We purchased an apartment at auction where Nick Gatacre was the auctioneer and key agent for the property. Nick conducted an exceptional auction......a little too good with us purchasing as we paid top dollar, but ended up as the successful bidders. We then opted to engage Nick and Hocking Stuart for the sale by auction of our current apartment located in the same complex as the one we just purchased. We were upsizing from a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom. Nick discussed with complete transparency and frankness about the recommended changes to our property and we agreed to vacate, remove our own furniture and allow stylists to decorate to enhance the apartment and bring out the features. On the same day as our auction Nick auctioned another apartment in the same complex and there was another property opposite ours to be auctioned at the same time, so competition was aplenty. Nick achieved a great result for the apartment selling prior to ours, which gave us some comfort for our auction, however, despite Nick saying all the right things at the introduction to the auction, once he asked for opening bids there was silence. Nick soon put in a vendor's bid to get the audience started and immediately had one bidder increasing the offer.....then silence again. It was a nervous time for my wife and I who were watching from the balcony above and our hearts sank when there were no further bids. As per expected practice Nick then came to us as the vendors to discuss and reiterated this was one of the probable scenarios and not to give up yet. I said I was not keen to drop our reserve to which he immediately answered, he was not asking us to and that he would get back to the crowd and start again. Very soon Nick had three or four bidders and we ended up with a result 9% above our reserve. We were very pleased with the result and Nick's professionalism and expertise in achieving this. I would not hesitate to use Nick Gatacre again when it comes time for us to sell again.

Nick Gatacre

star   4.9   (183 reviews)

Grant had the kind of professional approach we really appreciated. Friendly and helpful and happy to answer any questions we had. The entire process went smoothly and auction day was handled efficiently also. Very happy and can unreservedly recommend Grant! A great outcome for us Grant, thank you! Rick and Michelle

Grant Wallace

star   4.9   (273 reviews)

Incredible job by Grant and his team to market my property, run a fantastic advertising campaign and deliver a great result well above my expectation.. my overall experience, including the progress reports and regular phone updates, over the 4 weeks was easily the best experience I've had buying or selling property. Great job and thanks again! Brad

Grant Wallace

star   4.9   (273 reviews)

Peter and his team provided a smooth, friendly, competent and no-nonsense real estate service in the sale of my South Yarra apartment.

Peter Perrignon

star   4.9   (78 reviews)

Able to exceed our expectations with regards to sale price and always clear communication from Mark and his team

Mark Konishi

star   4.9   (330 reviews)

Mark and Alex were great to work with during the campaign and have achieved a result beyond expectation. Communication was key when deciding which agent to choose to sell my property. I had contacted a couple of other agents to get an appraisal for the property and Hockingstuart/Mark was the standout in getting back to me and arranging a time to see the property. They kept me informed at each stage of the campaign and were always prepared to give me the time to discuss any concerns. Prior to the auction, they took the time to meet with me and explain the auction strategy and the potential scenarios so that I was well prepared on the day. Mark and Alex acted with integrity throughout the process by detailing the positives and potential setbacks about the property upfront, and then providing strategies to achieve the best outcome. This was paramount to me as I had experience with other agents who only sing praises about the property before you sign and then prior to the auction they tell you all of the negative points to try and decrease your reserve. This did not happen with Mark and Alex and it made the days leading up to auction less stressful. I would highly recommend Hockingstuart South Yarra for the above reasons but also their reputation and presence in the market. Thank you once again Mark and Alex.

Mark Konishi

star   4.9   (330 reviews)

Nick went above and beyond - including finding me a place to rent that suited my needs and allow me to prepare my existing home for sale. He's also quite frank in his discussions which is both refreshing and assuring.

Nick Gatacre

star   4.9   (183 reviews)

Mark and Alex from Hocking Stuart were very competent and effective. I felt like I was dealing with experienced agents with excellent local knowledge and communication skills. Alex was able to very quickly assess exactly what we needed from her and then deliver the results without any dramas. I never had to chase anything up, they were both proactive, no nonsense and reliable. They understood my time was valuable and that I had other priorities and just got on with the job.

Mark Konishi

star   4.9   (330 reviews)

We have known Grant Wallace for many years. He has great knowledge in local area of South Yarra and neighbouring suburbs. Just like any good real estate agent, Grant would periodically give us a call to see if he could provide any assistance and genuine feedback on prices. We never really thought of selling and Grant had a few private buyers which he requested our consent to let them go through the property. He came back with an offer which we could not resist and property was sold with 30 days’ settlement. Grant looked after us from organizing the documents and signing through to settlement. The whole progression was a breeze and very professional. He has proven to be a great help to us and I would not hesitate to give him a call if I needed any help on buying or selling. Thanks again Grant.

Grant Wallace

star   4.9   (273 reviews)

We are very happy to recommend Mark Konishi to purchasers and vendors as his ethical work on both fronts was obvious from the start of our dealings with him. He was introduced by a friend (who has a very high opinion of him also ) after we had actually decided on another property but our friend was sure that one of Marks properties was superior. She would not rest until we saw it! This meant we were operating on a very telescoped time/frame. We also bought a tenanted property so he was negotiating with three parties. We were very impressed at his willingness to listen , remember what we said , contact all parties and then arrange property inspections within a day or so. This was essential to us as we needed to decide urgently whether we were bidding at an auction elsewhere or offering on the property with Mark in Sth Yarra that same day. In other words we were a bit " pushy!" You get what you pay for and there is always another property out there but if you explain your property " wants" to Mark he will guide you to a great property which ticks all your boxes. It has been a pleasure to have bought into SY 21 with Marks expert assistance. In a 30 day settlement you need an agent with their mind on YOUR job. This is what you will get when you have Mark as your agent. Do yourself a favour and choose Mark Konishi. Our purchase was totally hassle free. Thanks Mark! And also thanks for introducing your Property Managers to us - it was all so easy with Hocking Stuart Sth Yarra.

Mark Konishi

star   4.9   (330 reviews)

I really appreciate the fact that Mark always had time to allay any fear I had in my purchase of 431 St Kilda Rd. Being an interstate buyer there were a few differences in the buying procedure and he took time to make sure I understood what happened and when. I had the utmost confidence in him and would not hesitate to use him again if the opportunity presented itself.

Mark Konishi

star   4.9   (330 reviews)

We recently engaged Nick to sell our property and from our first meeting we felt at ease and had full confidence in his ability to achieve the best price possible for our property. He was highly professional, motivated, and communicated with us at all times throughout the process. He gave us valuable input from his experience and we had trust in his recommendations. We achieved a fantastic result with the sale.

Nick Gatacre

star   4.9   (183 reviews)