through each item, one at a time.
Where to from here

The next step costs nothing. And commits you to nothing.

If anything in this guide raises a question, or you'd simply like a frank conversation about your own home and timeline, I'd love to hear from you. An appraisal gives you an evidence-based read on your home's value in the current market. That's useful whether you're listing next month or just planning ahead.

Buying as well as selling? The other half of this series is written for you too.

Request your free appraisal Read the Buyer's Playbook
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What's your home actually worth right now?

Tell me about your property and I'll come back with a straight, evidence-based answer: comparable sales, current buyer demand, and the conservative-to-optimistic range for your home. No pressure, no lock-in, no obligation to list.

Thank you. I'll be in touch shortly to arrange a time that suits you.

Your details are only used to respond to your enquiry. Never sold, never spammed. Prefer to talk? Call Ben directly on 0418 880 338.