Wayne Meckiff AREI,CEA(REIV), Director
Wayne Meckiff loves Victoria Golf Club ....and real estate
Bayside locals since 1917, the Meckiff family name has been associated with cricket and sporting achievement across the generations. A genuine love of the beachside, sandbelt lifestyle has kept Wayne close to the area. From his early years caddying at Victoria Golf Club, to his involvement in local causes (among them as a founding member of the Trevor Barker Foundation), to his desire to never live more than walking distance to the beach, Wayne Meckiff is a real estate professional with a passion for life by the Bay.
With a family history that includes involvement in real estate and building dating from colonial times, Wayne has gone on to make his own piece of property history – first as the high-achieving Bayside real estate proprietor of Bateman Real Estate, The Portsea Sorrento Estate Company and Buxton Property Agents, and now as the head of his own equally high-achieving team of advocates.
Degree qualified in Business Management and Real Estate and a certified Real Estate Trainer and Licensed Auctioneer since 1982, Wayne has been heading up large teams of property sales people since the age of 22 when he purchased his first real estate agency. In this time he has conducted over 4,000 public auctions, negotiated thousands of private sales and been responsible for many thousands more satisfied vendors and buyers.
As a result, he has a rare understanding of the market – from the principles of property law, to the vagaries of valuation, to the minutiae of marketing. But it is his understanding of people that has lead him to his current role.
“As a buyer and vendor advocate I am able to read and lead a negotiation” says Wayne. “A client is a client for life. A rare level of trust develops when you become involved in the biggest transaction of most people’s lives. When that transaction is handled with care and respect a relationship to last a lifetime is built.”
HOME - ABOUT US
What we do
By combining both vendor and buyer advocacy services under the one banner, Meckiff and Associates is your one-stop property services consultancy.
As vendor advocates we help you to ...
Make the decision to sell (or not) by providing an unbiased valuation of your property
Present your home in its best light so the agent can see its true value
Choose an agent who is a specialist in exactly your type of property
Structure that agent’s commission so they are motivated to sell at the best price
Manage the relationship with your chosen agent so you have a stress-free sale
Advise on marketing so that your advertising and media choices work harder
Oversee the marketing process so you don’t waste time double-checking
Vet feedback so you clearly understand buyers’ responses to your property
Represent you at your Auction so you achieve maximum price with minimum stress
Handle the negotiations so that the highest price is paid for your property
Complete the legal requirements so you can relax knowing every detail is covered
As buyer advocates we help you to ...
Find the property that is right for you at the right price
Establish the true worth of that property to you ...not just its “value”
Bid at Auction on your behalf to ensure you pay the minimum price
Negotiate the purchase of that property at the best possible price
Trouble-shoot the terms of conditions of the sale so time and money are not wasted
Complete the legal requirements so you can relax knowing every detail is covered
What we believe
Our role ....
is to take the stress out of property transactions by providing a high integrity, high quality, high service link between you and your agent.
Our goal ...
is to add value to your real estate sale or purchase at every stage of the transaction.
Our belief ...
is that buying and selling property is the most important transaction of your life. We will add value and reduce anxiety by mentoring you through every step of that transaction.
Who we are
Meckiff and Associates provides an advocacy and mentoring service to buyers and sellers of residential property across Melbourne. Our five associates share a combined total of 150 years’ experience, mostly as principals of their own agencies. Our services are free to property sellers and available at a negotiated percentage of the purchase price to property buyers. For a profile on each of our associates click here. Link to Profiles To talk to someone about our services or to book a free consultation, call Wayne Meckiff on 0418 310 011
PROFILES
Our people add value
With a shared total of over 150 years real estate experience, the five associates of Meckiff and Associates have a unique perspective on the real estate industry ...and are able to add unique value to your real estate transaction.
All of our associates have acted as principals of their own real estate firms or held senior management positions with “big-brand” agencies. In their many years in the industry, they have witnessed the increasing sophistication with which properties are marketed and the increasing pace with which negotiations are made.
Best of all, every one of our associates has lived through many revolutions of the Australian property cycle. They’ve seen boom and bust, and they know how to tailor your transaction to capitalise on the times.
