07 Feb 2015
We used Chris Marsh's expertise to sell our house in Cairns North and then to purchase more property. We found Chris's advice to get our house to market spot on; and when we sold it, it far exceeded our expectations on price and time. The OFFER ONLINE system Chris utilizes made it an exciting process. We received multiple offers on a daily basis that well exceeded our anticipated result. We highly recommend Chris to any prospective sellers and buyers and will definitely be calling on Chris Marsh in the future.

Don and Karen Barling

One of the best
28 Jan 2015
Awesome…probably the best word I could use to describe Chris Marsh and his service. Chris was always available when we needed him, both before and after the sale. He provided solid tips on how to best present the property to the market before sale. Best of all, he sold it in 3 days and for more than we expected!!! True gentleman, trustworthy and all round top guy. I would most definitely recommend Chris Marsh as your next agent.

A Genuine Person not just a Real Estate Agent.
14 Jan 2015
I have known Chris Marsh as a fellow Resident of Machans Beach for 8 years and in September 2014 he also became my Real Estate Agent for the sale of my Machans Beach Home. After meeting with other agents prior to listing with Chris, I chose Chris because I found him to be a genuine person, not just a slick Real Estate Sales person. He listened to me and what I wanted in selling my property and he was willing to share his knowledge and assist me to get the property ready for sale. He was able to give good advice that helped sell the property within 4 weeks of listing. I would highly recommend Chris to any seller as he was found to be trustworthy and honest about prices and what he could do to sell my property at the best possible price. Chris took a very sensible approach to marketing which saved me money and got the best results.

When it came time to sell our home at Machans Beach, we couldn't go past consulting with Chris Marsh. Previous experience had taught us what positives to look for in a Real Estate Agent and right away Chris ticked ALL the boxes. Unparalleled local knowledge coupled with a friendly, approachable, easy going attitude made this whole experience both streamlined and trouble free.
Chris helped us tailor a plan that fitted our budget and he worked tirelessly to ensure that we received great value from our listing.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Chris Marsh to anyone thinking of selling their property.
Thank you for such a fantastic effort and a good result in a challenging market.

Glenn & Katherine Weeks

Dear Chris,

Patricia & I just wanted to acknowledge your effort and say thank you for all your assistance in managing the 'fire sale' of our Cairns investment properties over the past couple of years. This has been the most trying & challenging market we have ever experienced.
We most definitely would not have achieved these outstanding results without your commitment, knowledge & 'never say die' attitude!

Thank you Chris,

Leroy & Patricia Daniel

I recently purchased a property at 28 Alberta Drive, Woree, Cairns.

The selling agent was Clive Abbott of Betta Real Estate in Cairns.

The whole process was easy, uncomplicated and clear. Clive went out of his way to assist me, even though he was the agent for the seller, not for me the purchaser. There was a small problem with the valuation which Clive solved for me and saved me $2000 in mortgage insurance.

Then I needed to get the keys early - before settlement had taken place - Clive arranged this for me too. Clive Abbott made the whole process a pleasure. He is a true professional at his trade and a man of integrity.

I would not hesitate to recommend Clive Abbott and Betta Real Estate to any prospective buyer or seller of real estate in Cairns.

Sincerely, John Weir.

Sincere thanks to Chris Marsh, undoubtably one of the nicest, sincerest, most dedicated and uncompromising agents EVER!!! 17 Machan Street just went unconditional!!!! YAHOO, champagne is on US!!!!! Cheers Graham and Melissa

Chris Marsh Testimonial
I have been renting a town house at Holloways Beach, through a different agent, which Chris has as a listing for sale.

The seller should be encouraged because Chris has generated significant interest in the property. We have been seeing quite a bit of each other through prospective buyers wishing to view the townhouse.

I wanted to share that during this process Chris has been fair and reasonable in all his dealings with me as the tenant. He has been very respectful and considerate and has shown great flexibility in attempting to find convenient times for his interested parties to view the property around my convenience.

Not only has he displayed very high ethical standards he has also been friendly and approachable at all times.

Buying or selling, I would recommend you contact Chris Marsh at Betta Real Estate for courteous, honest service.

