Sydney real estate: eastern suburbs agents securing most sales revealed

We’ve uncovered the top agents across the 50 suburbs of Sydney’s most exclusive real estate market, revealing their secrets of success, biggest sales and the odd jab at their competitors.

Clare SibthorpeReporter

@ClareSibthorpe

11 min read

March 25, 2022 - 8:30AM

Wentworth Courier

'Strong levels' of buyer demand being seen

Property

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When it comes to the real estate game of Sydney, and arguably Australia, the eastern suburbs take the cake for some of the glitziest, priciest and most enviable properties.

Because those at the top need yet a further ego boost, we’ve revealed the agents behind the most sealed deals in the past 12 months.

The analysis relied on data from international real estate reviews platform ratemyagent.com.au, as well as statistics agents have exclusively provided to NewsLocal.

It should be noted not all real estate agents in the area work with ratemyagent.com.au, which does not consider off market sales.

Alexander Phillips, PPD Real Estate

Sold the most properties in Waverley, Clovelly and Bronte

Alexander Phillips has worn the hat of REB Awards number one sales agent in Australia for six years straight, and has closed on some of the priciest trophy homes in the country. Selling 262 properties in the past year to total an enormous $1.1b, Mr Phillips said his driving factor was simply loving what he does. “I don’t see it as work,” he said. “When you’re happy to do it day in, day out, don’t see it as a chore, you work harder.” His sales have ranged from $800,000 to just under $20m.

Alexander Phillips

Julian Hasemer, 1st City Real Estate Group

Sold the most properties in Rose Bay

The founding principal of 1st City Real Estate Group has been in the business for 30 years, having started in real estate when he left high school. From March 2021 to March 2022, he has sold $550.8m in property. A penthouse apartment at 10 Annandale St, Darling Point which sold for $25,100,000 is his most proud sale. “Darling Point is like my backyard,” he said. “In fact – I hold five of the top six highest apartment sale prices ever achieved in this suburb, this makes me proud. I am also proud of the fact that I am the first agent in the eastern suburbs to have negotiated a sale that has finally broken the magical $100,000 per square metre mark.” Mr Hasemer said he has noticed the $700,000 – $3 million market in the eastern suburbs is showing signs of cooling.

Julian Hasemer

Dion Markovics, Raine & Horne Double Bay

Sold the most properties in Vaucluse

At 20-years-old, Dion Markovics had already clocked up more than $28 million worth of property sales. Fast forward to 10 years into his career and the Raine & Horne Double Bay agent has made 57 transactions in the past year, worth $152.5m. Mr Markovics said it was the adrenaline which drove him. You are able to achieve a result that delivers both buyer and seller often a life changing transaction,” he said. As for trends in the area, Mr Markovics said there was a huge shortage in the family house market.

Daphne Sauvage, Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty

Sold the most properties in Darling Point

With almost 25 years of experience in the industry, Daphne Sauvage has sold more than 1500 homes – mostly luxury properties in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. According to realestate.com.au, across the past 12 months she has sold $86m over 28 deals in Darling Point alone.

Daphne Sauvage

Sean Poche, PPD Real Estate

Sold the most properties in Double Bay

Joining the property game later than many others, Sean Poche left his job at ANZ Bank at 30 and earned just $30,000 a year in his early real estate career. His “humble beginnings” underpinned a work ethic which combined with a love of the thrill and science of dialogues and closing led him to sell more than $100m in property in the past year. “When I started out in Double Bay I got a real kick out of seeing stunning harbour mansions, as I had never been exposed to this caliber of property previously in my modest upbringing,” he said. In the eastern suburbs, Mr Poche was seeing people downsizing their property to an apartment to use as a bolthole and relocating to the coast or interstate.

James Dunn, Richardson & Wrench Double Bay

Sold the most properties in Point Piper

Self-described as “very competitive, straightforward and customer-focused,” James Dunn has sold $190m of property in the past year. The cliche answer for his proudest deal was a $31m harbour-view mansion at 106 Wolseley Road Point Piper, but also said the sale of a Vaucluse unit after nearly two years showed his persistence. He believes the key to success was to waste no time and stay focused. As for trends in the eastern suburbs, he said: “prestige properties are starting to attract a lot of competition. Purchasers are paying more because they are time poor and they are finding it more difficult to build due to the costs increasing and the supply chain being affected.”