Individual Profiles to come
SERVICES
Adding value to your property transaction
The benefits of using a vendor or buyer advocate are tangible at every stage of the process. Meckiff and Associates can take the stress out of negotiation, the effort out of the process and unnecessary costs off your bottom line.
We act on your behalf to maximise your property dollar whether as a Vendor Advocate achieving the highest possible sale price with the best-negotiated agents commission, or as a Buyer’s Advocate helping you to purchase the best possible property at the lowest possible price.
The benefits to property sellers
We stand beside you every step of the transaction...from making a true valuation of your home...to choosing and managing your agent...to completing legal documentation. Meckiff and Associates are your property sale mentors.
We help you make the decision to sell. Before you sell you need to know exactly what your property is worth. Unlike real estate agents who have a vested interest in “talking up” the value of your home to obtain your listing, we can offer a fair and correct assessment of your home’s worth to avoid later disappointment. Based on market data and the latest valuation techniques, our critical analysis lets you make an informed decision to sell...or not.
“The one thing [Wayne] is known for is his accuracy of valuing property and his genuineness....We had such confidence and trust in Wayne that we went on a cruise when our house went to auction and were standing at the toe of a mountain in Noumea when the gavel came down.” Gigi & Robin Williams
We help you present your home in its best light. It’s not just buyers you need to impress with your home. Your home needs to be in optimum condition before you start interviewing potential agents. The agent of your choice needs to see your home in its best light... and you as a meticulous and motivated vendor. Accessing the experts is the key to maximising the presentation of your home. From recommending excellent local tradespeople, to providing contacts for decorators and hire services, to just passing on a few presentation tips, we can help you present your home in the best light – on time and perfect from the start.
“With the help of your expert advice, and access to back-up services we managed to get the property on the market in a very short time, and to conclude the marketing campaign with an excellent result.” Kay Tisdall
We help you choose an agent. There is an agent who is exactly right for your property, and you find him or her on the basis of their experience and performance – not by the glossy brand signage in their window. With over 150 years’ combined experience we know them all. We know who negotiates best at the top-end, who has an established network of executive contacts, and who has great rapport with family buyers. If we think your property will rocket at auction we can recommend a driven auctioneer. If a firmly negotiated private sale is likely to achieve your best price, we can suggest the agent who is best around the table. Our recommendations are based on published sales data and our own observations, and they are always made with your best price in view.
“[Wayne] strictly adhered to my wish to have no open inspections and street signage, preferring Internet coverage, and all private inspections were attended by himself and the agent he considered most effective in my locality. His time patience and consideration was a valued service to a person in my situation with limited knowledge of the selling process.” Lesley Bradley
We advise on structuring your agent’s commission. Negotiating is what agents do. So unless you’ve spent years at the negotiating table in a similar role yourself, it’s very unlikely you’re going to best them in a negotiation on the cost of their services. Vendors who bludgeon their agents down to a cut-rate low commission often find they have just bought themselves cut-rate service and a low sale price. Commissions should be negotiated to motivate agents with incentive structures to spur them onto an ever-higher outcome. With over 150 years’ shared experience we can win you a commission that pays for itself.
We manage the relationship with your chosen agent. We are the link between you and your agent. If you want to have no contact with your agent that is fine, if you want to have a daily chat that’s OK too. From your brief we co-ordinate the level of communication that is right for you. More importantly, we work to make sure you get what you’re expecting from your agent. This can be as simple as following up on feedback after each open-for-inspection, or as complex as “keeping-the-bastards-honest”. We know that in many cases, what you see is not what you get...the high-energy agency principal who handled your early dealings is replaced by a fresh-faced trainee. In the game of real-estate sales you will encounter many tactics, with Wayne Meckiff & Associates as your representative you can play by your own rules.
“As you were aware we had had less than pleasing dealings with another real estate agent and were not looking forward to “round 2’ so we decided to engage you as our advocate to be the buffer between ourselves and the agent....From the outset we realised we had made the right decision....your advice as an independent expert removed all the angst that is often associated with selling property” Tim George
We can advise on marketing. One of the games played by agents involves your marketing dollar. Over-size display advertisements and glossy magazines are devices to sell your home, they are also vital to building the brand presence of your agent. Part of our role is scrutinise the advertising spending for your property. We can advise on appropriate media, make sure that suitable layouts have been selected, and guarantee that advertising has been structured to sell your property ...rather than your agent’s business.
