The Area Specialist principal had his heart set on becoming a lawyer, even securing exceptional marks and university acceptance to study law after finishing year 12.
But the prospect of another seven years of study didn’t sit well with someone who describes himself as an “I want to do things now type of person.”
What started as a summer job cleaning holiday accommodation properties eventually led to a career he says has made him the number one agent in Korumburra for six consecutive years.
“It definitely wasn’t on my radar,” Jack said of his real estate career.
“I had my heart set. I wanted to be a lawyer. That was it.”
From property management to sales success
Jack’s entry into real estate wasn’t smooth sailing, and he struggled with the sales role early on.
Undeterred, he moved into property management for three and a half years, picking up the occasional sales appointment that other agents didn’t want – the 6pm weeknight viewings and Sunday inspections.
At the beginning of COVID, Jack left that business and wanted to get into sales. He approached every real estate agency in South Gippsland with his resume.
“No one was interested,” he said.
“I tried everyone. No one wanted to bother with me.”
Eventually, his former boss offered him the chance to build their rent roll. While it wasn’t sales, Jack took the opportunity during the uncertainty of early COVID.
But sales opportunities soon followed when a friend asked him to sell their house. That single listing led to another next door, then one around the corner.
“One thing led to another, and I think in my first proper year of sales, I sold 80 properties or something like that,” Jack said.
“It was massive.”
Making the move to Area Specialist
After three successful years in sales, Jack made the move to Area Specialist in July 2022.
Area Specialist founder Michael Choi had been calling for some time, but it wasn’t until Jack read about top-performing agent Marcus Washington making the switch that he seriously considered it.
“I always knew that he was quite a good top performing agent,” Jack said.
“When he made the move, that’s kind of what got me on board.”
The decision was driven by a desire for flexibility and freedom, rather than explosive growth.
“Realistically, I’d need to sell a quarter of the properties to be making the same amount of money,” he said.
“I just wanted more flexibility and more freedom. I didn’t want that typical job where you’re expected to be in the office 24/7 to be working.”
Jack had experienced bosses who believed if you weren’t at your desk nine to five, you weren’t working – a mindset that didn’t align with the reality of real estate.
Building a team in Korumburra
What started as a planned one-man operation quickly evolved as business boomed.
“I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that it would go where it is,” Jack said.
“I just thought, you know, one man show would be great.”
Within 12 months, he realised the downside of working alone – no time off, no holidays.
He brought on a friend since high school who was working in marketing, followed by another team member as the business continued to grow.
The team now operates from an office on the main street of Korumburra, something else that was never part of the original plan.
“There was never the plan to have an office in the Main Street now,” he said.
“We became so busy that just kind of wasn’t an option.”
The Area Specialist advantage
Jack is emphatic about the benefits of the Area Specialist model.
“You look at agents, especially top performing agents that are still working under traditional agency structures where they’re giving their director 50% of what they’re earning – it’s wild to me,” he said.
Under Area Specialist, Jack pays $600 per file as his franchise fee and keeps 98% of commission, while receiving virtual assistant support, trust accounting, auditing and admin services.
“I get to keep the bulk of the commission, and I have a really attractive brand that I can work under.”
The model allows him to focus purely on listing and selling properties, without the burden of bookkeeping and administrative tasks.
“The only main thing you’ve gotta do is just listing and selling properties,” he said.
“You’re not spending your days with admin and bookkeeping and all that sort of stuff.”
A community-focused approach
Jack attributes his success in Korumburra and South Gippsland to a simple philosophy – look after clients and the community will support you.
“We don’t prospect. We never have. We never will,” he said.
“We’re in the country, so things work a bit differently here, and it’s all word-of-mouth.”
His team has never made a prospecting call in eight years, instead relying on reputation and community support.
“If you do the right thing by someone, they’ll tell someone, and then they’ll tell someone,” Jack said. “Word spreads quickly in a small town.”
That commitment to client care has even seen him cleaning properties on settlement day when vendors haven’t done it themselves.
“It’s not anyone’s obligation to do it, but to save having some upset clients that are gonna go and trash talk you around the town, sometimes you just gotta do these things,” he said.
No plans, just results
True to form, Jack has no grand plans for the next four years.
“I’m not a planner. I’m not a goal setter,” he said.
“I’ve never made a goal. I’ve never made a plan. I never had a business plan.”
He’s happy with his small team of three, with no desire to become a director managing 20 sales agents.
“I’m really lucky with my small team at the moment that they’re very self-sufficient,” he said.
“We’re very laid back. We’re very relaxed, but we consistently get top results.”
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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