We recently had the privilege of helping clients sell their beloved family home at 43 Heyington Place, Toorak, a residence they’d owned for over 30 years. As often is the case, there was emotion in the mix, and our Vendor Advocacy Service ensured our clients had the objective, strategic support they needed throughout the campaign.
I knew our priority was interviewing and selecting the right selling agent. We interviewed three top local agents, with price appraisals ranging from $3.5M to $4.3M. That’s a wide gap, and if vendors decide to select an agent based on price alone, this often creates confusion and can make the decision-making process flawed.
This wasn’t just about the numbers. It was about people. Our clients needed an agent who was empathetic yet firm, someone who could nurture them through this life-changing decision and provide transparent advice.
Selling in Toorak? Don’t Get These Key Decisions Wrong
When selling a high-value home in Toorak, three big decisions can make or break your result.
- Method of Sale – Auction? Private Sale? EOI? Each method suits different price points, and there’s no one-size-fits-all.
- Pricing Strategy—Overpricing in a sensitive market will likely cause your home to sit stale for months. We are seeing a long list of homes idle for 90+ days with no results in Toorak. If you want to avoid this, you need an independent guide.
- Agent Selection – The right agent has granular local knowledge and proven results in the Toorak marketplace.
Going Above & Beyond Isn’t Optional.
Throughout the campaign, we ran three open homes per week and held regular face-to-face vendor meetings. This level of commitment and service isn’t standard in today’s market but it could be. This is one reason why we engaged Michael Armstrong from Jellis Craig Stonnington and in conjunction we launched an Expressions of Interest (EOI) campaign online. We listed online on a Friday before a long weekend, but we strategically held back open homes until for six days before we held our first open home.
This helped build momentum for the first open and allowed buyers to review the home online over the long weekend. We also scheduled three open homes per week, a strategic decision that helped the campaign. We aimed to target buyers who saw value in being so close to the Private schools of St Catherines and St Kevin’s College and Heyington Train Station.
We timed the open homes around school traffic and prioritised showcasing the property when natural light filled the living areas. Those small 1% decisions made a big difference to the final result.
Understanding Real Estate Fees When Selling Your Home!
Think of us like a mortgage broker we’re paid by the selling agent, not by you. The commission structure proposed by the agents we interviewed ranged between 1.5% and 2.5% of the final sale price. As vendor advocates, we share up to 50% of the agent’s commission, so you don’t pay anything extra for our professional advice and campaign guidance. .
Selling agents are more than happy to work with us because we continue to bring them business, and each For Sale and SOLD board in their area helps their business and brand grow.
After nearly two decades in the industry, I can tell you with absolute certainty. If your agent isn’t having crucial conversations with you before you launch online and during the campaign itself, you’re at risk of not selling.
The Toorak market requires facts, honesty and empathy, not just positive spin. Based on the lack of sales in Toorak in 2025, I can tell you that many false promises are thrown around to win the business. If you overprice, delay decisions, or work with an agent who avoids challenging discussions, you could easily be one of many sellers who end up:
- Sitting on the market for 100+ days
- Dropping your asking price with no result.
- Switching agents out of frustration and paying more marketing fees with no result.
No seller wants a failed campaign. They want a genuine offer on a signed contract and the ability to make an informed decision.
Marketing Your Toorak Home with Precision.
We were presented with marketing packages ranging from $15,000 to $35,000. As a seller, if you’re not in the real estate industry, how do you know where to invest your marketing dollars and what is important and critical to success versus what is fluff and really about promoting the brand of your selling agent?
That’s where we come in. We helped craft a tailored marketing campaign. A focus on digital exposure across multiple platforms is arguably the most important element. World-class videos and photos are expected in this marketplace. We used the same videography company on this campaign as vendors in Toorak who are selling homes between 20 and 100 million.
The duopoly portals Realestate.com.au and Domain are critical and non-negotiable, in my opinion. The only time you wouldn’t list your home on these platforms is when you are selling exclusively off-market in a more discreet manner.
You don’t need the unnecessary bells and whistles. For example, flashy signboards and print media ads might look impressive, but they rarely sell homes in this market. Price, presentation, and your agent’s network are much more critical in the luxury market than some line items on a real estate marketing schedule.
Your Street Name Matters.
In Toorak, not all streets are created equal, and Heyington Place is a perfect example. This recent result reaffirmed how much prestige and buyer confidence specific addresses can command.
Want to know why Toorak continues to attract premium buyers and top-dollar sales? Dive into our suburb spotlight to explore Toorak’s schools, lifestyle, transport, and what drives real estate demand: Living in Toorak – A Guide to the Suburb’s Lifestyle
For a closer look at Toorak’s ultra-luxury property market, this article on the most expensive house in Toorak highlights the suburb’s peak property values and enduring prestige.
If you’re thinking about selling and want professional, independent advice to avoid costly missteps, our Vendor Advocacy Service is here to guide you from start to sell.
You can learn more here in this video.
https://www.industryinsider.com.au/services/vendor-advocacy-melbourne/
Please text or call us directly for a confidential chat.
Andrew Date
Founder, Industry Insider Property
Level 3, 489 Toorak Road, Toorak 3142
+613 8374 7652
+613 402 346 810
industryinsider.com.au
Your Dream Home, Without The Nightmare.
