Elle Ritson has sold a three-bedroom house at 37 Old Farm Road, Helensburgh in one week via private treaty after five buyers competed for the property’s crown land position.
The buyer database advantage
Elle knew she had the right buyers before the campaign even started.
“As the lead agent in Helensburgh, I sell the most properties here, which means I have the most up-to-date buyer database,” Elle said.
“It’s not a database that hasn’t been active for two years — it’s very active and refreshed with each property I sell. Last year I sold 41 properties in Helensburgh, which means at any given time I have ready-to-go buyers and I know their budget and what they’re after.”
That database delivered five written offers within one week for the three-bedroom, one-bathroom house at 37 Old Farm Road.
What buyers noticed
The standout feature was something the property owner couldn’t control — crown land directly beside the home.
“Buyers loved that there was crown land next to the property,” Elle said.
The winning buyer was a local family already committed to Helensburgh, with children enrolled in the area’s daycare.
“They’d been looking in the area for a while, desperate to move to Helensburgh,” Elle said.
“They already had the children in daycare at Helensburgh and loved it as a place to raise a family.”
The negotiation outcome
With five offers on the table, Elle focused on securing certainty for her vendors alongside the sale.
She negotiated a Section 66W certificate waiver, removing the standard cooling-off period and eliminating the nervous wait sellers often face after contracts are signed.
“The vendors appreciated that I was able to get the property sold with a 66W, which meant no nervous wait during the cooling off period,” Elle said.
The vendors were confident in how Elle handled the multi-offer situation, trusting her negotiation approach throughout.
The Helensburgh appeal
Helensburgh sits in the northern Illawarra region, offering families a peaceful bush setting with direct access to Royal National Park trails while maintaining a 50-minute train commute to Sydney. The suburb attracts buyers seeking space and natural surrounds without sacrificing city access.
What the market data misses
Elle’s ground-level view of Helensburgh buyer activity contradicts broader market narratives around interest rate impacts.
“There are still buyers out there regardless of what the media is saying about the increased interest rates,” she said.
Her database proves the point — families and upsizers continue to compete for well-positioned homes in Helensburgh, with five offers demonstrating that local demand remains strong when the right property meets the right buyers.
For vendors considering listing in Helensburgh, Elle’s advice centres on the advantage of working with an agent whose buyer database reflects current, active market participants rather than outdated contacts.
“It’s a database that’s refreshed with each property I sell,” she said.
The sale price remains confidential, reflecting the vendor’s preference for privacy.
About the Agent
Elle Ritson from Ray White Helensburgh is the No.6 Regional Sales Agent across NSW and ACT, bringing psychology qualifications and deep Sydney and Northern Illawarra market knowledge to every campaign. Recognised as 2026 Rate My Agent Agent of the Year for Helensburgh and a 2023/24 Elite Performer (top 3% of Ray White agents nationally), Elle combines local expertise with skilled negotiation to deliver results. Visit Elle’s website for more information or call Elle on +61408512306