James Dunn

Randall Kemp, Ray White Woollahra

Sold the most properties in Woollahra

When Randall Kemp’s parents sold their family home, the then-13-year-old grew an obsession into the process which never left. As of late March, he had sold $252.48m of property in the past 12 months. As well as hard work, Mr Kemp credited his success to the great people around him, including his family, team and clients. Asked about the current market, Mr Kemp said it was “very interesting,” adding: “The frenzy we were experiencing has calmed, buyers are a little more hesitant now and scared of overpaying, and for the past couple of years we have been dealing with buyers scared of missing out.”

Randall Kemp

Georgia Cleary, BradfieldCleary Double Bay

Sold the most properties in Edgecliff and Tamarama

A veteran to the property game, Georgia Cleary is most proud of “the feeling of being trusted” from buyers who choose her to sell their home, some of which she has sold four or five times. “Nowadays I’m selling properties to and for original clients’ children and grandchildren,” she said. With an “absolute honest, frank, straight to the point style of doing business,” Ms Cleary has sold $185m of property in the past year. In that time, she’s noticed a trend for houses with home offices, internal elevators and separated spaces for intergenerational families to live together and conserve energy.

Georgia Cleary

Noel Jenkins, Morton, Woolloomooloo

Sold the most properties in Woolloomooloo

The recipe for success: being passionate, optimistic, empathetic, all while balancing a belief in oneself and keeping healthy ego. That’s according to Noel Jenkins, who loves real estate’s ever-changing nature and the privilege of helping people make informed decisions during major life milestones. He said he’s most proud of selling a three-bedroom apartment off market for $4.9m after five days with one inspection, as well as another that was off market for almost a year and sold for $6.2m. In the past 12 months he has closed $50.9m worth of deals. He predicted the eastern suburbs market would soon stabilise, “giving buyers who have missed out in the past some better opportunities in a less competitive arena”.

Angelo Bouras, Richardson & Wrench Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point

Sold the most properties in Potts Point

In the past year, Angelo Bouras has sold 65 properties totalling more than $78m. He said he fell into the industry when he left school and was fortunate that he loved is so much. Among the sales he’s most proud of include a “slow burn that paid off”: a $5m sale of a sub penthouse in Omnia building at Potts Point. He has observed “good property” had continued to sell well in the eastern suburbs, while more generally “there is still a huge amount of browsing but not a lot of trigger pulling”.

Renee Cross, Ray White Elizabeth Bay

Sold the most properties in Rushcutters Bay

In an interesting career which has included selling investment properties in Shanghai to working for Ray White in Elizabeth Bay, Renee Cross has never grown tired of being challenged or the speed of her work. “I like to go fast, actually thrive on adrenaline and absolutely love talking to people,” she said. “At least three times a week my day starts at 4.30am with a double espresso and a run, and then pretty much I am on the go all day … you’re only as good as your last sale.” According to ratemyagent.com.au, in the past 12 months Ms Cross has sold 50 properties worth $49m. She said she’s sold everything from a 19 sqm home to large waterfront properties, adding “every sale I work on, I give it my all”.

Renee Cross

Jason Boon, Richardson & Wrench Elizabeth Bay/Potts Point

Sold the most properties in Elizabeth Bay

In 32 years of selling properties, Jason Boon said he has fallen in love with the relationships he built along the way. He’s sold properties with a combined value of $457 million in the past 12 months, with a $21 million sale of 9/1 Onslow Ave, Elizabeth Bay, one he’s most proud of. Asked why he believes he’s succeeded, he said: “a reflection of how I live my life, and just being who I am, someone who does real estate well”.

Jason Boon. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Nick Papas, Agents and Co Property Group

Sold the most properties in Maroubra and Eastgardens

The most memorable sales for Nick Papas, who sold 95 properties worth $149m in the past 12 months, are those with stories. Recently he sold a Malabar home for two brothers who won the property in a lottery when the suburb was first subdivided. They were selling the home after the death of their parents, who they’d been caring for, so they could move to their home country of Spain. “The memories they shared about their father who built the property brick by brick brought tear to my eyes,” Mr Papas said. In the 19 years he’s been in the business, Mr Papas has seen many property trends. Right now, he believes the market is seeing a correction and will continue to stabilise.

