After a combined total of 45 years in the real estate industry, there came a day when we knew it was time to make the jump from working within a large agency model to launching our own brand.
While we have always appreciated a franchise model and all that it has to offer, we knew there was more we could be doing to define how we interact with people on making some of the biggest transactions of their lives – both financially and emotionally.
We wanted to build something not only modern and aesthetically pleasing, but that would also allow us to look at real estate a little differently.
So after a 12-month process of research, development and decision-making, Agents + Co finally launched in December 2021.
Six months on from launch, we’ve seen an enormous amount of benefits in launching our own brand, which have helped not only our clientele, but our team too.
In our first six months of operating we have sold 64 properties and leased 101 properties.
One of the biggest areas we have seen an improvement in is recruitment, and we are proud to say we have a low attrition rate and work closely with all of our team members to nurture their careers.
The past six months has seen some shuffling amongst our ranks with property management team members moving into sales, our receptionist moving into leasing and a couple of other team members on maternity leave.
We have recruited four team members and the new brand has made the recruitment process smoother and more exciting as it is a chance to share the brand.
Another area we’ve seen an improvement in is open home attendee numbers.
Even in spite of the hyperactivity in the market at the backend of 2021, we can confidently say the change in brand has helped with our inquiry levels.
These numbers are reflective of your stock levels as an agency and having a strong brand has enabled us to market to potential homeowners and show them our robust offering under our new banner.
However, starting your own brand is a huge undertaking that requires laser focus and a need to remain nimble in the face of ever shifting conditions.
It forces you out of your comfort zone and into a place where you need to open up to new ways of thinking and adapting to keep the wheels in motion.
We’ve been most blown away by how the market has responded to the rebrand.
The local area has really been taken by the vibrancy of the brand and clients have been attracted to the fact that we are fresh, dynamic and different.
But what’s the Agents+Co difference? We’re honest, customer-focused, expert communicators who act on instinct and care.
It is in this way we’ve become eternally grateful that ‘+ Co’ is at the heart of our business structure, as none of this would be possible without collaboration.
Working cohesively as a team, where everyone has input and feels valued has become a given for us, but we also have forged fantastic working relationships with brokers, stylists, videographers and trainers.
We offer an entire experience for our agents and clients.
As our own brand, we have also been able to collaborate with new technologies to respond in real time to clients through our chosen app stack of software, which includes Inspect Real Estate, Agentbox and RiTA.
In the next six months, we’re taking ‘+ Co’ and pushing even further into new realms and opening up new opportunities.
One of these is our recently launched Finance + Co, our in-house brokerage service. With Jerome Mootoo at the helm, the brokerage will help clients with everything from refinancing existing loans to assistance with setting up a self-managed superannuation fund.
We’re also working to introduce a number of other exciting arms of the business that will benefit our agents and clients, such as Agents+Co Concierge Service, Media and Co, and Training and Co.
Ultimately, we want Agents + Co to become synonymous with collaboration, and we’re excited to see where the next six months and beyond takes us.
For more information visit agentsandco.com.au
