Elite Agent

Matt Lahood: how to create a bulletproof real estate business

If you ask Matt Lahood his agency model of choice, he's quick to declare a super team structure is a game-changer for modern real estate agents. He says being part of a super team gives you the power to increase your scale and customer service, boosts camaraderie and allows you to take a break when needed, all while forging a bulletproof business where no one individual is bigger than the team.

I’ve never been one to put the day-to-day of real estate into a rigid little box. 

What inspires me is the freedom this industry brings – the freedom to create your own success in your own fashion. 

And one of the greatest ways agents can create their own destiny right now is with a team structure. For the modern real estate agent, it’s a game-changer.

Some may call it an EBU, but I much prefer the term ‘super team’. And let me be clear – a super team doesn’t look the same for everyone.

About 20 years ago, the team concept usually involved a lead agent taking on an admin assistant to cope with the paperwork. 

Over the years, it’s morphed into taking on a co-agent, a sales manager, a team lead, social media or marketing experts, and every combination in between.

At its core, The Agency is the ultimate super team, with each agent or team all interlinked and supported at both a macro and micro level via a dedicated support system.

When I created the brand, I did so with the ethos that whether you wanted to create a team of your own or be part of a wider, all encompassing team, you could reap the benefits that strength in numbers can bring. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to creating a super team structure, but what is clear is that many hands, and minds, pulling in the same direction has the power to give you the competitive advantage in your marketplace.

Here’s why:

Scale

Creating or being a part of a team structure allows you to do more. You can list and sell more properties, service more vendors and buyers, and you can do it without letting your service standards slip.

Service

Having a super team around you often helps boost your customer service. Not only do you have the ability to service more customers, you can really push the boundaries of what it means to create an outstanding client experience. Being part of a super team also means you, as an agent, are supported with all of the real estate services you need at your fingertips. 

Recharge

No agent wants to burn the candle at both ends because, in the end, all you get is burnt out. If your super team has your back, you can not only do more, you can also recharge and retrain. Having the ability to take time away from working in your business to work on it means you ‘sharpen the axe’. Retraining or recharging means you’re a better agent for your clients and a better leader for your team.

Camaraderie

You’ve all heard the saying, “Many hands make light work”, and when it comes to being part of a super team, it offers you and your vendors the same benefits. When you go to an appraisal or listing presentation, you can take a team member with you for their opinion and expertise. Having a team allows you to workshop ideas, sales strategy and buyer enquiry. Our agents have a national network they can tap into so they can lean on the experience of their peers at a moment’s notice.

Market share

One of the greatest benefits of creating a super team is it gives you the ability to significantly boost your market share. As a team, you can cover more of the market and secure more listings than if you were working as an individual agent.

The best part is, the more recognised you and each of your team members are, the greater brand presence and market share you will generate. It has a compounding effect. 

My faith in the super team model is as strong now as it has ever been. A collective, rather than a singular, approach to real estate success is the way forward.

The true sign of a bulletproof business is that no one individual is bigger than the team and that’s the power the super team model helps you create.

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Matt Lahood

Matt Lahood is the CEO of Real Estate at The Agency Australia. Visit theagency.com.au