After more than three decades in the industry, Mark Sewell joined Area Specialist in 2023 and hasn’t looked back, finding both great financial benefits and the freedom to work on his own terms.
“I get to do what I want to do on my time, and there’s a real freedom in not having to sit in an office,” Mark says.
“The flexibility with Area Specialist is fantastic.”
Mark’s real estate career began in 1993 after selling a business and planning to take a year off. When a friend suggested he try real estate, Sewell visited the office and “never left.”
His path included working with various agencies, including owning a Barry Plant franchise from around 2002 to 2010, and later joining O’Brien Real Estate in Cranbourne in 2016.
The COVID pandemic proved to be a turning point for Sewell. Working from home during lockdowns, he found a rhythm that suited him perfectly and was reluctant to return to office-based work when restrictions lifted.
“I just got into a really good groove with it,” he says.
“The working from home thing’s not for everyone, I have no doubt, but for me, it worked well.”
The Area Specialist difference
After seeing the success of fellow agent Brendan Langley with Area Specialist, Mark was intrigued by the potential financial benefits.
“I looked at his numbers and I could see there was more money to be made,” he says. After meetings with Area Specialist founder Michael Choi, he made the move in late 2023.
The decision has paid significant dividends, with Sewell estimating he’s “$150,000 a year better off just for the fact that I’m with Area Specialist.”
Beyond the financial benefits, he appreciates the autonomy the model provides.
“I am just an agent who can stand on their own two feet,” he told Choi when joining.
“I don’t need you to ring me every week and say, ‘How’s it going?'”
Community-based approach
Mark’s success stems from his strong community connections in Koo Wee Rup, where he’s lived for 44 years – though he jokes that according to his wife, who was born there, he still doesn’t have “local status.”
“My prospecting is not like most people’s prospecting,” he says.
“I am in the local coffee shops every day at 11:00, and I just run into people who I know.”
He supports local football teams and cricket clubs, and loves to be a community-based agent with business coming through referrals.
“I deal with a lot of past clients selling to their kids. I’m the agent of choice for a lot of people, and they do refer me. People just say, ‘Just ring Mark, he’ll get it sorted.'”
Client-focused philosophy
His approach centres on putting clients first, going beyond just selling properties to helping clients with purchases and other needs, even when there’s no commission involved.
“I’ll do everything I can if they’re trying to buy something. I’ll get in there and negotiate those purchases for them so I can save them dollars,” he says.
“They’re things that you don’t get paid for, and I don’t care that I don’t get paid for it.”
This philosophy has been key to his success.
“Many, many years ago, I forgot about money and just thought about doing what I can to help people through their journey. Once your focus is not on money and it’s on client service, money flows from it.”
Market dominance
Mark has established himself as the dominant agent in Koo Wee Rup, a town with approximately 1,500 households. He also works in surrounding areas, handling both residential properties and acreage from 2 to 200 acres.
“There were three real estate agencies in this town as in shopfront agencies. Two of them are now gone,” he says.
“I’ve got a market share of probably 50% in the town.”
He typically completes 25-30 sales annually in Koo Wee Rup alone, with his total business reaching 35-40 sales per year – a volume he’s comfortable maintaining as he approaches retirement.
Work-life balance
One of the most significant benefits he’s found with Area Specialist is the improved work-life balance.
Free from office politics and mandatory meetings, he structures his day on his terms.
“Offices wastes so much time, and I was the worst for it,” he says.
“Working mobile, working from home base, you just get in there and get your stuff done.”
The right fit
Mark believes the Area Specialist model works best for established agents who have already built their personal brand.
“Once you get to a point that you become your own brand and it doesn’t matter whose banner you’re under, that’s where this company works the best.”
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
