After a decade working under traditional real estate brands, Alistair Boyle made the move to Area Specialist in October 2025, and hasn’t looked back.
The father of six children, ranging from 15 to 22 years old, said the decision to go out on his own was driven by his desire to have more control over his time.
“I think it’s important to me to have that time with family,” Alistair said.
“When you run your own business, you know when you’ve got to be on the job and running your company.
“It’s not running to a company’s diary but making your own.”
Serving Casey-Cardinia
Alistair’s path to real estate was unconventional. He ran his own signage business for more than 23 years, starting when he was just 15, before making the move into real estate.
Alistair operates in the Casey-Cardinia region, working with a diverse range of clients from first-time buyers to interstate investors.
The area offers significant variety, with properties ranging from $400,000 units to acreage properties worth $2.5-3 million.
“Casey-Cardinia is a thriving investment area,” he said.
“A lot of people who live there tend to move about within the same suburbs, upscaling from a $700,000 house to a $1.4 million property to get themselves on acreage.
“Your Saturdays are filled with variety.”
The power of connection
Despite going out on his own, Alistair said he never feels isolated thanks to Area Specialist’s support network.
“The WhatsApp groups are like sitting at the table with the entire group,” he said.
“You feel like you’re connected with them all the time, like sitting at a dining table with a whole team of high-level entrepreneurs and other real estate agents across the Area Specialist network.
“You’re not stuck in one little office or isolated. You feel like you’re involved in the whole thing.”
This connectivity was a major factor in his decision to join Area Specialist rather than going completely independent.
“I could see the major support they give before I even got in there,” he said.
A better work-life balance
Alistair said his work-life balance has improved dramatically since joining Area Specialist.
“I do like the variety of not having to go to a bunch of events each week or trying to attend meetings that should have just been an email,” he said.
“My balance is more about when I know I’ve got to be on, I can be on and get the work done and make the successes and make the goals that I want, but not have to be locked into times that other people are setting for me.”
He said this flexibility allows him to perform at his highest level while also having time to rest and spend with family.
“When my business doesn’t stop when I want to stop and rest,” he said.
“The network and the team at corporate can keep that workflow going. That’s a big difference for me.”
Building through relationships
With 80 per cent of his business coming from referrals, Alistair’s approach is firmly focused on customer service.
“You’re only servicing that customer at the time rather than being transactional,” he said.
“They’re the most important person you’ve got to look after at that time, not moving on too quickly.
“You always make sure that you leave them with a good customer experience so that they’ll tell 10 friends.”
He said some clients have used him to sell their properties three to four times, and he’s worked with multiple generations of the same family.
“I’ve sold for a parent and then their parent, like a grandmother, and then for the children,” he said.
“You get that flow-on return work from everybody.”
His advice for other agents trying to establish themselves in an area is simple: focus on the people, not just the location.
“Always give people the best service and be transparent,” he said.
“That’s what gets you return growth and referral work.”
The best decision
Looking back on his move to Area Specialist, Alistair has no regrets.
“Joining Area Specialist was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said.
“You can perform at your highest level all the time when you want to be, but you also get all that time to be able to rest or spend time with family.
“It only makes it easier to then work and perform better again when you’re back on.”
Area Specialist is a real estate platform for top-performing agents, providing the systems, tools and technology they need to create, grow and power their business. For more information visit beyourboss.com.au.