Barry Plant Craigieburn agent Romi Sleiman is preparing for auction day on his third Home for a Cure campaign, having first taken on the fundraiser in 2024 and returned again in 2025.
This year’s property, at 16 Belmont Boulevard, Donnybrook, will go under the hammer at 2pm on Saturday, October 3, with auctioneer Paul Tzamalis taking the rostrum. The home is advertised with a reserve of $700,000, built by Henley on land donated by Satterley Property Group.
For Romi, the appeal of the campaign lies in the scale of impact it offers beyond a typical transaction.
“In real estate, we help people day in, day out, but you rarely get the chance to do something this impactful,” Romi said.
“I’ll always put my hand up for this because being able to genuinely help these families is something you don’t often get the opportunity to do as an agent.”
He says the charity element changes the way buyers engage with the process, with purchasers aware their decision helps support families affected by childhood cancer.
“You find that buyers are really drawn to something like this because they know where the money is going,” he said.
“Even in harder times, they can be a little more willing to stretch because they know they’re not just buying a home, they’re helping a really good cause.”
The four-bedroom home features an open-plan living area, separate theatre and leisure space, a large master suite, butler’s pantry, covered alfresco and landscaped gardens. Romi points to its atmosphere as a key drawcard.
“Even from the facade, it has more of a coastal feel, and that beach-house feel really carries through inside,” he said.
“The light, the airiness and that coastal feel as soon as you walk in are probably the biggest selling points. You just don’t see many homes offering that around here.”
With the campaign entering its final fortnight, Romi says interest is building.
“The number of enquiries has really shot up in recent weeks,” he said.
“We had about five groups through the recent open homes, so hopefully we can build even more interest over the next couple of weeks and get plenty of people there on auction day.”
Over his three years involved with Home for a Cure, Romi has met families affected by childhood cancer, an experience he says has reinforced the purpose behind the campaign.
“Since I started working on these properties three years ago, I’ve been lucky enough to meet families who have been affected by cancer,” he said.
“When you see how they interact with My Room and how appreciative they are, you can see first-hand that the charity genuinely makes a difference.”
Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell said Romi’s continued involvement reflected the network’s culture.
“At Barry Plant, we pride ourselves on being a network full of high performing good humans, and seeing people like Romi give their time, expertise and energy to such an important campaign makes me incredibly proud of our group,” Lisa said.
“Romi is a fantastic salesperson and a wonderful ambassador for Barry Plant, and I have no doubt he’ll put everything into the campaign to help deliver an outstanding result for My Room Children’s Cancer Charity and the families it supports.”
Romi says the next fortnight is about maximising turnout before the property goes to auction.
“We’re going to do everything we can over the next couple of weeks to get as many people there as possible,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get the result, sell the home and raise as much as we can for My Room.”