EA28
-
EPM
Ask the coach: How to manage landlord and tenant expectations more effectively
Q. I’m receiving an increase in complaints about communication. How can I help my team manage landlord and tenant expectations more effectively? Communication and expectations: Two words that, in the property management world, affect everything we do. Unfortunately, there is not a checklist to follow to simplify and streamline this part of a property manager’s role. First, set communication standards for…
Read More » -
EPM
Trust in your team
For most people the trouble with delegating begins with relinquishing control. It requires you to transfer some of your workload to someone else, trusting they will do it well and on time, all the while knowing accountability remains with the delegator – that’s you. Most of the world’s esteemed leaders are experts at delegating. Entrepreneur Richard Branson says it best:…
Read More » -
EPM
Is there a quick fix?
It’s a delightful concept, the idea of the ‘quick fix’. Yet when it comes to property management life is rarely a romantic comedy. We work with people, with real estate, and unfortunately there’s no magic spell to make your property managers thrive or your business fizz with productivity and good vibes. However, there are a handful of key values and…
Read More » -
EPM
Seeking the truth
From the moment we are born we strive to communicate. Babies cry to let their parents know they are hungry, tired or need a cuddle, while parents wait patiently for their first word. More often than not, patience quickly turns to impatience as they decide the most incoherent babble is actually a word, albeit one only they understand. In jest…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Four missed opportunities that are costing your business
The agencies who will come out of this cycle stronger than they entered it are those who are proactively and critically assessing their people. Using processes and technology, they are taking care to implement changes and future-proof their business. Want to be amongst their number? An area you should interrogate is your underlying business systems. It can be a daunting…
Read More » -
EPM
Be the leader you were meant to be
The process of becoming the leader you were meant to be starts with inspiring your co-workers. Every morning you should bounce into the office ready to take on whatever comes your way. To inspire your team, you need to demonstrate a passion for your career. You should greet each member of the team and encourage them to have a successful…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Hammer home your brand with a great game-day strategy
Lead agents looking to promote their brand as the go-to in their market should heed the advice Maximus Decimus Meridius offers in Gladiator: “What we do now echoes in eternity!” Irrespective of whether it’s your listing or another team member’s, everyone present on auction day needs to be on the same page and understand you are all being judged at…
Read More » -
EPM
It’s time to change
The 2018 Voice of Australian Property Management Report revealed the best property management businesses are well led, have great career structures in place and encourage their teams to be more than just property administrators. Yet only one in four property managers feel this way about their business; 28 per cent of property managers talk the industry down and 12 per…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
To market, to market
Bread, milk, butter and a house. That may seem like a highly unusual, if not impossible, shopping list but modern technology has combined with the smarts of a Melbourne real estate innovator to make it possible to buy a home at the same time as picking up the groceries. Market Share Property’s David Stewart won the Game Changer of the…
Read More » -
EPM
Corey Rotunno-Grant: Customers come first
What was your first job, and what did it teach you? McDonald’s Bondi Junction where I learnt that customers always come first as without customers we don’t have a business. While we need to set boundaries with our clients, they need to be treated as if they are our only client, whether that be a landlord, tenant or contractor. What…
Read More » -
EPM
5 ways to be a better leader
When it comes to leaders I’ve seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly. In every instance, the leader’s style heavily impacts the culture of the team and its success. Harvard Business Review refers to six types of leaders: The coercive leader This ‘do what I tell you’ style of leadership may have worked in the past but it…
Read More » -
EPM
Having a ball: 60 years of life, love and real estate
Luton grew up on a cattle and sheep farm near Adaminaby in New South Wales, where he learned the true meaning of hard work. Working on the farm before and after school every day, plus all weekend, taught him solid values around work and money. “My parents were the average Snowy Mountains sheep farmers,” says Luton. “What they gave me…
Read More » -
EPM
Good tenants: The key to landlord satisfaction
With one in three Australians now renting, creating a great experience for tenants is more important than ever. Renting is often the start of someone’s property journey, so it’s a great opportunity to build and nurture a relationship for the future, where they will buy, sell and buy again. Finding the best tenant isn’t always easy, but with a clear…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Finding your break-even point to make better business decisions: John Knight
In business, there are hundreds of numbers you could be tracking and the key is to know which one to focus on at the right time. Recently we’ve had a number of discussions with clients where they have expressed concerns about whether or not they should cut costs in their business. ‘Is it time to batten down the hatches?’ ‘We…
Read More » -
CONTRIBUTORS
The real cost of discounting: Nick Brown
Recently I put forward a proposal to an owner who was looking at changing managing agents, only to find out they thought our fees were too high for the socio-demographics of the property’s postcode.
