Sydney mum sells $1.5m home on WorkApp to avoid $70k in real estate fees

With the hot Aussie property market, one Sydney family has eliminated what many would see as a crucial part of selling their $1.5 million home.

Katrina Wilks has ditched real estate agents and is selling her Sydney home — which is valued over $1.2 million — directly online.

The mum of three said listing their Brookvale home on Sydney’s northern beaches on free online marketplace, called WorkApp, is set to save her around $70,000 in marketing fees and commission usually paid out to the real estate.

“My friend sold her house on there a few months and she said it was really easy and not having to pay the fees and the styling up front was great,” she told news.com.au. “She got a pretty quick sale and I thought I would give it a go really.”

With a price guide between $1.2 and $1.5 million, Mrs Wilks has a very brief description of the house online.

“Step into paradise - here’s your chance to live in the Northern Beaches. A 3 bedroom home with breathtaking views only 40 minutes away from the city,” it reads. “Entertain friends? Step into the huge outdoor area with a recently built decking. Plenty of storage throughout, including a double car garage.”

RELATED: Aussie houses selling at record speeds

The main bedroom has views of Freshwater beach. Picture: Supplied

It also has a large entertainment area. Picture: Supplied

The Brookvale home includes three bedrooms. Picture: Supplied

Despite the sparse details, she has already had 30 phone calls enquiring about the property and has shown half of them through the house — and has even had an offer. She said she hasn’t received any prank calls either.

“It’s not like on Ebay when you’re selling shoes and people ask to see pictures of your feet — it’s not like that — and I’ve had that before. Everyone seems genuine,” she said.

“Most are from the area and there are people from the North Shore and we’ve had a few enquiries from western Sydney.”

The family actually used an agent to sell their first house in Dee Why back in 2009, but Mrs Wilks said she likes the personal touch she can give while showing off the property.

“With an agent they do the inspection and get people in big groups and obviously I like the fact that doing it ourselves, you are able to accommodate people and as you actually live there, there’s a lot of questions that people have that you’ve got the answers on like on gas,” she said. “It seems a bit more fluid and a bit more personable.”

Although, she admits she has struggled with the constant need to keep the house spotless for inspections with a pet dog also in the property.

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The mum of three said the family is looking for a sea change and wanted to put the money towards a new home. Picture: Supplied

The family has been in a the home for a few years but want a sea change. Picture: Supplied

They purchased the Brookvale property a few years ago for $1.05 million and she’s not in a rush to sell, but is confident they will get the price they want by going it alone. The plan is for a sea change up the coast where she said they can get “more bang for their buck” when it comes to a house.

Despite the absence of a real estate agent, Mrs Wilks said the sale would still operate the same with solicitors drawing up contracts and a settlement period.

WorkApp’s creator, where the house is listed, has seen a huge spike in homes for sale — this time last year there were only a handful of properties and now listings are climbing, according to founder Shane Wallace.

“I think a lot of people are looking to save on the sales commission and advertising fees – especially when they know the property will sell quickly anyway,” he explained.

“We’re seeing houses snapped up within days. As soon as they go online there are buyers ready to go.”

By going through one of the free platforms to sell their property, Sydneysiders are walking away with more than $24,000 on the median house price of $1.2 million.

Meanwhile in Brisbane, with a 3 percent average commission, savings on the median house price of $616,387 are to the tune of $18,000, claimed WorkApp.