house prices

PHOTO: Sydney, Australia FILE

If you are trying to buy a home in Sydney, get ready for a ruthless game of psychological warfare. And I’m not talking about the game you’ll have to play with the real estate agent; the time-honoured game called “What’s the price guide? No, really, what’s the price guide?′

I’m talking about the passive aggressive game of “It’s already ours suckers, so don’t even bother” that happens at the Saturday open for inspection. It’s a shrewd psyche-out contest, much like poker and the aim is to put everyone else off their buying game.

A property inspection is a chance for buyers to psych each other out.
A property inspection is a chance for buyers to psych each other out. CREDIT:ANNA KUCERA

At one open home I attended, the games began before we’d even set foot inside: a family of four, complete with two scootering children, held up the queue to get in by demanding to know where their children could safely stow their scooters while inside. It was genius, because it made us all feel like they already owned the place.

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