On getting into real estate
I was the typical real estate fanboy from when I was a teenager, completing school-based work experience at two local agencies and then applying for an entry-level job (after a semester of confirming university was not at all for me).
The happiest moment in my career
Taking the plunge and opening my own business. The pride in knowing that I have built a business from absolute scratch to become what is now a market-leading agency is hard to beat.
The most memorable moment
I leased a property to a tenant who the landlord had already selected and had committed to leasing at about $150pw less than market rent.
It turns out the tenant was the landlord’s cleaner, and the landlord had specifically bought this new investment property so that the tenant would have a safe place to live with her family after she had been broken into a number of times in a poorer area in town (I actually told the story on my ‘Every Agent Has A Story video’).
Best advice he’s received
If it isn’t written, it isn’t true.
Biggest challenge
The biggest challenge for practitioners moving forward is to how to effectively utilise emerging technologies, understanding which technologies are worth implementing and how to navigate the sheer volume of tech developments on offer.
I think people can feel bamboozled when it comes to artificial intelligence, marketing trends and the general advancement of technology within the real estate space, so they run the risk of either putting all their eggs in one basket and merely hope for the best, or they put too few eggs in too many baskets and don’t actually achieve anything at all.
Change for good?
Nationwide licensing and legislation. With real estate being a state-governed industry, there are real barriers not only for agents working or transferring between the states, but also for consumers who may have the opportunity to own property in different markets across the country.
By implementing national licensing and legislation, particularly for residential tenancy, there should be a more balanced landscape across the industry.
‘Elite’ agent means
Someone who not only strives for betterment within themselves as an agent, but also for the betterment of the industry as a whole. I think we are the custodians of one of the greatest industries in the country and it is up to us as active practitioners to build trust within the community by always acting with good conscience and keeping our clients’ interests always at the fore.