Hi Clive,

I didn't want to let the moment pass without thanking you and acknowledging your effort and dedication in reaching a satisfactory conclusion in the sale of my home.

Undaunted by cyclone, the worst property market in Cairns in twenty years and an economy devastated by a high dollar and no tourists... you stuck to the task relentlessly for six months and as always your hard work has been financially rewarded.

Thank you once again and my best wishes for the future.

Best regards,

Graeme Humphrey

Hi Chris,

Myself and Alisha would like to thank you for your time. You have been a great, honest, laid back Real Estate Agent; "not common these days", who made time to help us with our house purchase at Christensen Street, Machans Beach.

We have looked at over 30 homes in the past 6 weeks and have narrowed the search down to just a few. After looking at this property twice we have decided to put in an offer to purchase and have comfortably submitted that through the OFFER ONLINE tab on your website.

We appreciate your time and your help, and will speak with you soon.

Regards

Chris and Alisha.

Testimonial for Chris Marsh of Betta Real Estate:

After our unique & colourful two bedroom beach house had been on the market for well over a year we elected to list the property with Chris Marsh. If only we had made this decision sooner! Chris’s professionalism & wizardry with his digital camera resulted in the production of a quality brochure of such artistic excellence that we were truly blown away! Enquiries from genuine buyers instantly picked up dramatically & before one round of advertising was complete the property was sold for a figure within 3% of the listed price. Congratulations Chris on a job well done, you are the consummate professional.

Thanks for all your help in selling the place, we are now able to live the lifestyle that we have been planning for a very long time, good luck for the future.

Kind regards,

Keith Tooke

Chief Financial Officer

Cape York Land Council

Aboriginal Corporation

ICN 1163

32 Florence Street / PO Box 2496

Cairns QLD 4870

Thanks Clive.

Thanks for the honest and 'on the money' valuation.

Thanks for the fantastic photos and amazing media presentation of our property.

Thanks for the frequent communication and valid comments of how to make it easier to sell.

Thanks for closing the deal.

Happy?...You Betta believe it !

Good Afternoon Clive,

As the sale of our investment property is due to conclude any time now I thought it would be appropriate to shoot you a quick email to thank you for your efforts on our behalf in this process and to say "Well Done".

Not only did the property go under contract much quicker than we had expected (prior to the first Open Home which surprised the hell out of us) but most importantly it went on contract at a reasonable price that was in the middle of our selling price range.

Gail and I were obviously impressed with the result achieved but also with your professionalism and efficiency throughout the process and based on this would have no hesitation in recommending your services to others.

Congratulations on a job well done and thanks again for your efforts on our behalf

Regards

Rod

Hi Chris, Thank you again for making the sale of this property very easy. I certainly have put your name forward to some of our lessor's who are thinking of selling. Your professionalism has been greatly appreciated.

Regards, Julie McCarthy

We were very impressed with every aspect of the handling of our property by Clive Abbott, especially as we are living overseas at the present time.

The photographic presentation of the property was absolutely first class. We had been very disappointed with the negative feedback from other agents we had originally approached. Clive Abbott was much more positive and, as it turned out, sold the property in record time for a very fair price.

We would recommend Clive Abbott (Betta Real Estate) to anyone wishing to deal with an honest, genuine, professional & friendly agent regarding any property matter.

Giancarlo and Myriam Castelli

Hi Chris

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your fabulous efforts with regard to selling our Freshwater unit. We were absolutely delighted with the results (both price and speed of sale), and you were personally great to work with. We will be sure to mention your name if we hear of anyone wishing to sell or buy property.

Thanks again, warm regards

Sharyn and Rick

This is to compliment you or the photographer on taking decent photos, lots of them and for also putting captions at the bottom with a description (eg main bathroom, guest toilet etc etc).

This is how all agents should represent their houses for sale.

And from a person from overseas who is unable to visit properties personally, I think the more photos to show off and cover all the angles of the house inside and out, the better.

Keep up the good work!