We oversee the marketing process. Marketing residential properties, especially in the “value-corridor” suburbs has become an increasingly sophisticated process. Photographers, copywriters, floorplanners and a host of presentation experts all have their place in preparing your marketing materials. They need to be given access to your property at its best and their work needs to be selected, assessed for effectiveness and checked for accuracy. We can do all of these things on your behalf.
“It was such a relief not to have to deal with agents, advertising people etc, and to realise that once we were all through it, the whole exercise cost us no more than if we had done all the running about ourselves.” David Legge
We vet feedback. One of the most difficult things to come to terms with in any sale is the lack of accountability offered by the process. The only way you can know how potential buyers are responding to your home and your price is through your agent. Unfortunately, some agents use this lack of accountability to their own end. Mysterious low offers are made but not followed-up. Feedback becomes progressively less positive. And, as the auction date gets close, pressure begins for you to lower your selling price. Our role is to cut through the mis-communication and keep you in touch with the real situation of how many potential buyers are interested ...and the price they will pay.
“Never was there any need for contention, it was all just fixed” George Newby
We represent you at your Auction. Auctioning a home is ranked in terms of stress with the loss of a job or the end of a marriage. But the benefits of having an advocate attend your auction on your behalf extend well beyond reducing your blood-pressure. Whether you choose to stay inside your home or absent yourself completely, we stand in for you in the heart of the auction crowd... reading the signs of the auction to set a value-added reserve right up until the hammer falls. Combined with our years of experience (which includes Wayne Meckiff’s 14 years as an auction trainer), this out-in-front position provides a unique perspective to read bidders’ signs and assess the level of passion they have for your property. We then use this information to make split-second decisions about whether to sell or negotiate further to achieve your absolute maximum sales price.
We handle the negotiations. When you choose to sell by private sale or have your property passed in at auction, the single greatest factor in achieving the maximum sale price for your property is the time spent around the negotiating table. This is where Meckiff and Associates can add the greatest value. Our years of experience speak for themselves. Every one of our associates has negotiated thousands of sales. In their previous roles as agency principals, they would sit down three or four times every Saturday to bring buyers up to their highest possible price, always driven by a passion to achieve the best possible result. Now this passion and expertise is harnessed for your exclusive use.
“Signed, sealed and delivered. No thanks to our mate at the agency, but plenty to you. You were cool under pressure, did a great job keeping it on track while we were away and got a fantastic result.” Mark Campbell
We complete the legal requirements on your behalf. Just when you think the biggest task (negotiating the sale) is out of the way you come to the most cumbersome of all – completing all the legal and regulatory paper-work that attends a successful sale. For most vendors, this is an onerous task that comes with the stress of worrying that nothing has been misrepresented or overlooked. For us, it’s second nature – a process we have done thousands of times before with the assistance of a network of skilled professionals... whose expertise we can now pass on to you.
The benefits to property buyers
In a seemingly endless market of properties we are your guides ...from finding a selection of properties to suit your needs....to understanding exactly what those properties are worth...to negotiating the best price...to completing legal documentation. Meckiff and Associates are your property purchase mentors.
We find the property that is right for you. It’s a paradox of the modern real estate market that the more forms of media that exist for marketing properties, the harder it seems to be to find the property that’s right for you. The Internet, newspapers and specialist property publications are all vital forums for finding a property and Meckiff and Associates will trawl through all of them on your behalf. We can also give you access to properties that never make it into these media. Our extensive network of real-estate contacts gives you access to properties as (and sometimes before) they come onto the market. Giving you the chance to buy quickly, buy well and buy at the best price.
“ [After working as my Vendor Advocate], Wayne assisted me in the purchase of my new property and managed to keep my stress levels at a minimum by doing all the searching and negotiating for me.” Bev Hase
We establish the worth of that property... to you. The value of a property lies not in the numbers on a valuer’s report or in the quote from the selling property. The true value of any property lies in what buyers are prepared to pay...and when you are that buyer that price can be determined by many very personal factors. Before we recommend you consider any property, we establish the realistic market value of that property based on comparative market data. We then match this market data with the brief you have supplied and, based on the rarity of the property and its ability to meet your needs, we will recommend exactly how much you should be prepared to spend.
