It was only last year when Gavin Rubinstein announced he was forming his own brand under the Ray White banner.
Next in our detailed look into how The Rubinstein Group operates, we speak to sales executive and associate director Oliver Lavers.
Described by Gavin as “a guy who follows up”, Oliver Lavers is one of the Team Rubinstein originals.
He started as Gavin’s lead generator at Double Bay seven years ago, making the calls, organising open homes, and liaising with potential sellers.
It was a perfect training ground, and now Oliver is an associate director of TRG and an agent in his own right, having sold 31 properties in the past 12 months.
That’s no small achievement, considering this is his first year going it alone.
But as Oliver explains, it’s the process of real estate coming full circle, and partly due to the confidence Gavin has instilled in him.
“We’re very different. I’m probably a little more conservative than Gavin, but he has really helped me believe in myself,” he notes.
“I’ve respected him from day one and he’s put the time and effort into me to bring me up.”
Make no mistake, Oliver has put in the hard yards.
He is a firm believer activity breeds activity, and like all of the TRG team, he works with tireless enthusiasm.
“If you’re sitting in front of a computer waiting, nothing’s going to happen,” he says.
“You’ve got to build your own pipeline, and I was lucky in that during my time working with Gavin, I constantly and consistently called people, making 30 to 40 connections a day.
“That’s now coming back around, and people are saying, ‘Oliver, I’m ready to sell’.”
Oliver notes one of the major lessons Gavin taught him was that this frequency builds trust, but motivation makes the sale.
“When I first started, Gavin wrote that on a piece of paper and stuck it to my computer,” Oliver says.
“Until people are ready, you are building trust, so I’m a professional relationship builder.”
To be that, Oliver explains you have to be real, be enjoyable to talk to, and be ready to have a laugh.
“You can’t always want something, you need to give, and often what you’re giving is information,” he says.
“I love cold calling because you never know where the call’s going to take you.”
So, what’s it like to step out from under the wing of Ray White’s Number 1 salesperson?
According to Oliver, it takes belief in yourself.
“You don’t have to be who your boss is. Take the best traits you can from those around you but then be yourself. Do you,” he says.
“Gavin’s been pushing me with that confidence because he believed in me.”
Meanwhile, he also notes competence equals confidence.
“As soon as you get competent at something, that’s going to give you the confidence to take action and execute,” he says.
“In real estate, it’s about market knowledge, running the process and knowing people have hired you as the expert to sell their property.
“As long as you know you’re doing the best thing possible to get the maximum price, you should be confident in that.”
As for Oliver, this confidence is delivering real results as he leads his own fast-growing sales team.
He’s already brought in a lead generator of his own and recently started the search for a personal assistant.
“If you’d asked me when I first started if it would be possible to write the same numbers I am now, I would have said there was no way or that was not my goal,” he explains.
“But it’s about knowing what works and trusting the process.
“In real estate, it’s all about numbers.
“Make the calls, get as many balls in the air as possible, and you’ll start seeing the results.”
PREVIOUSLY: Shani Asadon