I have acted for the sellers of both the Kuranda Post Office and Yorkeys Knob Post Office, as Solicitor, and in both cases Clive Abbott of Betta Real Estate has been the Agent. Clive’s diligent, professional and knowledgeable approach and actions were first class. He is attentive to all details to see the Contracts through to completion where most other Agent’s interest takes a dive after the Contract has been signed. Clive and his team at Betta are friendly and easy to deal with that you almost feel that you are family.

Regards

PAUL WILLIAMS - SOLICITORS
E P Williams
Ph. (07) 4031 4700

Mobile: 0419 667 406
Email: solicitors@paulwilliams.com.au
Postal: PO Box 7777, Cairns Qld 4870

11/25-29 Grafton Street, Cairns, Queensland 4870

Dear Clive

Thank you for your professionalism and dedication in the sale of the Yorkeys Knob Post Office. From our first meeting you displayed enthusiasm and an efficiency to get the job done with a minimum of fuss. Your presentation of the business encompassing all aspects in preparation for sale were amazing with your great photos, internet exposure as well as advertising in the Cairns Post and the Cairns Eye. You certainly got it out there with the best of results.

Your screening process and materials supplied to prospective buyers just took the worry out of the sale for us, as we were confident we could get on with our job whilst you handled the job you know best.

We had initially gone with specialised Post Office Brokers but as there are no local Post Office Brokers in Cairns, our previous experience was difficult and frustrating, making the whole process stressful.

The nature of the business and Australia Post's requirements for a minimum of 90 days changeover from when the contract is signed requires constant monitoring of the sale. You excel in this area and your hands on approach, vast experience and availability was much appreciated. Thank you once again Clive, it has been an absolute pleasure dealing with you.

Kind regards
Jan & Noel Hardy
Former Owners, Yorkeys Knob Post Office

Good afternoon Chris,

We are enjoying a quiet drink to celebrate the sale/settlement of our Unit today.

We wanted to thank you for your very professional and efficient handling of our sale.

We were first attracted to Betta Real Estate as we felt that your commission charges were reasonable but were warned by another agent that "you get what you pay for". This proved false as we got exceptional service from Chris Marsh. His attitude was very positive and his motivation to make the sale was something you dream of in a real estate agent.

In the current environment we placed our unit on the market but were not confident that we would achieve a sale within a reasonable time frame. It did not take us long to realise that we were in good hands. The advertising campaign and brochures were very professionally done and our unit was given a high profile on the internet and in the Cairns Post newspaper.

We were regularly kept up to date with progess on the sale and any offers received and would not hesitate in recommending your services to anyone looking to buy or sell real estate in Far North Queensland.

Thank you once again Chris,

Leonie & Mick Durrant
Speewah Computers
PO Box 494 Townsville Qld 4810

During the six months that we had our property listed with the previous agent, we had a total of three parties inspect our home and received no feedback or any offers during this frustrating time.

Early this year (2009) we engaged Betta Real Estate to sell our property. We were very impressed with the sales collateral they produced in the form of a twelve page colour brochure, the great photography & internet exposure, the easy to read high impact Cairns Post advertising and the fact that we receive feedback after every inspection. We have had our home open on the past two weekends, have had eleven parties inspect and have received three serious offers.

We have no hesitation in recommending Chris Marsh & the team at Betta if you want a truly professional job done of marketing your property for sale.

Neil Bryce & Sussie Christensen
53 Verbena Drive
Mount Sheridan

To whom it may concern.

Some months ago my wife and I decided to move to New South Wales. I placed my property in the hands of a very competent real estate agent, Chris Marsh at Betta Real Estate. This company and its employees had come to my notice through their personal professionalism, excellent point of sale techniques and their realistic commission structure.

The team at Betta Real Estate mounted an excellent campaign in the local newspaper and the internet with top quality photography and sparkling dialogue to help the sale along. Open houses were conducted regularly with attendant advertising and plenty of encouragement by them to help us through this stressful exercise. Their tenacity produced a cash buyer with what we realised, was a great price negotiated by them on our behalf and the deal went smoothly.

I have bought and sold a number of properties in Cairns over the years and have never experienced a group of dedicated people who were working for us as their priority; as well as their commission. I would not hesitate to recommend them as agents for the sale or purchase of property. They dealt honestly and professionally with us and several neighbours who also sold properties through them.

