Gemma White has set a new benchmark for Hope Island’s Cova Estate, selling a four-bedroom waterfront house at 57 Cova Boulevard for $2.45 million — the highest single-lot house sale in the estate’s history and its strongest result in two years.
Gemma’s success came despite significant obstacles: a tenant in residence, an overseas buyer navigating time zones, and a seven-week negotiation to bridge price expectations. Her ability to showcase the Cova lifestyle while respecting tenant privacy — and to keep both parties engaged across continents — demonstrates the kind of persistence and dual-outcome focus that turns complexity into records.
The challenge: marketing a lifestyle with a tenant in place
Selling a waterfront property is one thing. Selling it while a tenant is living there — and maintaining their privacy throughout — is another entirely.
“We tried to showcase the lifestyle of the Cova Estate through our marketing,” Gemma explains.
“However, I had to be cautious of the tenant’s privacy and organise access through them. So it was a challenging sale, that’s for sure.”
The four-bedroom house, which includes a media room, three bathrooms and a double garage, sits on 637 square metres of waterfront land — prime real estate in an estate Gemma knows intimately, having chosen to live there herself.
Her hyper-local knowledge allowed her to position the property not just as a house, but as an entry point into the Cova Estate community — a strategy that proved critical in attracting the right buyer.
The buyer: an overseas investor with a long-term view
The eventual purchaser was an overseas investor operating across multiple time zones and evaluating a property from abroad.
“Working with a foreign investor overseas with a time difference definitely made it challenging,” Gemma says.
Much of the negotiation process was coordinated through the buyer’s son, who lived interstate, helping facilitate communication throughout the campaign.
But the buyer wasn’t just purchasing bricks and mortar. They were buying into the Cova Estate lifestyle and the Northern Gold Coast’s waterfront appeal — a narrative Gemma’s video-first marketing strategy had already established across her social channels.
The investor’s commitment to the property was strong enough to sustain a seven-week negotiation.
The negotiation: seven weeks to find common ground
Bridging the price expectations of a motivated seller and an offshore buyer is rarely straightforward. In this case, it took nearly two months.
“It was a seven-week negotiation with this particular buyer,” Gemma says.
“However, we came to an agreement on price that both the buyer and seller were happy with.”
The complexity wasn’t just financial. Gemma was coordinating across time zones, managing access through the existing tenant, and ensuring both parties felt heard and informed throughout the process.
The seller’s gratitude was clear: they left Gemma a five-star review and expressed thanks for her persistence in bringing the deal together.
The outcome: a win for everyone
The result was particularly significant because the property had previously been offered to the market without selling. On its second campaign, Gemma drew on her local market knowledge, buyer database, marketing strategy and negotiation process to secure a successful outcome.
The sale delivered more than just a record price. Gemma was able to secure ongoing tenancy for the residents already in the property — a detail that matters in a market where rental stability is increasingly valued.
“We have been able to secure a further tenancy for the tenants that are currently in the property, which is great news all round,” she says.
For the seller, the result represents validation of their property’s position within the estate. For the buyer, it’s a long-term investment in one of the Northern Gold Coast’s most sought-after waterfront precincts. And for the tenant, it’s continuity and certainty.
The location: Cova Estate’s waterfront appeal
Cova Estate sits within Hope Island, a master-planned waterfront suburb on the Northern Gold Coast known for its marina and family-friendly residential environment. The estate attracts lifestyle-focused buyers seeking direct water access and resort-style amenity, positioning it above Hope Island’s median house price and alongside other premium waterfront pockets such as Sanctuary Cove and Ephraim Island.
Gemma’s understanding of this market is not theoretical. As a Cova Estate resident herself, she brings firsthand knowledge of what buyers are actually seeking when they search in this precinct — and what it takes to position a property accordingly.
About the Agent
Gemma White is a luxury residential specialist with Professionals Paradise Point, operating across Hope Island, Paradise Point, Runaway Bay and Helensvale. A former Miss Australia and Bachelor Australia participant, she has built her business on video storytelling, hyper-local market expertise and a relentless focus on results. As a Cova Estate resident, she holds unmatched knowledge of the precinct and its buyer profile. Visit Gemma’s website for more information or call Gemma on 0404366063.