September 7th, 2020Come for the house, stay for the community

The former AAG real estate agent, who merged with Belle Property last year, says the town is “going off” with plenty of interest from Melbourne buyers keen to escape the city and switch to an affordable tree change.
“I have been in real estate for almost 12 years but since merging with Belle in September I have had one of my best Winters – despite being in a pandemic.
“I think my point of difference, living in Clunes and being a third generation resident, really makes a difference for my clients.”
Ms Flowers said she had a mix of properties for sale with older vendors deciding to downsize and even people moving interstate for work.
“It means I have a variety of properties available and there really is something for everyone.
“We had a lot of interest from Melbourne buyers during the first wave and that has happened again, although they can only do video inspections at the moment but we are hoping that will change in the near future.
“But for those who can visit, we are offering 30-minute private inspections instead of open homes. And people are happy with that, they can come and take their time and have a good look around.”
Ms Flowers said the appeal of Clunes was that it was just two hours from metropolitan Melbourne with an easy trip up the Western Highway and it offered a great community.
“There is a real community spirit in Clunes and as a third generationer I am quite involved in a few local community organisations, so I can really sell the benefits of the area.
“My youngest son is still at primary school here and my whole family enjoys being a part of the community. I joke about it but really you don’t just buy a house here, you buy a part of the community. And you can be as involved as you want to be.
“Only yesterday I was showing a woman through a property and she was saying she loves spinning. So I told her about the creative groups we have here.
“I just get really excited at being able to help match buyers to their properties and introduce them to the community. I even get excited when a competitor sells to a family because we need more kids to keep our school going. There are just all walks of life here.”
Ms Flowers said she got involved in real estate in 2009 as a personal assistant to her former director. “It was part-time because I had two small children at home and then I just fell in love with the real estate business. I love meeting people, talking to them and finding out their interests. It is the best thing I have done and I don’t see myself doing anything else.”

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

This is the third in a series of features on what’s happening with real estate in the Central Highlands.