Melbourne real estate agent Khaled Arabzadeh is definitely one of those who finds the positive in any challenge.
In 2020 he followed his dream, moving from Tasmania to Melbourne to change careers from nursing to real estate sales.
He was in a new city at the height of Covid and lockdowns, a tough period for many, including those in real estate.
โI always wanted to do sales, it was in my blood,โ Mr Arabzadeh said.
He applied to every agency in his area in Melbourneโs east and all but one of them turned him down.
โI donโt blame them, I didnโt know the streets, I didnโt know the area,โ Mr Arabzadeh said.
โI didnโt give up. I had a goal in my head and I knew I was going to get there.โ
When Mr Arabzadeh got his chance, with the Area Specialist office in Casey, he grasped it with both hands.
In his first full financial year as an agent in 2021-22 he wrote $1.2 million in gross commission.
His achievements saw him take out a suburb winner award at this yearโs RateMyAgent Agent of the Year awards.
โWith the lockdown, I thought, this is probably the best time for me starting out,โ Mr Arabzadeh said.
โOthers took a break but I saw this as a time I could grow, and I was right.
โThere werenโt many properties online and there werenโt many buyers available. There werenโt many agents available either but I was there and I sold my stock.โ
โKhaled is one of the fastest-growing agents I have seen in any network nationally,โ Area Specialist Founder Michael Choi said.
โHe is a hard worker but most importantly he is also a gentleman.โ
Mr Arabzadeh attributes his success to his focus on client service and having a great brand that allows him to have personal branding while running his own business within their structure.
Mr Choi said: โMr Arabzadeh doesnโt see a downside to a tougher sales market, only an opportunity.”
“The reason for his success is that he wasn’t afraid to be his own boss within the Area Specialist system, he works hard and has a commitment to service for his clients.
“From writing $1.2 million in his first year, our goal is to see if he can do $2.4 million in his second year.โ