We personally thank Chris Marsh for his unflagging enthusiasm and Chris Ford (principal) for his help and guidance in this matter.

David S & Linda M Delmont
Newry Island. Urunga NSW

To Clive & the team,

I know a bit of time has gone by, so I apologise this is late but I wanted to let you know what a great job you did under less than ideal circumstances.

Clive, you managed to keeo me calm and restored my faith in real estate agents with your candour and honesty.

You also helped me keep it together.

So, fom Bob and me, THANKYOU!

Whilst the internet response was not what sold this house - your salesmanship and integrity found us our buyers - in the nick of time, so to speak.

We wish you health, joy and peace.

Keep up the great work of showing up the opposition.

Best wishes in gratitude

Sandi & Bob Barnett

"You can't call quality representation cheap!

We chose Clive at Betta based upon a recommendation from a neighbour. We were not disappointed.

The free presentation of our home on the web was better than other agents provided for a fee.
All our dealings with Betta were carried out in a prompt and businesslike manner. We were pleased with the price achieved. Further, the associated expenses meant that our return was tops!"

Our dealings with Betta Real Estate, from start to finish were stress free, professional and very successful! We listed on a Thursday, had a record number of hits on the internet within the first 24 hours and were under contract by Sunday.

The photographs taken and provided by Betta on the internet for free were professional and, in comparison to many other sites we have visited in our quest to find a new home in our new location, beautifully presented and informative.

Clive was open and honest with us as to price expectations and in the end, right on the mark. We achieved a great price which we believe thrilled both us and Betta. Having a fixed price quote for the commission made the whole negotiating process a whole lot easier.

We have already recommended Betta to a number of friends who are contemplating sale and to be honest I don't know why you would go elsewhere. Many thanks Clive for a very successful and enjoyable experience.

Richard and Jenny Lizzio
Whitfield

To Malcolm Cooper and the whole TEAM at Betta Real Estate

Dear Mal
Roz, Nathan & myself thank you for the tremendous effort you & the team put into the Sale & Purchase of our homes.

It was a pleasure to deal with open, honest and supportive real estate professionals.
The sale of our Redlynch home was clean, quick & at full price.
The purchase of the Kewarra Beach home, from you, was just as easy and 'painless'.

And the support we received when the 'selling party's solicitor' dragged his heels was tremendous.
You kept hounding them while supporting us in our hours of frustration & disappointment.

It is no wonder that we have recommended your company to friends and other acquaintances.


From the three of us, thank you Betta for an excellent outcome.

Yours sincerely


Dennis Matthews
General Service Manager
National Telephone & Data
0438 453 577

Chris & Tess Leach
4/15-17 Fern Street
Holloways Beach
QLD 4878

FAO Malcolm Cooper
Betta Real Estate
399 Lake Street
North Cairns
QLD 4870

5th September 2007

I was scandalized by the 'standard' cost of selling property in Cairns compared to the UK and just wanted to write a letter to say a huge thank you to Betta Real Estate and in particular, Malcolm Cooper for being different and, well, better than the rest!!

My husband and I recently sold a 3 bed townhouse in Holloways Beach through Betta Real Estate. We arranged valuations with a total of four real estate agents though we were already impressed with Betta's commission structure compared to the 'standard' commission (translate to 'maximum legally allowed') charged by the others.

We were even more impressed with Betta Real Estate upon comparing the market appraisals. We had been doing our own valuation research for the past few months prior to selling and found the difficulty being that there were no comparable properties sold or on the market. Malcolm was the only real estate agent who factored the 3rd bedroom into his appraisal whilst all the other agents appraised our property on the basis of 2 bed townhouses. Not surprisingly, Betta valued our property higher than the other agents.

We signed the contract with Betta and the house was photographed and on realestate.com the same day. Malcolm advised us to advertise on the internet only for the first week (free with Betta whilst the other agents would have charged us upwards of $100 plus tried to push us into costly paper advertising). Within 3 days we had a confirmed offer on the house at $20,000 more than the maximum 'You'll be lucky to achieve that' advised by the other agents.

