On getting into real estate
I had left my role as regional marketing manager with one of the big banks and decided to do something completely different.
I spoke with five agents I knew through different people and after getting a very clear picture of what a career in real estate was going to be like, I went for it. I obtained my full licence before approaching any companies so that they knew I was serious. I got a job very quickly and so the journey began…
The happiest moment in my career
One of my first sales, after many months of the grind and experiencing the deepest lows of real estate, I sold a house for two elderly sisters.
It was their deceased mother’s home which had been in the family for 60 years. I had the offer on a contract and had them sat in my office.
After confirming with them the price they would be delighted with, I turned over the contract to show them the price that was $30,000 above that.
They simultaneously burst in to tears and hugged me, saying how happy their mum would have been to know I had sold it for them. I vowed to hold that moment with me for the rest of my career – that is why I do what I do: to make people happy.
The most memorable moment
The first one.
Best advice he’s received
Run your own race, don’t get caught up in the office banter.
Biggest challenge
The sense that technology is the focal point of the way foward and losing sight of the personal touch. If we allow technology to run the industry, we pass control to customers.
Change for good?
Greater accountability for agents over-promising prices to win listings. If a guide comes down by a certain amount after the first week, the agent needs to be looked at. Either they are too bad an agent to get it right or they blatantly lied to win the business, costing the owner thousands.
‘Elite’ agent means
An agent who performs every day, with a process-driven business and referral business from past clients. One who has genuine morals and are guided by them, and one who seeks to help those new to the industry.
#WeAreRealEstate is a series of short interviews with 140 agents all over Australia exploring the industry’s hopes, concerns, future challenges, and what it really means to be an Elite Agent.
