I grew up in Petersham. After my parents split I lived between Petersham and the Shire, and whenever Mum and I needed to get out of Sydney we drove to the Southern Highlands. So when someone asks why I sell real estate in the Inner West, the short answer is that I knew these streets well before I knew what a price guide was.
Who is Ramon Raneal?
I'm a Property Partner at The Agency Inner West, working mainly in Petersham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Lewisham, Hurlstone Park, Stanmore and Leichhardt. Before real estate I played Division I college basketball in the US at Xavier University, saw how property works across Ohio, Chicago and Texas, and worked at Amex.
The long way back to Petersham
I left Sydney to play basketball, first at La Lumiere School in Indiana and then at Xavier University in Cincinnati, in the Big East. I left Xavier after the 2022 season. While I was over there I got my first real look at property, and at how differently Americans treat the people who sell their homes. Over there people introduce their agent at dinner. Here they assume their agent is trying to trick them. I've written more about that in USA vs Australia real estate.
Then I took a job at Amex. It was a sensible job with a salary. Leaving it for real estate, where you earn nothing until something sells, was the kind of decision people around me described as brave, which is what people say when they mean stupid. It worked out, but they weren't wrong to ask.
Why I stick to a small patch
I'd rather know which side of a Petersham street gets the afternoon sun than have a sign up in forty suburbs. Inner West owners watch a lot of campaigns before they choose an agent. They notice who keeps turning up on their street, how the campaigns are run and how they finish. That only works in your favour if you stay put long enough to be watched.
Right now a lot of my work sits around Silver Street in Marrickville and the streets off New Canterbury Road in Petersham. When one sale lands, the buyers who missed out are usually still looking two streets away, and the neighbours have usually been watching.
Some recent results
- 11 Croydon Street, Petersham sold off market for $4.5 million, a suburb record.
- 10 Middleton Street, Petersham sold at auction for $3.31 million. One of the four active bidders was on holiday overseas, bidding down a phone line.
- 40 Station Street, Petersham sold at auction for $2.311 million, $311,000 over reserve, after 9 registered bidders put in 34 bids. 162 groups came through over 7 open homes.
- 40 Audley Street, Petersham had been on the market for 14 weeks with another agent. It sold 14 days after I took it over.
- 6 Garners Avenue, Marrickville sold for $1.85 million, and 70 Silver Street, Marrickville sold off market.
How I run a sale
A few habits, because they're easier to judge than adjectives:
- I give owners the buyer feedback as it is, including the parts they won't enjoy hearing.
- I don't put in less effort for a unit than for a house. A one-bedroom apartment is still the biggest thing most people will ever sell.
- On auction day I tell owners to go somewhere else and keep busy. My auctions tend to run long. They sign nothing on the day, and I keep a phone on speaker so they can listen in if they want to.
If you want the longer version, read how I sell or where my work ethic comes from.
Frequently asked questions
Which suburbs does Ramon Raneal sell in?
Mainly Petersham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Lewisham, Hurlstone Park, Stanmore and Leichhardt, plus the surrounding Inner West suburbs.
Which agency is Ramon Raneal with?
The Agency Inner West, where he is a Property Partner.
Does Ramon sell apartments as well as houses?
Yes. Apartments get the same preparation and campaign as houses. See selling an apartment in the Inner West.
From the desk of Ramon Raneal