Bullish on Townsville real estate

He's one of the most powerful real estate bosses in the country, but if you ask Sam White what city floats his boat, he'll tell you it's Townsville.

On a visit to the city yesterday, the fifth-generation real estate mogul and great great grandson of Ray White said the North's capital was one of the most exciting places for property enthusiasts, thanks to its strong industry pillars and fairly stable market.

Unlike the slightly struggling Cairns, it was a place he expected to further strengthen as market confidence returned.

"Townsville is one of those markets we are very bullish about," he said.

For the deputy chairman of one of Australia's largest real estate companies, the words don't come lightly.

He predicts buyer faith will return as more Australians realise "the world is not about to end". While Europe's economic decline and even the carbon tax had hit market faith, many people had realised the situation wasn't quite so bad.

It was that overall fear that things were too good to be true in Australia that was probably the biggest concern for buyers in the first place, he said.

Mr White said around the country the market itself was generally inconsistent.

"The top end of the market is struggling but that middle market is ramping up," he said. In Brisbane particularly, they were now able to calculate registered bidders on auction properties and figures were well up on last year's.

"Hopefully the RBA will cut rates (and things will improve further)," he said.

Mr White believed the loss of the First Home Buyers Grant would put pressure on families, and the chopping and changing of grants had a negative impact on the market in general.

"When the grant is over it causes a slowdown in the market - it always distorts things," he said.

"I don't think governments can afford to do this."

While he hoped the building industry would benefit from the latest first-home buyer construction grant, he felt this government support should not ebb and flow, as it left buyers confused and uncertain.

Mr White said more transparency in the industry would help buyer certainty and confidence. This could be bolstered with trends and marketing tools as simple as "rate my real estate agent" websites and blogs.

He said in the United States the website Yelp had become a hit with buyers and sellers who could rate their experience with their agents.

Mr White said for good agents, this was a fantastic tool that led to referrals and a more confident client.

He said Ray White customers would soon be able to post reviews on their experience, with both good and bad reports to be printed on the website.