Real estate agent defends $2million sale after Aussies questioned value of rundown home: 'We're all doomed'
A real estate agent who sold a rundown home in Sydney's west for an eye-watering $2million has hit back at criticism, saying trolls had missed the point entirely.Julia Zeinoun, 50, who represents Ray White for the Punchbowl area, sold the 900sqm property on Saurine Street, Bankstown, in January.The four-bedroom family home was marketed as an 'ideal development site' with 'duplex and granny flat potential'. Ms Zeinoun shared a video celebrating the sale on Wednesday with the caption: 'THIS is what $2million buys you in Bankstown'. The agent was filmed walking through the property's rundown garage and over some patchy grass, prompting many to question if it was worth the hefty price tag. 'She only shows the backyard with nothing but grass because that's the best-looking part of the house,' one person wrote. 'I'm trying to figure out if this is satire or not,' a second quipped. 'We're all doomed,' a third said. Real estate agent Julia Zeinoun (pictured) sold a 900sqm on Saurine Street in Bankstown, in Sydney's inner west, for $2million in January Australians on social media questioned whether the property was worth such a high price But Ms Zeinoun said the size of the plot is what makes the property so valuable'When I was a kid, $2million meant several pools and a helicopter pad,' a fourth said. Ms Zeinoun, who has been selling homes in Sydney for seven years, told Daily Mail she was unfazed by the critics, describing the response as 'awesome'.'It allowed others to keep engaging... We're enjoying the comments. It's something that we're all talking about,' she said. 'Why watch Netflix when I can read the comments?'The experienced agent said trolls had failed to understand that it was the land value that made the property so valuable. The home has a frontage of 16metres and a land size of 900sqm.'People [are] making a comment on a suburb they know nothing about. They're obviously not from Sydney. They're not from Bankstown,' she said.'They're not obviously entering the Sydney market. I don't think they understand that it is such good value.' Ms Zeinoun (pictured) said critics missed the element that made the property so valuable The agent is seen plastering a sold sign outside the $2million Bankstown property Ms Zeinoun said blocks of land in Sydney are scarce (the property's back yard is pictured)'We were advertising and going for the land value,' Ms Zeinoun said.'In Sydney at the moment, everywhere you look, land has become quite scarce. 'Anything above 500sqm is a very good size block, whereas once upon a time, it was 750sqm. There's not that many [blocks] that are 900sqm that have sold. 'I've seen sales that are 700sqm that are going for around the $1.7million. There's been a couple that have hit $2million.' Ms Zeinoun said the property boasted ample space to build a premium family home with a basement and pool. 'You'll be able to see the Sydney skyscrapers if you were to do that,' she said. 'Or you can do a duplex, like a family can buy it... You can even put a pool in there as well.'Ms Zeinoun, whose profile has a five-star rating on realestate.com.au, helped the previous owners purchase the property two years ago.'I originally sold it to this owner that I was selling for in January,' she said.'We sold it in 2024 for approximately $1.68million, and just over a year later, we've now resold it for $2million.'
