Hannan Bouskila has been with Raine & Horne for 10 years, initially working in property management before moving into a sales assistant role, then into a full independent sales role in 2010. In his first year, he was awarded Raine & Horne’s Sales Agent Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has been a member of the Raine & Horne Chairman’s Club – which recognises top performers – every year. He is also the youngest agent in a team of 30 in the highly competitive area of Bondi NSW. Currently he is ranked in the top three income-producing agents in the team.
What was your first job, and what was the most important thing it taught you?
My first role was as a sales assistant at Breville. Apart from being an interesting entrée into retail and sales, it taught me always to ask open-ended questions and spark engagement with the customer.
What do you like most about your work now?
As Associate Director at Raine & Horne Bondi Beach, my role is multi-faceted. The part I enjoy the most is what I call the ‘chase and close’. The process from that first appraisal through to the listing and the final sale can be quite exhilarating, and it gives me lots of motivation and energy. On the flipside, I also really enjoy helping people find their dream homes.
What do you still find the most challenging about what you do, and how do you deal with it?
I find the hardest thing to deal with is the emotional rollercoaster of the real estate journey. Quite often a day can go from good to bad to good again, all in the space of a couple of hours. You can be in a position where last-minute objections come up that impact a deal, but I handle this by making sure I don’t give up when things go bad, and I rely on my experience to get me through.
Define ‘success’ for you personally. What will you have achieved?
To me, success comes when I have established long-lasting relationships with my clients that will see them coming back to me time and time again. For instance, I might help someone find an apartment to buy as a first-time purchase; if that person then comes back to me three or five years later to buy their second home, then I’ll know I’ve been successful at my job. Further on in the real estate cycle, they might then speak to me again when they’re starting a family and looking for a bigger property, or referring their family or friends.
Describe what a typical day looks like for you?
I’m usually in the office by 8am, answering emails and setting up my day. Then I’ll be on the phones from nine till 12, before grabbing a bite of lunch and heading out on appointments. I usually finish my day with vendor meetings and listing appointments between seven and 9pm.
What is the one thing that’s not obvious about you that you wish more people would ‘get’?
Because I sell such a high volume of properties every year, some clients tend to think I specialise in selling apartments – especially because Bondi has a relatively large proportion of higher-density living. But more often than not I sell houses as well as apartments, so my challenge is to show I can sell any type of property.
What do you consider to be your real estate secret superpower?
I’d have to say it’s my attention to detail and delivery of information to the client. I believe this gives me the ability to close a deal and gives my clients that extra reassurance.
What makes you laugh?
Usually when I’m not working I’m spending time around my family and friends, and no matter what the situation, we spend most of our time laughing.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received, and why?
I once sold a home for $250,000 over reserve. Apart from being extremely happy, the client also sent me an email outlining what that $250,000 would allow her and her family to do. It was a great compliment and a nice insight into what it means to over- achieve for the client.
Is there anything you’re afraid to do, or you would do if you weren’t afraid to do it?
I’d have to say bungy-jumping would be on my bucket list if I could overcome my nerves about heights!
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Looking back, I’d definitely advise my younger self to call more people – it’s one thing to be an enthusiastic salesperson, but unless you call the people you’re most afraid to, they won’t know you exist.
What’s next?
On a personal level, I want to work on building up my own property portfolio over the next few years. I need to start taking some of my own advice and invest in more property myself!
