When Stacey Woodfield walked out of school and into an office job at a real estate agency in 2015, she never imagined she was on a path that would take her to being her own boss at 25.
She moved from receptionist into roles as a property manager and in 2021 became a property sales assistant.
In January this year, she became director of her own business based in Pakenham, east of Melbourne, in partnership with real estate network Area Specialist.
“This was my first year so I set myself a low goal of two sales a month and I have smashed that out of the park,” Ms Woodfield said.
“In my first 10 months I have made 46 sales with 10 more hitting the market so I have more than doubled my expectations.”
Ms Woodfield had some sound advice about a career in real estate.
“My dad always worked in sales and he told me that real estate was a good job because everyone needs a place to live,” she said.
“I love the hustle and bustle of sales. You are always on your toes and there is something new every day. You can never wake up and anticipate what the day is going to be like.”
When Ms Woodfield’s previous employer suggested she become a sales agent she researched her options.
“It was like a switch went off in my head and I said, ‘If I am going to do this let’s do it right’.”
Under the Area Specialist model, agents receive 100 per cent of their commissions while paying a flat monthly fee for the network’s administration support.
“With traditional agencies there is always a split of your commission and by the time you pay tax you don’t see the reward for all of that hard work,” Ms Woodfield said.
“When you receive 100 per cent of your commission you can give back to your clients with better service and better gifts. With Area Specialist you can concentrate on what you are good at while they handle the rest.”
Area Specialist Founder Michael Choi said Ms Woodfield was an inspiration.
“Stacey has grown so quickly and is an inspiration to me and our other agents. She is now doing amazing numbers and she is just warming up,” Mr Choi said.
“The community has really connected with her personal branding and that has helped grow her market share.
“Area Specialist does all the admin and trust accounting for her and we are helping her grow her rent roll too. We do end-to-end management for her so she can focus on increasing her GCI.”
Ms Woodfield thrives on the flexibility in time management she has now.
“I have an office studio in my backyard, which keeps the overheads down and you can put that money back into the business.
“I meet clients at the house or at a café where they are in a friendly environment rather than in a cold office.”
And the key takeaway from her first year in her own business?
“Don’t doubt yourself,” she said.
“If someone had told me five years ago I would be where I am today I wouldn’t have believed them.
“This isn’t just in real estate, there is support out there that can help you. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything you want.”
