On getting into real estate
I was an enrolled nurse for around 20 years when I found real estate. I was at a stage where I was looking for something more. My kids had grown up and I felt like I wasn’t challenged anymore. I was lucky enough to be offered a position as a property manager with a local regional real estate agency. My whirlwind ride started that day. I was 35.
The happiest moment in my career
The day my husband and I were approached by Nick George, the then CEO of Ray White Corporate, to see if we were interested in opening our own franchise. To be quite honest it was something I had never thought about or considered. The thought was quite daunting but I have always been a big believer in the saying, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. So we took a deep breath, mortgaged our home and went for it. The first couple of years were pretty tough, especially so because the housing market slumped during 2010 and 2011. But as a two-person team we stuck to it and worked hard. Today we are heading into our tenth year of owning our own Ray White Company, with two offices on the Yorke Peninsula and 12 employees. I am so proud of where I am today.
The most memorable moment
I truly can’t say I have a most memorable property because all properties have their own special something that people relate to. It could be a two-storey home on the marina waterfront or a rundown shack on the side of a dirt road, both will appeal to someone. To me, the memories are in the people you meet along the way. I love helping people – maybe that’s the nurse in me coming out. There is something very fulfilling about helping someone with their investment needs or finding the home of their dreams. Real estate allows me to connect with people in a way you don’t get to in many other careers, and that is where my most memorable moments are.
Best advice she’s received
Volunteer! When I first left school and started looking for employment my father told me, if you want a job, get out there, offer your services for free and show them what you have to offer. It will feel good, you will learn new skills in the process and with any luck they will see how hard you work and offer you a job. So at 18 I worked my butt off every day for nothing in a retirement hostel. Three weeks later I was offered a full time position and 12 months after that I was offered an Enrolled Nursing traineeship. This taught me to fight and work hard for what I want in life, something I still carry with me today.
Biggest challenge
Ever-growing technology trends. As new technology and innovation advances, we are already having to reinvent ourselves in order to survive. Real estate portals are drastically changing the way our consumers shop. I remember many years ago buying my first home. There were no computers or mobile devices, we sat down in a real estate agent’s office with a photo album of all the homes he had for sale, next to each home was a hand-written note with the property address and price. These days our consumers don’t even have to come into the office, they start researching homes independently before even contacting us. Then when they do, it’s not even a phone call, it’s often a text or email. Technology is constantly moving forward and challenging the way we do things. If we don’t constantly grow our technology platforms and embrace those changes quickly, we risk being left behind. Technology is the future of real estate. In my opinion, it’s the only way to ensure our future success.
Change for good?
Greater corporate recognition for property managers. For too long sales agents have got all the credit and accolades when in all honesty, if it wasn’t for property management departments, many of those agencies would no longer be viable businesses. Being a property manager is damn hard work, long hours, and often with very little recognition. Each quarter good sales agents are recognised at awards, what about the good property managers? They get out there and get new listings and secure leases all the time, not to mention the sales leads they generate for the business, yet they don’t receive quarterly recognition for their efforts. I do think the role of a property manager within a real estate agency is acknowledged more now than when I first started in the industry many years ago, however it still has a long way to go. In my opinion, property management teams are the backbone of any real estate company.
‘Elite’ agent means
Personally, I am very happy with being a small part of something bigger than myself: our company. I need a reason to wake up every day. Being elite never just happens; it’s a journey. If I focus on learning, getting past obstacles and being passionate about what I do, that to me is what makes me better than I was yesterday. Nowhere does it say that being elite means being better than anybody else. Being elite simply means being the absolute best you can be, and I’m happy with that.
#WeAreRealEstate is a series of short interviews with 140 agents all over Australia, exploring the industry’s hopes, concerns, future challenges, and what it really means to be an Elite Agent.
