Stacey’s journey in real estate began straight out of school, initially pursuing a TAFE course to become a police officer before discovering her true calling at age 19.
“I started as a receptionist at a really small family-run business,” Stacey said.
“And then I very quickly realised that I really liked real estate, wanted to stay in it.”
From reception to property manager to senior property manager, and then into a dual agent role handling both rentals and sales, Stacey steadily climbed the ladder in the industry.
After gaining experience at a larger brand as an assistant, she made a bold decision that would change her career trajectory.
“I actually completely skipped the next step of going out on your own, and I just opened Area Specialist,” she said.
Breaking the traditional mould
In 2021, Stacey co-founded Area Specialist Solutions alongside fellow directors Marcus Washington and Sarah McCallum, eschewing the traditional commission structure that never quite made sense to her.
“I could never really wrap my head around how someone can take 50% of what you earn,” Stacey said.
The Area Specialist model, created by Michael Choi, offered a different approach – one that allowed her to keep 100% of her earnings while maintaining the support and branding of a corporate structure.
While the three directors started together and continue to operate under one company, each has carved out their own territory. Marcus focuses on Pakenham, Sarah works in Koo Wee Rup, and Stacey has found her niche in Lang Lang.
Finding home in Lang Lang
Stacey initially concentrated on Pakenham, where she lived at the time, but discovered an unexpected passion for the small town of Lang Lang.
“There’s only a thousand houses here,” she said.
“They’re predominantly younger families or people wanting to start their family or older retirees. We don’t have many rentals in this area, so everyone really looks after their houses.”
The rural-residential community captured her heart so completely that she ended up purchasing a home there herself.
“I lived in Pakenham, and I worked in Pakenham, but I can’t say that I loved it as much as I love Lang Lang,” Stacey said.
“And I think that helps me be able to sell houses because I really am truly just in love with this area.”
A personal approach to real estate
Stacey credits her success to her ability to connect with clients on a genuine level, taking a distinctly personal approach that sets her apart from more traditional agents in the area.
“I think my biggest strength is actually just generally enjoying the people that I speak to and being able to really read who’s in front of me and kind of navigate what they need and what they don’t need,” she said.
“I really like to be friends with my vendors and be friends with my buyers, which is very different to anything we’re ever taught.”
This authentic approach means putting herself in her clients’ shoes rather than following a rigid, step-by-step process.
“I try to really put myself in the shoes of the people that are in front of me and then work that way,” Stacey said.
“Having that personal approach is what really makes me stand out compared to other agents, especially in this area that are very structured and very by the book.”
The Area Specialist advantage
Beyond the financial benefits, Stacey found that Area Specialist offered something equally valuable – flexibility and work-life balance.
Having recently welcomed a daughter, the ability to structure her own schedule has been transformative.
“Being able to work with my schedule and not with one of these big agencies out there that make you come into the office nine till five to do the exact same job that I can do from home and be so much more present with my daughter,” she said.
“Everyone says work-life balance, but I can’t even put it into words about how much it really changes the whole dynamic of my life, really.”
Stacey recently won the Premier Agent award within Area Specialist, recognition of her consistent performance and dedication to her clients.
She also supports her local community through sponsorship of the Lang Lang Football Club and partnerships with local businesses, including working with a local café to provide free coffees.
Advice for aspiring agents
Reflecting on her twelve-year career, Stacey wants young people to know that you don’t need decades of life experience to succeed in real estate.
“A lot of people think that you have to have all this life experience behind you before you can start in real estate when, really, it’s like you just start wherever you’re at and you’re accepted for where you are,” she said.
“I used to always think no one was gonna take me seriously because I was so young, but then you very quickly realise it’s all the effort that you put into it is what makes you stand out.”
Looking ahead, Stacey isn’t focused on building a large team or expanding into multiple territories. Instead, she’s committed to maintaining the quality and personal touch that has defined her business.
“I really just love being able to be a mom and then still be able to continually grow my business,” she said.
“I would love just to be able to keep it as small and tight-knit so that we could keep that personal feel through the whole transaction.”
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