While most real estate agencies scramble to save their business during the pandemic, one agent has had a different focus: saving the clients.
Stone Real Estate agent Lauren Sudol has always held a strong passion for real estate, where she says “there is never a dull moment”.
But like most agents in the past year, Ms Sudol was undeniably taken aback by the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She shared: “COVID was a very interesting time for us.
“We already have very advanced technology in place for how we market properties, so engaging buyers with a property was still strong, but we were doing private inspections seven days a week for 10 hours a day!”
Post-pandemic, the fast-changing market conditions have also presented their own set of challenges as stocks deplete exponentially, according to her.
But through it all, the agent made sure to take away lessons from each of her experiences.
Now a REB Women in Real Estate 2021 Rising Star finalist and an integral member of the Elite-performing Stone Seaforth, Ms Sudol said the challenges she faced ultimately gave her invaluable skills — from listings to negotiating — that helped her provide better service to her clients.
“[The pandemic] taught us to never look too far ahead in the market as we just did not expect it to have as much of an impact on how we lived our lives as it did,” she said.
“It taught us to work smarter and definitely harder!”
Supporting clients
As the market transitioned following the onslaught of COVID-19, Ms Sudol has made it a point to stay in touch with her clients.
Through constant communication and detailed organisation, she guides them through every step of the process: “I co-ordinate every quote, trade and initial stages of marketing until the property is on the market and through the campaign.
“As we do this everyday and a vendor is lucky to sell a property twice in their lifetime, I am very patient with any questions put forward as well as providing a thorough amount of information so they know what happens at each step of the process.”
Past her traditional agent responsibilities, Ms Sudol also goes above and beyond to provide additional services to her clients, including preparing a home for sale — that is, from property styling to cosmetic improvements.
“I co-ordinate and project manage a whole team of trades to prepare a property for sale — from painting to floor sanding, cleaning and styling to the quotes and lining up the trades and overseeing their work,” she continued.
“We have found this to eventuate in higher results in properties as well as takes away one of the most stressful parts of selling your home.
“Our clients know our meticulous attention to detail and our organisation skills and they love us for it.”
Ultimately, the modus operandi is “having comfortable clients and achieving the highest result available in the marketplace”, according to Ms Sudol.
Looking ahead, Ms Sudol aims to continue to grow herself as an agent and eventually own her own business in order to create positive experiences for more clients and help them achieve their dreams.
“We have such a huge impact on people’s lives,” she reflected.
“I can’t wait to help more clients achieve their dreams and create an amazing and positive experience out of selling their home instead of it being a dreaded and stressful situation.”
You are not authorised to post comments.
Comments will undergo moderation before they get published.