From Coffee Meeting to Rooftop in Redfern: 24 Hours

When a professional relocating back to Sydney asked how quickly I could help them buy, they got an answer that surprised them. In this market, time is not a buyer's friend. And this story proves it.

The Brief

We'd been emailing back and forth while he relocated to Sydney. He wanted to wait until he was back in the city to start searching properly. So on a Tuesday afternoon, we met for a coffee in Camperdown and talked through his requirements: rooftop level apartment, overlooks a park or green space not other buildings, great privacy, excellent natural light (he works from home), and a free-flowing open-plan kitchen, living, dining with outdoor access.

The Discovery

I asked him the question I always ask: had he seen anything online that caught his eye? He said yes, he'd viewed two properties on Saturday and loved them both.

For one, I knew the strata health wasn't good. I explained why he should look elsewhere. The other was in Redfern, in a building I knew well. Rooftop apartment overlooking a park. Sitting there with him, understanding exactly what he wanted, I could see straight away why he loved it. It ticked every single box.

The Strategy

I called the agent right then. 'Two parties are already negotiating. We'll likely sell in the next 12 hours,' he said. I asked for 24 hours. We drove from Camperdown to Redfern straight away. It was my first viewing, his second.

That evening I got the conveyancer to review the contract overnight. I worked through the strata report, development applications in the area, and comparable sales pricing. Crucially, there was a rooftop apartment in the same block that had sold a year earlier. That comparable gave my client the confidence he needed to know this was a genuinely great property at this price.

The Negotiation

Blind Dutch auction. Best and final offers by midday the next day. You never know where you stand. I knew the owner's position and was confident we'd win if we were close on price. We offered unconditional terms: 10% deposit, short settlement. Strong terms that also appealed to the vendor because the property was vacant.

We didn't need to be the strongest on price, but we needed to be very, very close. We landed it at a price that thrilled him.

The Outcome

From coffee meeting to purchased rooftop apartment in 24 hours. He's thrilled with the speed and the price.

The lesson: many buyers struggle with early purchases because they lack market knowledge. They think, 'Something better will definitely come along.' Usually it won't, not at that price, not ticking those boxes. When you find something you love and you can afford it, you don't need to search for months. A buyer's agent brings the market knowledge to that conversation so you can make that decision with confidence, not regret.