THE CONSUMER RATINGS REPORT THAT ROCKED AUSTRALIAN REAL ESTATE

It’s the second year of Canstar Blue’s review of Australian real estate agents but there is still only one winner – First National Real Estate. Australia’s leading network achieved five-star reviews in all research categories this year, including contract handling, problem resolution and advice & communications. It’s the second consecutive year that First National has topped the ratings in Australia, and three years in a row – when you take into account the New Zealand arm of the company’s 2015 award.

Buying or selling a home is amongst the biggest financial decision you’ll ever make, so you’ll want the best service, advice and value for money possible. Not dissimilar, when you’re choosing a property manager or renting a home, the real estate agent you deal with can make the experience a delight, or a living hell. So, which real estate agents are moving Aussies in the right direction, and which should be packing their bags?

To find out, Canstar Blue surveyed adults who had used an agent in their area over the last three years - whether it related to the buying or selling of a property, property management or leasing.

Trusted more than any other real estate brand in Australia

Only First National Real Estate achieved 5-star ratings across the categories Canstar Blue measured and you might be surprised just how differently some of the ‘biggest household names’ performed.

Canstar Blue found that Australians ranked First National Real Estate number one for ‘overall satisfaction’, awarding the company 5-stars in every category.

Head of Canstar Blue, Megan Doyle, congratulated First National Real Estate on its success, saying, “Good communications and problem resolution are crucial elements of any good real estate service and it is notable that First National Real Estate was the only company to rate five stars in these areas. For topping our ratings for the second year in a row – while also taking top spot in our small business real estate review – we congratulate First National Real Estate.”

How Canstar Blue measured satisfaction

Customers reviewed the biggest real estate brands in Australia across six performance measures.

1. Problem Resolution

You learn a lot about agents when they’re under pressure. Problems are sometimes unavoidable in the fast-moving world of real estate, whether it’s a buyer pulling out of a deal, or unruly tenants forgoing their rent – estate agents are in the thick of it on an almost daily basis. Problem resolution was the number one driver of satisfaction in this year’s research and only First National Real Estate achieved a five-star rating from its customers.

2.Communication & Advice

You can only make the best financial decisions when you have all of the facts at hand, and you’ll only have all of the facts if your agent does their job properly and keeps you in the loop. Only First National achieved a five-star rating in the area of communication and advice.

3. Value For Money

If you want great service and advice, you’ll obviously have to pay for it. Canstar Blue didn’t compare who provides the cheapest real estate services, but instead who offers the best overall value for your money! First National Real Estate was the only firm to receive a five-star rating in this area.

4. Marketing (Accuracy & Effectiveness)

You can only sell your home or find a new tenant if your agent or property manager is able to successfully get the message out there. Marketing is a crucial aspect of these particular services, so you’ll need your agent to put their money where their mouth is. Once again, Canstar Blue deemed First National Real Estate top of the marketing tree.

5. Contract Handling

No deal is done until you sign on the dotted line. Taking care of the contracts associated with your sale or tenancy is arguably the most important thing a real estate agent has to do – mistakes are not an option! This involves communicating the finer details to all parties concerned and ensuring everyone is happy before proceeding. Only First National Real Estate rated five stars for contract handling.

6. Moving Services

When you’re buying, selling or renting your home, some real estate agents also help with the moving process in a variety of ways. It’s not until you start thinking about all your utilities that you start to realise what an enormous task getting them all disconnected and re-connected can be. First National takes away some of the stress through its highly rated utility connections service; it rated five stars in this area.

Why First National Real Estate?

First National Real Estate makes moving easier by incorporating digital marketing intelligence with an all-important human touch. We listen, provide recommendations, and then execute your instructions. We put you first.

90,000+ properties under management
$50 billion in property assets
23,000+ properties sold in 2016
400+ offices throughout Australasia
82% 5-star reviews on Facebook
$1.75 million+ donated to Australian Red Cross Emergency Services
$150,000+ donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities

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