Maitland property prices have not just bounced back after the COVID pandemic handbrake, but they're now rattling ahead.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I would say property prices are currently about five per cent over what they were before COVID came along," River Realty CEO Mandy Wurth said.
"We sell properties of all shapes and sizes - from places worth $3 million to land valued at $200,000, and everything in between - and we're finding that the market is really strong right across the board.
"At the top end of the market, at the lower end and in that middle band around the $500,000 mark, it's a booming market.
"There are buyers out there."
But Ms Wurth was quick to offer a word of warning.
"When JobKeeper ends in March, it's very hard to say with any confidence what the market will do," she said.
"None of us have been through a pandemic like this before ... it's all new.
"At the same time I don't think any of us, at the peak of the pandemic, would have predicted that the market would have bounced back quite as strongly as it has. It has really been quite amazing.
"Going on previous trends, I think it's fair to say to people that if you're looking at selling, the market is very strong right now.
"We've just sold a property we project managed that brought a record price for East Maitland, so these prices speak for themselves."
I don't think any of us, at the peak of the pandemic, would have predicted that the market would have bounced back quite as strongly as it has
- River Realty CEO Mandy Wurth
The market bounce back is good news for all of the city's agents - but is doubly sweet for River Realty.
Last week they were named as Maitland's Redal Estate Agency of the Year at the Maitland Business Chamber Awards.
"It's very rewarding for us, because it means we're well known, and that we're successfully servicing our local community," Ms Wurth said.
"That connection to the community is something that's really important to us.
"We sponsor the River Run for example, we participate in it, so we put a lot of emphasis on that community link.
"And it has shown in how we've grown in recent years.
"It wasn't long ago that we had 10 or 12 staff members, now we have 33 staff, so we're a sizeable operation."
IN THE NEWS
Do you know you can subscribe to get full access to all Maitland Mercury stories? Subscribing supports us in our local news coverage. To subscribe, click here