We bid at Auction on your behalf to ensure you pay the minimum price. Our associates have a combined experience of over 150 years in the real estate industry, in that time most would attend or conduct three or four auctions every weekend – that’s over 20,000 auctions! We’ve seen every tactic and trick in the book and we know how to read the action at the auction. Without emotion, we know when to bid ...and when to stop. Best of all we know when to purchase on your behalf.
We negotiate the purchase of that property at the best possible price. When you buy at private sale or negotiate a price as the under-bidder of a “passed-in” property, the single greatest factor in minimising the sale price is the time spent around the negotiating table. This is where Meckiff and Associates can provide the greatest value. Our years of experience speak for themselves. Every one of our associates has negotiated thousands of sales. In their previous roles as agency principals, they would sit down around the negotiating table every Saturday...and many Sundays! Now this expertise is available to negotiate the best deal for you.
We trouble-shoot the terms and conditions of the sale so time and money are not wasted. The hidden cost of inappropriate settlement periods, mismatched financial arrangements and clumsy contracts cannot be overstated. From a discreet briefing of your financial circumstances, your practical needs and your individual preferences, Meckiff and Associates can structure a settlement that works for you...and your bank balance. We are also highly aware of the traps of pitfalls of the property contracts and can steer you carefully through the minefield.
“The advocacy property plan allowed us to secure the new property and in turn allow for a successful sale of our existing home. I was particularly impressed as my estimated costs for advertising and commission provided a cost saving.” PN Prunty
We complete the legal requirements so you can relax knowing every detail is covered
Just when you think the biggest task (negotiating the purchase) is out of the way you come to the most cumbersome of all – completing all the legal and regulatory paper-work. For most buyers, this is an onerous task that comes with the stress of worrying that nothing has been misrepresented or overlooked. For us, it’s second nature – a process we have done thousands of times before with the assistance of a network of skilled professionals... whose expertise we can now pass on to you.
A discreet service that pays for itself
Our aim is to add real, quantifiable value to your property transaction. The cost of using our Vendor Advocacy service is free. In most cases, the cost of our Buyer Advocacy services will be covered by the savings we can make for you on the purchase price of the home.
Meckiff and Associates are committed to absolute discretion at all times. Our representation on your behalf is completely confidential and your identity will never be disclosed if you wish.
Vendor Advocacy Fees
Our work as your Vendor Advocate comes free of additional charge to you. We work in collaboration with the appointed estate agent on a split-commission basis that we negotiate directly with that agent. An added benefit of this split commission structure is the knowledge that it is in our best interest to sell your property at the highest possible price.
Buyer Advocacy Fees
A fee of 1.5% plus GST of the purchase price covers assisting you in your search to find a suitable property, inspecting the property, arranging an independent valuation if required, bidding at auction on your behalf, negotiating a private sale for you, giving advice on market values, investment, comparable prices and organising building inspection reports if required.
REFERENCES
Satisfied clients are the best reference
It’s easy to tell you in our own words the benefits of choosing Wayne Meckiff and Associates for your property advocacy. But some the best words come from our clients. Here are some of them:
Verbatim client references here
CALCULATORS
The right information allows the right decision
Before you start making decisions about buying or selling property, there are some basic facts and figures to consider. The tables below can help you make an informed choice.
Relevant Stamp Duty & Finance Repayment tables here
HELPFUL CONTACTS
Our contacts are among the best
One of the benefits of 150 years of shared experience is the people we have met in that time. Every one of our associates has gathered an impressive network of industry-related contacts, and we are pleased to be able to share that network with you.
Listed below are a number of our professional recommendations. While you are welcome to choose any contact from this list, we are also very happy to advise further on the most appropriate provider for your individual needs.
List of professional contacts here
CONTACT US
When it’s time to make a move
You’ve weighed up the pros and cons of buying or selling and you’ve considered the benefits of using an advocate. Now it’s time to talk with us and hear how our service can be tailored to your needs. Please call on the numbers below, or click here for an email response.
List of associates’ details here