D’Leanne Lewis, Laing+Simmons Double Bay

Sold the most properties in Bellevue Hill

A familiar face from reality show Luxe Listings Sydney, celebrity real estate agent D’Leanne Lewis has had an extremely busy year. In the last two months, she sold two homes in Vaucluse for $35m and $23m, and set the record for the highest apartment ever sold in Rose Bay at $13.5m. Holding her cards close to her chest, Ms Lewis said she wished to keep the total value of her sales private.

D'Leanne Lewis

Nicholas Wise, Ray White Eastern Beaches

Sold the most properties in Coogee

The competitiveness of the real estate industry reminds Nicholas Wise of all the sport he played while growing up. He said it’s that, combined with a love for property, people and the grind, which drove him to sell 96 homes worth about $191m in 2021. Highlights of his career after 12 years include the sale of the Boheme Penthouse which sold in November for $12,510,000: “a trophy home with one of the best views of the east”. His secrets for success are “the harder you work, the luckier you get” and having an amazing team.

Marnie Seinor, McGrath Coogee

Sold the most properties in: Malabar, Chifley and Matraville

Marnie Seinor has been awarded the 10th top female sales agent in Australia, having sold $156m across 76 properties in the past 12 months. More than two decades into the industry, she said she still loved meeting new people, the variety in her work and the flexibility that allows her to work around her children’s schedules. Her sale total for the past 12 months was $180m.

Marnie Seinor

Steve Ausling, NGFarah

Sold the most properties in Little Bay

After 24 years in the industry, Steve Ausling said he still loved the challenge, lifestyle, people, and daily difference of real estate. In the past 12 months he has sold $101m worth of property. He said local knowledge, consistency, passion and a strong team were crucial to standing out in such competitive work. Mr Ausling said he’s seen more properties coming to the market lately, along with strong confidence from investors as rental prices rise.

Mark Foy, Belle Property Surry Hills

Sold the most properties in Darlinghurst and Surry Hills

Originally a country boy, Mark Foy was drawn to real estate because he hated the idea of being confined to an office and was competitive (a trait he thanks his older brother for) which saw him close 139 sales in 2021, In Sydney’s south east, Mr Foy said quality properties were still selling well. “With an increased volume of listing on the market, buyers are moving forward on purchasing purely based on value,” he said.

Charles Touma, Ray White Touma Group Redfern

Sold the most properties in Redfern

Real estate is an energy game, according to Charles Touma. He relies on a strong team synergy and an unshakeable focus. Mr Touma was born on Pitt St, Redfern and grew up looking at terrace houses. With a father as a developer, he said his love for real estate “happened organically”. Having sold 44 properties in Redfern in the last 12 months, Mr Touma said there were too many favourites to choose from.

David Bettini, MGM MARTIN

Sold the most properties in Zetland

One of the highlights of David Bettini’s 15 years as a real estate agent was recently helping a single mother sell the home which was all she had left so she and her daughters could move on with their lives. “The campaign went perfectly to plan, a record price was achieved and the buyer turned out to be a friend of her next door neighbour,” he said. His passion for the job came from a childhood spent in “the most beautiful city in the world … out on the water around Sydney Harbour and beaches and always admiring the spectacular real estate”. He fell into the industry in London and never looked back. Mr Bettini has sold $105 million worth of property in the past year, due to “a great work ethic and an unwavering positive attitude”.

Catherine Dixon, PPD Real Estate

Sold the most properties in Paddington

Catherine Dixon’s path to property sales began after she graduated from law and realised it wasn’t for her. She then studied architecture, which alongside her love for interior design, was the ideal recipe for real estate success. She’s also not afraid to make a jab at her rivals, saying she’s proud of her sales with repeat clients and “for people who are in a vulnerable position, because I know if they were with my competitors, the outcome would not be the same”. She said in the 13 years in the industry she had steered clear of the over confident and empty promise type which exists throughout the male-dominated industry, as well as the focus on selling the most properties in the shortest time possible. In the past 12 months, she has sold $217m worth of property. Since Covid, she’s expanded to Maianbar and Bundeena in response to the growing market of city escapes.