Working in production at his local TV station in 1984, Phillip Lee was wondering where his career would sit in 10 years. Little did he know, he’d go on to become a Ray White Ballarat Director and embark on a 30-year career with close friend and fellow Director Trevor Booth.
“All around me people were moving to the ‘Big Smoke’ in Melbourne to help advance their TV careers, but after buying my first home, a light bulb lit within me and I knew real estate was something that really interested me,” Mr Lee said.
“I began my career in October of 1984, before forming our own company with my work colleague Trevor Booth, and we named ourselves Booth and Lee in 1989.”
Mr Lee said this was the time before the internet and before mobile phones, so customer service had to be at the very forefront of everything they did.
“We knew the busiest times people would be looking in our shop window would be over lunch breaks in the week and during the weekends, so we made sure we were always available during those peak times,” he said.
“The same existed then that remains today, people want a real estate agent who is good and honest, and will give them total customer satisfaction.
“I’d never sold a thing in my life but my motto was to always treat people how you want to be treated, and focusing our energies on people has paid off.”
It was 2011 and Mr Lee and Mr Booth realised that with changing times, their business had hit the absolute limit of what it was able to achieve as a real estate agency.
“We turned to Ray White because it’s the leader in the industry and they offered everything we were looking for and more,” Mr Booth said.
“Our own business was based on family values and we didn’t want to lose that, but at the same time realised that for our business to flourish, we needed to join a group that had the resources and support to help us grow to the next level.
“Ray White was a perfect fit as their family values aligned with ours. They offered support, further knowledge and training, and it was a clear path to taking our business to the next level.
“I find it very rewarding and satisfying to be able to assist both buyers and vendors to achieve great outcomes.
“Phillip and I each have a role to play in the business with individual complementary skills and strengths which, when combined, made for a well-rounded and successful business.”
Ray White Victoria and Tasmania CEO Stephen Dullens said this was a particularly special relationship, with business partnerships rarely lasting this long.
“I can’t express how fantastic it is having Phillip and Trevor as part of the Ray White family. Their professionalism and knowledge of the Ballarat area is second-to-none,” Mr Dullens said.
“For a partnership to work so well for so long, you have to be like-minded and have a shared vision of where you want to be, and they certainly have that.
“On behalf of the White family, I’d like to thank and congratulate Phillip and Trevor on what have been stellar careers.
“We look forward to many more years of involvement from them, with the support of their fantastic team at Ray White Ballarat.”
