Tracey Seghabi and Emma Luchetti of Stella Real Estate has sold a two-bedroom unit at 5/54 Church Street, Wollongong for $695,000 via private treaty after just 18 days on market — a result that defied a slower-moving market.
Tracey and Emma faced a curious challenge when she listed the two-bedroom unit at 5/54 Church Street, Wollongong: the market had slowed, properties were taking longer to sell, and yet this campaign needed to move quickly. What she didn’t expect was that the solution was already living in the building.
The unit sold for $695,000 via private treaty after 18 days on market. The buyer — a woman in her 40s with children — had been renting in the same complex and loved the lifestyle so much she decided to buy when the opportunity arose.
“This buyer was interested from the first time she looked at it, and she expressed her interest straight away,” Tracey said. “She didn’t waste time mucking around.”
Twenty-three parties and one decisive buyer
The agents fielded interest from 23 parties during the campaign. The competition was genuine — buyers noticed the vendor’s styling immediately, commented on the layout and floor plan, and kept returning to two practical details: the single lockup garage with storage room positioned right next to the steps, and the fact you could walk to both the CBD and the beach.
“They loved the presentation of it. They loved that it had a single lockup garage right next to the steps with storage room, and they loved that you could walk to town and to the beach from there very easily,” Tracey says.
The sitting tenant’s advantage was familiarity. She already knew the building, the neighbours, the street noise levels, the morning sun angles — all the details that take other buyers months of searching to assess. When it came time to negotiate, she knew she had to move.
The negotiation
The sticking point was price. Tracey and Emma worked with both parties to find an amount that satisfied the vendor’s expectations and the buyer’s budget. With 23 interested parties in the background, the buyer understood she needed a strong offer.
“This purchaser knew that she had to have a strong offer,” Tracey says.
The vendor was happy with the final figure — a clean outcome in a market where other sellers were waiting longer for results.
What it means for Church Street
Church Street in central Wollongong sits in a high-amenity, medium-density precinct close to Crown Street Mall, beaches, cafes, and public transport. The walkability buyers kept mentioning is a tangible advantage in this part of the city — comparable to the appeal of Newcastle’s central apartment precincts where car-free living is increasingly valued by younger buyers.
The teams advice for other unit owners in the area is direct: price it right, present it well, and understand that central Wollongong properties are popular at the moment — but only if the vendor controls the variables that matter.
“Properties that are located in the heart of Wollongong are popular at the moment and will sell quickly, as long as you price it right,” Tracey says.
The result demonstrates that even in a slower market, well-presented properties in genuinely walkable locations still attract serious competition — and sometimes the best buyer is already in the building.
About the Agent
Emma Luchetti and Tracey Seghabi bring complementary expertise to Stella Real Estate, combining backgrounds in sales, business management and property. As Director, Emma draws on experience in financial services, business operations and real estate, while Head of Sales Tracey specialises in residential sales and project marketing. Together, they offer broad industry knowledge across the property lifecycle, combining strategic insight with a practical, client-focused approach to supporting buyers, sellers and developers throughout the Illawarra. Visit the Stella Real Estate website for more information or call Emma on 0412929040 or Tracey on 0405542155.