Jack Cole’s journey into real estate started with a simple podcast at age 18 that changed the trajectory of his life.
After listening to that podcast about real estate, Jack decided to take the plunge, purchasing his first property and launching what would become a successful career in the industry.
Since 2015, he’s been working in real estate, building his expertise and reputation in Melbourne’s Frankston area.
But it was the arrival of his twins three years ago that prompted Jack to reassess how he wanted to run his business.
“I had twins three years ago now, and at that point there, I was like, well, I’m a busy man with not just work, but also family now,” Jack said.
“So I need a bit of balance and Area Specialist allowed me to do that.”
After years working for major franchises, Jack made the decision to join Area Specialist in November 2024, driven by a desire to be his own boss and create a better work-life balance.
A different approach
Jack operates mainly in Frankston, though he also services surrounding areas including Langwarrin, Cranbourne and Frankston South. Jack believes what sets him apart from other agents is his down-to-earth approach to the business.
“I get this comment a lot – I’m the only agent they know that drives a ute,” Jack said. “My theory is that I’m not selling $5 million properties. People want to relate to people, want to buy off people.
“So I’m essentially just them. Just I’m a dad and have a ute and I’m half good at what I do.”
This authentic approach resonates with his clients, who are everyday people looking to buy or sell their family homes.
Risk and reward
Nearly two years into his journey with Area Specialist, Jack is clear about his goals for the future.
“The goal is to be dealing with 30 to 40 good quality people each year, helping them sell their property,” he said.
Jack is focused on sustainable growth that maintains his work-life balance. In five years, he hopes to have a full-time team member working alongside his current two-day-a-week assistant.
“Hopefully, I can be concentrating on just dealing with the vendors and continue that life balance,” he said.
Jack is candid about the realities of running his own business under the Area Specialist model.
“We get more money per transaction, so it is more lucrative, but there’s a risk because no one’s feeding me leads,” he said. “Everything is me. I am the person who drums up the business. So risk and reward.”
He’s clear that the model isn’t for everyone.
“If you rely on other people to drum up work for you, then it’s 100% not for them,” Jack said.
“But if you can run your own race and you believe in what you do and you want to work hard on yourself and your business, and work smart, that’s where you can make it work.”
While Jack acknowledges that running your own business comes with challenges, he’s found the rewards worth it.
“Running your own business is not easy,” he said. “It is lucrative if you’re decent at what you do and you know how to run a business or know how to structure a business, but when you’re struggling, you can only look inwards.”
For Jack, the move to Area Specialist has delivered exactly what he was looking for – the freedom to build his business his way while maintaining the balance he needs as a father of twins.
“The harder you work, the more you get rewarded,” he said. “It’s done what I wanted it to do.”
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