Whether it’s your first time heading into the property market or if you’ve been trying to score a place for a while, it may be worth giving this quick blog a look over. We’re going to go over the basics of what to include and what to forget about in a real estate enquiry.
Topics in this article:
What to include
To get the best outcome from your enquiry you don’t need to include a lot. This is simply an email notifying the listing agent that you are interested in one of the homes they have available online at the moment. You may want to be a little more specific and include what topics you particularly would like more information about.
Common topics you can select
On the Homely website when leaving an enquiry there are five different options that you can add on top of your message. These are just general questions or requests that come up regularly and can help streamline your enquiry when it’s being looked at by the listing agent. You can pick one, two or all of them depending on what information you’re after.
Move in date
Application
Book inspection
Similar properties
Further info
Each of these options are pretty straightforward. If you want to know about the move in date because it’s not included in the description then you would select ‘move in date’, or if you like a property but see it’s already under offer or has the deposit taken you could use the ‘similar properties’ prompt.
Contact information
The best way to hear back from an agent quickly is to include both the phone and email options so they can reach out via the method they use more frequently. If someone is on the road a lot they may need to reach out via mobile, or on the contrary, if someone works outside of the usual operating hours they may prefer email.
If you don’t have a current Australian mobile number, you can always mention using other platforms like Whatsapp that don’t have domestic limits in your enquiry message.
What you can leave out
It’s important to remember that this is just a short notification to the agency that you like one of the listings they have at the moment and would like to be involved further. Even if you’ve already fallen in love with the property and can see yourself living there, you don’t need to start selling yourself just yet. On the other end of the scale as well, try and avoid talking about things that could impact your application.
Later down the track in the rental or sale process you may be asked to include additional information about yourself, your rental history (if you have one), references, and other vital details that will let the agent know you’re suitable for the property. This will all be outlined as part of the application process.
Enquiry example
Below is the basic message that will be auto-created after you’ve inputted your information and clicked whichever topics you’re most interested in on a Homely property.
“Hi, I was searching on homely.com.au and would like to know more about (property address).”
Just sending through this simple line of text is enough. Any of the options you’ve ticked will be separate from this additional comment under a section called ‘wants to know about’, so it’s clearly outlined to the agent that ends up looking over your enquiry.
If you want to add more information, such as your availability regarding a specific inspection request, this could help reduce the back-and-forth communication with the agent. Don’t feel like you need to expand upon the basics if there’s nothing else specific you need to include just yet.
After your enquiry
Once you’ve submitted an enquiry for a rental or sales property that you’ve found an interest in, the agency that is looking after listing will be given the information provided. It will then be up to their team, usually the lead agent on the listing, to then reach out via the contact details that have been given.
If you don’t hear back from an agent after waiting for a reasonable amount of time, it may be worth trying to give them a ring if you can. Some agents will have their direct line available underneath the little map section, whilst others may direct you back to their office depending on their set up.
Keep on top of the market
If the home you had in mind doesn’t end up working out, it’s always worth keeping an eye on what else is available. You can be informed immediately about brand new properties using Homely’s alerts and bring everything you’re interested in together with collections that can then be shared with family, housemates, or anyone else you want to join in on the process.
