REIWA Chief Executive Officer Neville Pozzi said the volume of calls placed to the REIWA Information Service so far in 2017 had exceeded those received at the same time last year.
โThe REIWA Information Service provides West Australians with direct access to local experts in the real estate industry who can educate them on areas they are unsure about and help resolve tricky property matters they might be facing.
โItโs been an interesting couple of years in the WA property market, with both the sales and rental markets facing challenges simultaneously. This has naturally led to an increase in the volume of calls the REIWA Information Service has received as sellers, buyers, tenants and landlords navigate this unique market place,โ Mr Pozzi said.
Residential property management continues to be the most common topic the public ring in about, with 70 per cent of all phone calls for the year to date received from tenants and landlords.
The remaining 30 per cent of calls generally relate to residential sales. The REIWA Information Service team is comprised of two full time staff members and 70 local REIWA members who give three hours of their time every few months on a voluntary basis to help answer questions and resolve issues.
Common real estate questions in 2017:
The most common questions the REIWA Information Service receive from tenants relate to;
- the early termination of their rental lease
- what rights landlords have to enter their property while it is tenanted
- what rights they have with regards to repairs and maintenance of the property they rent
Landlords most commonly call to;
- seek information on the tenantโs obligation to pay rent
- find out how the court system works in order to claim damages from a tenant
- clarify their rights around abandoned goods
Home buyers who call the REIWA Information Service generally do so to;
- seek information about their obligations to obtain finance approval within a period of time
- clarify their rights for the pre-settlement inspection
While sellers most frequently call to find out about;
- the settlement process
- satisfying contractual conditions
- buyer requests which are not addressed in the contract