Mario Sanfrancesco ranked in top 100 real estate agents in Australia

Mario Sanfrancesco of Blackshaw Manuka was ranked the 45th top agent in Australia - and 37th in NSW and ACT - in an annual top 100 list by Real Estate Business.

The property stalwart - well known in Canberra as one of the territory's leading luxury agents - sold $212 million worth of property in 2021 with an average sale price of more than $1.9 million.

"It's a great recognition of the work we do and a wonderful thing to share with my team, they're just a hard-working, dedicated bunch of people that love what we do and love assisting our clients," he said.

A few weeks later, Mr Sanfrancesco took to the stage at the Australasian Real Estate Conference to speak to a crowd of around 4000 property professionals.

Alongside him on the speaker line-up was Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey, who gave a virtual keynote speech.

"When I was asked to speak I must say, initially, I was a bit apprehensive particularly when there's a line-up like Matthew McConaughey," he laughed.

"But it was a great opportunity to get up there and just share what we do."

The current state of the property market - rising interest rates, the return of international travel, all off the back of two years of extraordinary price growth - was high on the agenda during the conference.

"Speaking with colleagues throughout Australia ... there's definitely been a slight adjustment in the level of activity, in particular the inquiry rates on property, right throughout Australia and New Zealand and it seems to be the common theme at the moment," Mr Sanfrancesco said.

"I think we all agree, those that have been at this for more than 15 years - because the market's been strong for that long - that we've just been through this unprecedented period of incredible growth in real estate," he said.

Among Mr Sanfrancesco's top sales of 2021 was 6 Wickham Crescent, Red Hill, which was the highest sale price of the year at $7.1 million. Earlier this year, he broke the record for Canberra's highest price at auction, with a $6.6 million sale in Deakin.

While Mr Sanfrancesco believes there are still plenty of Canberra properties worthy of breaking price records, he said the market is swiftly returning to "normal" conditions.

"The normal market is that they don't all sell in 48 hours of being on the market and that buyers can have a bit of choice and a bit more time to consider their options," he said.

"However, what we are feeling, particularly in Canberra, with our employment being so strong, [is that] prices remain reasonably steady."

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He said while there may be some more time and negotiating power for buyers ahead, Canberra still has properties that will "attract incredible demand".

"One of the things that I have noticed is although there might be a slight change in inquiry level, there's certainly not an increased number of properties available," he said.

"So, you know, I'd say there's going to be certain types of property that perhaps might be more negotiable than others."

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