John Higgins and Luke Higgins from MyPlace have secured a record $3.8 million sale in Botany, Sydney, for a six-bedroom heritage house on 1,064 square metres that sold prior to auction after six weeks on market.
The property at 151 Bay Street presented an unusual challenge: it was priced well above what Botany had achieved before, with most top-end house sales in the suburb capping out around $3 million. John Higgins and Luke Higgins knew they needed to find buyers who were already comfortable at that price level — even if those buyers weren’t looking in Botany yet.
Targeting buyers from neighbouring markets
“We used buyer avatar profiles and targeted buyers’ agents at first,” Luke said. “It was a unique property for Botany, so we actually had to target the suburbs surrounding.”
The team identified where their likely buyers were already searching — Coogee, Rosebery, Mascot — and went to them. Direct mail campaigns, suburb-boosted digital advertising on realestate.com and Domain, and targeted calls to buyers’ agents brought the property to households already looking at $3m-plus family homes.
“Because the property is far more expensive being the record sale compared to most other sales in Botany, we had to target buyers looking in the price range above in some more expensive areas,” Luke explained.
The 1,064sqm land holding was the drawcard. Combined with heritage character and tasteful modern renovations — including updated bathrooms, kitchen and living spaces — the property offered something difficult to find elsewhere at the price point.
“A lot of buyers walked through and just said, ‘I absolutely love it’,” Luke said.
Competition from three states
The campaign generated 200 prospective buyers, 53 inspection attendees, and 11 contracts issued. Genuine competition emerged from multiple directions: a Coogee buyer, a Rosebery buyer, and an interstate buyer from Queensland all submitted offers.
The Rosebery buyer ultimately secured the property after a week-and-a-half negotiation that pushed the final price $200,000 higher.
“As it was a very unique property to the area, it was hard to find recent sales nearby,” Luke said. “A lot of the value wasn’t clear to see where it stood, so a lot of it came from tough negotiation process and encouraging the buyers to actually pay more, especially in a declining market.”
With no clear comparables to lean on, John and Luke focused on creating urgency between multiple interested parties and demonstrating the scarcity value of the opportunity.
“Showing them how unique of an opportunity it was in Botany, and that it was tough to find anything else like this, especially for this size and scale,” he said. “Creating the fear of missing out between the buyers.”
What it means for the street
Bay Street in East Botany is notably more family-oriented than the suburb’s industrial zones, with Federation-era homes near Booralee Park and strong school catchments. The property’s 1,064sqm land holding is genuinely rare for the area, where most premium homes cap out around $3 million. The closest comparable pricing sits in beachside Coogee or gentrified Rosebery, both within 5km.
The unsuccessful buyers remain active in the market, signalling continued demand for large family homes with character and land in the inner south.
About the Agents
John Higgins is the Principal of MyPlace Estate Agents, a boutique family-owned agency, with 28 years of experience in real estate and more than 2,000 property sales across his career. He works with homeowners, buyers and investors, drawing on extensive market knowledge and long-standing experience in property sales and negotiation.
Luke Higgins is a Sales Associate at MyPlace Estate Agents and brings strong local knowledge of Botany and Maroubra to the team. He works closely with clients throughout the buying and selling process and has developed his experience alongside senior colleagues at the agency, with a focus on clear communication, professionalism and current market insight.
Together, John and Luke combine established industry experience with local market knowledge in assisting clients across their property transactions.
Visit the MyPlace Estate Agents website for more information or call John on 0412714279 or Luke on 0423709685.