With over 16 years’ experience in the real estate industry, Grant Smith has achieved a host of awards throughout his career, including becoming the youngest agent in the Australasian network to achieve ‘Centurion’ status for placing in the top two per cent of over 100,000 Century 21 agents worldwide for five years running (2007 to 2012). Remarkably, he also achieved ‘Double Centurion’ status in 2013 and 2014 for placing in the top one per cent of agents worldwide.
Last year Grant Smith won Property Campaign of the Year Award (Residential) at the Annual REA Excellence Awards for a successful auction of an uninhabitable termite ridden house. The sale result significantly exceeded the seller’s expectations and garnered national media attention.
Grant Smith purchased and settled on his real estate business the day before his 21st birthday and since then has committed himself to building a trusted and transparent reputation for both his personal and business brands.
“Gone are the days of generic real estate sales pitches, scripts and dialogues – I think it is incredibly important that you are a real person who is legitimately out to help people,” said Grant Smith.
“My first tip for aspiring agents would be to appreciate that most people are looking for honesty, integrity, sincerity and likeability when choosing an agent. Savvy agents would do well to respond accordingly by living and projecting those traits and values.
Secondly, he believes that great personal results are often the product of having a strong team around you and a workplace culture built around delivering success for clients.
“It is important to have positive relationships with everyone in your team, including agents, assistants and consultants. They are all a reflection on you and the brand you operate under.
“Also, working with likeminded individuals in a culture that values results often leads to strong outcomes for the people within that culture” said Grant Smith
Grant Smith’s third secret surrounds working hard in the local community, and building an identity within it:
“People should see who you are as a person out in the community. This way they often feel like they know you and this rapport can often lead to conversations about real estate.”
Grant Smith’s office does not fit the mould of a standard real estate office. It is distinctively styled with modern black, white and gold accents, while being decorated with chandeliers, lavish feature walls, modern artworks, velvet furnishings and an open fireplace. He believes that when clients walk through the office door, they enjoy the aura of ‘champagne service’ and feels the space reflects his own personal flair and focus on proactive marketing.
Grant Smith and his team are also involved in numerous community initiatives, aiming to commit to at least one to two major sponsorships or projects at any given time, including Merlin’s Magic Wand, Sunny Kids, and Give Me 5 For Kids.
The flexibility and support provided by the Century 21 network has also been valuable in the growth of his personal brand: “There’s always assistance available from the corporate office. I like that they are there if we need the support and training but they also allow us the flexibility do our own thing and let us tailor our businesses to suit our markets, and our own personal styles,” said Grant Smith.
Grant said that he choose the Century 21 brand because there was similar shared values and he believed its global dominance would appeal to buyers and sellers throughout the Sunshine Coast.
“Increasing globalisation may mean that agents with global brands behind them have a subtle advantage in markets with lots of foreign investors, tourists and international events.
“The Century 21 brand, support and network has certainly played a large part in our success,” said Grant Smith.
