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An agent has touted the benefit of “flying under the radar” to build trust with high-profile clients.
Nigel Mukhi is a partner and licensed real estate agent with Di Jones, working across the prestige markets of Sydney’s harbourside suburbs of Kirribilli, McMahons Point, North Sydney and Lavender Bay.
He sees the benefit in keeping a low profile as it relates to his work, telling REB that it “builds a huge amount of trust between you and the client if you are willing to keep their names and the sale details confidential and out of the media as best you can”.
He acknowledges that his location exposes him to “many high-net-worth individuals who have wealth for many different reasons”.
“Sometimes it’s that they are successful business people, others are at the top of their chosen industries and sometimes it’s family money. We get the odd celebrity, too,” he commented.
According to Mr Mukhi, there are needs that are unique to this type of clientele which can require him to keep the details of a property transaction and their name away from the media, or even people that may know them.
“A lot of the time, it could be that they are concerned how the purchase could influence a business deal or any part of their life,” he said.
Other times, “it’s simply because they feel like it is nobody else’s business what they are doing in their personal life”.
Mr Mukhi said he’s even had deals where a client’s details had to be kept very confidentially due to potential security risks.
This commitment to flying under the radar has paid off for the agent, who believes his ability to maintain this level of confidentiality for both buyers and sellers is why he has a significant number of repeat clients.
In reiterating his private approach, Mr Mukhi said it “seems pretty silly” to try and get in the limelight rather than uphold a client’s wishes.
“I think playing the long-term approach to real estate and especially keeping client relationships should be a priority over a bit of publicity — which after a week is generally forgotten.”
He said “there is no doubt in my area that clients respect the low profile I maintain, and let the sold stickers speak for themselves”.
It’s all about being adaptable to the client, according to the agent, who acknowledges “everyone’s needs are different”.
“If they are clients that are known in the public eye, then generally a private inspection is requested,” he said.
“If it is the buyer that wishes to remain confidential, then you need to brief the seller, too — to make sure that they also respect the wishes of the new owners.”
Despite the limitations that might come with working with high-end clients, Mr Mukhi does understand the need for strong marketing, both for himself and the properties he lists.
His emphasis is on marketing “in a tasteful way reflective of client needs, rather than [the] agent’s status”.
“I think all properties deserve to have great photography,” he commented, considering it as the most important piece of marketing.
The agent added: “It’s the one thing that captures the buyer and makes them want to either look at more details of the listing or to make a decision to get it.”
According to Mr Mukhi, it’s never been so important as now, arguing that COVID travel restrictions mean “more than ever it is important to have an arsenal of awesome marketing items in your toolkit”.
“For certain properties, you need to go above and beyond with the photography to make sure the property is captured at the right time of day. Sometimes that can involve four or five separate visits to the property to get it right,” he said.
Also describing some videos that are coming out now as “amazing”, the agent added that videography is just as important a tool — “especially for higher-end properties and those that would appeal to overseas buyers”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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