Success Stories: Alex and Emily from Redland Bay, QLD

“You just have to hold to your conviction, give it a little time, keep reflecting on the market and price it at a point that is attractive.”

Alex and Emily sold their four-bedroom brick home in Redland Bay, south-east of Brisbane, themselves through PropertyNow. It went live on 24 June 2026 and sold on 31 July, 37 days later, in a market Alex describes as much quieter than the last time they did this. And there was a last time: this was their second private sale with us.

They’ve chosen not to publish the sold price, so you won’t find it here. What you will find is something more useful: what a seller who has now done this twice would tell you before you start, in a market that isn’t handing out easy results. Alex wrote to us the day the money landed, and his answers are below.

Five things Alex would tell you

1. A quiet market is a reason to price well

Alex is candid that this campaign tested him.

“Because the market was much quieter than normal on this occasion, I did get nerves part way through and started second-guessing whether we should have gone with an agent. You just have to hold to your conviction, give it a little time, keep reflecting on the market and price it at a point that is attractive.”

That’s the most useful answer in this series, because it’s the bit the brochures leave out. In a lot of campaigns there’s a fortnight where the enquiries slow and the doubt starts. An agent doesn’t make that fortnight disappear. Alex’s answer, keep watching the market and keep the price attractive, is the same advice we give in our guide to selling in a buyer’s market.

2. Treat an agent’s appraisal as a pitch

“Don’t believe the appraisals the agents give you. They will inflate your appraisal by 5-10% to get your listing. At the end of the day, the market will pay only what they think it is worth, and as much as an agent will tell you they can get more, the market ultimately decides. Do your research, look at comparable properties and then decide what’s achievable.”

That’s Alex’s view, after two private sales. An appraisal is free because it’s also the agent’s pitch for your listing, so it pays to check it against what the market actually paid for comparable homes. Our guide to researching and setting your selling price walks through how to find them and read them, and if you’re still weighing up whether an agent would get you more, we’ve written about that too.

3. There are three wins, and you get to celebrate all of them

“Getting a contract signed was awesome, then the next incredible feeling is when unconditional status is reached, and finally there is reaching settlement when the money hits the bank account. Each one feels like a massive achievement and you get to celebrate your win each time!”

When you’re the one who took the enquiry, ran the inspection and negotiated the contract, each one of those is yours.

4. Use a sturdy pole for the sign

“Make sure when you are putting your for sale sign up, you have a strong, sturdy wooden pole. The first one we tried to hammer in started to break in half as I was hammering it!”

Hard-won. The sign in the photo above is standing straight, so the second pole held. That’s Alex’s dad next to it, who Alex describes as his “co-agent” and who stood in for the photo because Alex couldn’t be there the day the contract went unconditional.

5. Keep your listing in your own hands

“The online platform is just so easy to use, and the fact it does updates almost instantly means you can make changes if needed.”

Price, photos, description, inspection times: if something isn’t working, you change it that evening rather than emailing someone and waiting. In a quieter market, where you might adjust the price or refresh the ad partway through, that speed matters.

Why they did it twice

“We have privately sold with PropertyNow once before. This time took slightly longer (but still in the median time) as the market was much quieter due to the recent changes in the property market, but having the ability to save commission is empowering.”

And on what the sale means for them: “This sale will give us choices in life. It takes the financial pressure off, will allow us to pursue work and career choices without money being the only consideration. It will allow us to breathe.”

The bottom line

A first private sale proves it can be done. A second one, in a harder market, proves it wasn’t luck. Alex and Emily had the wobble a lot of sellers have, held their nerve, and sold in 37 days without paying a commission. The advice they’d give you fits on a hand: do the research, price to attract, hold your nerve, buy a decent sign pole, and stay in control of your own listing.

If you’re in Queensland and thinking about it, our nine-step guide to selling your own Queensland home covers the state-specific parts, the full guide to selling your house privately covers the rest, and the commission savings calculator will tell you what your own saving might look like.

Sell it yourself, with a licensed agency behind you

Alex and Emily have now done it twice. Your home on realestate.com.au and Domain, your listing in your own hands, and the commission stays with you.

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