So, not only have we saved over $4000 in commission and advertising costs we have also achieved $20,000 more on the sale price by going with Betta Real Estate.

You guys have got it right - a fair commission structure, experienced hardworking agents with all fingers on the property pulse, lower advertising costs reflective of the 21st century property market and excellent service. I am recommending you to everyone I know.

Yours sincerely



Chris & Tessa Leach

We wish to thank you for the professional way you handled the sale of our house in Mooroobool and our unit in Westcourt. It is a well known fact selling is a very stressful experience. With your advice we were able to relax and achieve a very successful sale for both properties - in under one week! We have recommended you to our friends with the knowledge they would not regret choosing you to handle their real estate needs. Malcolm is without a doubt the most professional real estate agent I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with! Everything was dealt with professionally, without a fuss, in a timely manner and Malcolm kept is informed every step along the way. Thank you so much Malcolm.

Billy and Tanya Blundell 6/10/2007

REFERENCE FOR MALCOLM COOPER AND BETA REAL ESTATE

I am a licensed Real Estate agent, and run my own Real Estate practice in the Illawarra area of NSW. Recently I listed my Kanimbla property for sale through Malcolm Cooper at Beta Real Estate.

It took a long time to find an agent in the Cairns area who was prepared to list my property for sale without charging the 'standard' rate of commission (the REIQ advised me that the 'standard' rate I was being quoted was in fact the maximum rate that agents could charge).

Beta Real Estate not only offers a very fair flat fee, but also delivers a high standard of service. I am happy with the price achieved for my property, and would recommend Malcolm and Beta Real Estate to any vendors wanting a fair go from their agent.

Yours Sincerely,



Ray Elphick
Director,
Shop Front Real Estate

To the dynamic team at Betta Real Estate
Just a quick letter of thanks for the exceptional service we received from Chris and, in particular, Malcolm in selling our property at Redlynch Valley.
After being on the market for nine months, and in the hands of three well known Real Estate Agencies over that period of time, we had seriously begun to think something was drastically wrong with our lovely home.
Simply by having both Chris and Malcolm come out, appraise our home, and discuss truthfully the situation at hand, we were able to sell our home in just one week of being listed with Betta Real Estate.
Realistic pricing, exceptional photos and genuine enthusiasm in selling our home was the winning combination and for that we are extremely grateful to you all.

RE Testimonial
2 Fitch Ct
Stratford

Dear Chris

It is now a month since we sold our property in Cairns and moved to the Sunshine Coast and thought now that dust and the stress of moving 2000 km has settled I would write and give you and your team at Betta Real Estate some well deserved feedback.

When we decided to put our pride and joy (home) on the market I invited a couple of agents to demonstrate their approach in marketing our property.

Fortunately we chose Rachel and Clive Abbott and I am delighted with the results we achieved.

Not only did we sell the home within a week of listing, we achieved a record price for the Stratford area and exceeded our minimum asking price by $ 20,000. On top of that we saved about $10,000 so in dollar terms we were up $30,000. Not bad for 10 minute decision on which company to use.

I was particularly impressed with some of your services such as,
Free internet listing ( others were quoting $145 )
Free photos which were of professional quality ( we were going to pay $400 for a photo shoot )
Minimal advertising costs for the Cairns Post ( others want us to lock into a $1600 package so another $1000 saving.)

On top of that we had the most professional and pleasant real estate experience we had in 20 years of buying and selling.

So the bottom line is are we happy? Absolutely ……. And we have both been recommending your business to our friends and associates.

Thanks again,
Bruce and Jillian Exton

Director - Advantage Training and Development Pty Ltd
President - Australian Customer Service Association - Cairns branch - 1996

We couldn't have been happier with the service we received from Betta Real Estate when selling our Earlville Queenslander.
From the first meeting through to settlement the service was friendly, personal, realistic, professional and honest.
There open and honest assessment of our property was a breath of fresh air after meeting other local estate agents ( who were telling us anything to get the property).
The marketing package they offered was terrific, excellent photos, quality colour brochure, reasonable advertising costs and user- friendly web site.
Do not let the flat rate of commission fool you these guys give quality service and achieved a spectacular result for us ( sold in 3 Days ! and achieved a record price in the area ).
Do yourself a Favour and talk to them before you sign with another company.

Thanks again
Rachel Langman & Daniel Pol

We used Betta Real estate to sell our home in Cairns, when we relocated to the Sunshine Coast.
Being a single income family it was important to us that we received value for money, as well as the best price for our house.
We were impressed as soon as Chris, Malcolm and Ralph all turned up to do a valuation on our property, they also offered all sorts of hints and tips to help us sell, and had us listed for sale immediately. (They even lent us their pressure cleaner to clean the pavers!)
Initially I contacted Betta Real Estate because of their LOW cost (and I did my homework). The service, level of commitment and professionalism displayed by this team far exceeded the level displayed by the more expensive real estate agents.
Betta Real Estate managed our expectations throughout the entire process.
I have referred Betta Real Estate to friends of mine still living in the Cairns Region, and they also had positive experiences with them.
Selling a house can be a stressful time, and an extra $10 000 - $12 000 being ripped from your pocket by the more expensive real estate agents does not ease the stress. It cost us $4250 in total to sell our house, and I can honestly say it was money well spent.
Good to see Betta Real Estate getting out there and keeping the cost of the selling process a little more within everyday people's reach.

Sincerely
Ruth and Rob McCluskey

Testimonial for Malcolm Cooper and Betta Real Estate

This financial year we sold 2 Cairns properties through Malcolm Cooper and Betta Real Estate in North Cairns. The first was an investment duplex that we had owned since 1995, and the second was a much-loved beachfront cottage that had been our home for many years.

In both cases Malcolm worked quietly, professionally and energetically in order to get us the best price in the smallest amount of time. Time was of the essence, as we wanted to take advantage of the government's current, generous but time-limited window of opportunity to make contributions to our Self Managed Superannuation Fund.

Throughout the short-listing periods Malcolm was available for us to contact him at any time. He also responded immediately to any queries that we had with regard to feedback.

As both properties had previously been listed with others agents for longer periods of time we can unequivocally say that the service we received from Malcolm and Betta Property was superior to the service we experienced from other agents. The other agents generally charged much high commission and did not show the same work ethic or professionalism that we experienced with Malcolm.

Both our properties were sold speedily and without fuss or fanfare and - at our request - in a private and confidential manner. From this stress-free experience we can whole-heartedly recommend Malcolm and Betta Property to anyone wishing to sell a property in Cairns.

Keith and Cathy burrow - Cairns April 2007

In June 2006 we decided to sell our two bedroom home and looked to the market for a suitable selling agent and agency.
We settled with Malcolm Cooper from Betta Real Estate.
A satisfactory sales contract was soon forthcoming after advertising the property in the Cairns Post Realtor just twice. The price we received was more than our original expectation and best of all, we paid a much lower commission compared to other agencies.
The whole process was professional, stress free and rewarding and we would recommend Malcolm and Betta Real Estate to others.

Peter & Phyllis Voss

Dear Malcolm Cooper and Betta Real Estate

This financial year we sold 2 Cairns properties through Malcolm Cooper and Betta Real Estate in North Cairns. The first was an investment duplex that we had owned since 1995, and the second was a much-loved beachfront cottage that had been our home for many years.

In both cases Malcolm worked quietly, professionally and energetically in order to get us the best price in the smallest amount of time. Time was of the essence, as we wanted to take advantage of the government's current, generous but time-limited window of opportunity to make contributions to our Self Managed Superannuation Fund.

Throughout the short-listing periods Malcolm was available for us to contact him at any time. He also responded immediately to any queries that we had with regard to feedback.

As both properties had previously been listed with others agents for longer periods of time we can unequivocally say that the service we received from Malcolm and Betta Property was superior to the service we experienced from other agents. The other agents generally charged much high commission and did not show the same work ethic or professionalism that we experienced with Malcolm.

Both our properties were sold speedily and without fuss or fanfare and - at our request - in a private and confidential manner. From this stress-free experience we can whole-heartedly recommend Malcolm and Betta Property to anyone wishing to sell a property in Cairns.

Keith and Cathy burrow - Cairns Nov 2006