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Pareto people: Sarah Dawson
What do the humble green pea and real estate have in common? The Pareto Principle. The brain child of Italian philosopher and economist Vilfredo Frederico Damaso Pareto, the concept evolved from his observation that 20 per cent of the pea plants in his garden generated 80 per cent of the healthy pea pods. Commonly known as the 80/20 rule, the…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Always the bridesmaid, and that’s OK…
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. It’s a saying shrouded in negativity. It highlights that you’re forever in second place, the supporting actress and not the star. You’re the 2IC but never the boss. It’s a phrase that popped into my mind recently as I walked down the aisle, teetering on heels as high as Mt Everest, in support of…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
First service: Mark McLeod
I often wonder why professional tennis players don’t get the first serve in more often. Maybe the fact they have a second chance has something to do with it. Or, as I recently saw on social media, why don’t the cars in The Fast and the Furious stop for fuel? These are amusing observations. One observation that is not amusing…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Great expectations
Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Am I expecting too much?’ It’s a question principals and lead agents ask frequently. It usually comes up when they are frustrated, disappointed and the performance and follow through of their team members has let them down. It’s rare that the leader’s expectations are too high. Instead, there is often a gap between the expectations…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
50 lessons that will make you a better leader
The Leadership Diaries, an exclusive set of Elite Agent podcast interviews, turns one next month. Over the past 12 months, and with much more still to come, we’ve discovered leadership is a skill, an art and an essential ingredient for your business to achieve growth. To celebrate the milestone we’ve put together, in no particular order, our top 50 tips…
Read More » -
EPM
Diamondz are forever
It was 2008 when Jack Fontana experienced a critical epiphany in his career and personal life. He’d been in real estate since 1999, first in property management and then sales, but without listings on the books and with a baby on the way things were looking dire. “I was at a point where I had a daughter due in about…
Read More » -
Brand Editorial
Changing a company’s ways: 12 months inside Console HQ
It has been a year since my appointment as CEO of Console, a year of change and significant improvements. I love working with companies that embrace change and are open to new ideas. Due to the commitment and attitude of our team, we’ve made some huge strides towards our goals. I believe our customers, current and future, are starting to…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Reimagine, realign, rebuild
The number one thing leaders need to do in turbulent markets is to reinvest – in people, process and resources. You’ll never cost-cut your way to greatness. To build a great business, you need to be super clear on your operating system. That operating system is built on three foundations: 1. Purpose – why you’re here, what you do for…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
World-class service: Lisa Totaro
When Lisa Totaro first started in real estate fresh out of high school, she knew sales was the place she wanted to be. Now, just eight years after becoming an agent, Lisa is at the top of her game. Last year she was the only female to rank amongst SQM’s top 10 agents Australia-wide. This year she’ll share the stage…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Why creativity makes better leaders
Why do Gandhi, Elvis and Steve Jobs stand out in their respective fields? What is it that makes them different? It’s simple – creativity. Their ability to think outside the box. Their ability to dream and act on that dream. We see leaders, big and small, in everyday life. Every leader has basic problem solving, awareness, communication, decision making and…
Read More » -
Brand Editorial
Don’t let your insurance become a disaster
What advice would you give to property investors, landlords and property managers impacted by a natural disaster? Natural disasters like bushfires, floods, storms and cyclones can not only cause widespread devastation, but also confusion. When a rental is caught up in a disaster, there can be a lot of uncertainty about how owners, tenants and agents should respond. This is…
Read More » -
Ask the Coach
Ask the coach: How to manage emotions through the highs and lows of the market
Q. I’ve been experiencing a lot of highs and lows with the changing real estate market. How can I better manage my emotions? – Tim Le, Black Diamondz Over the past year there have been many highs and lows in the real estate market and some agents are able to manage their emotions better than others. Real estate is a…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Neil Webster: Breaking the mould
What was your first job and what did it teach you? My first job was working behind the bar at the local tennis club. It taught me many things that have proven to be invaluable in my working life, namely risk assessment, customer service, multi-tasking and communication skills. The last factor has been the major one. If you can deal…
Read More » -
EPM
In too deep: How to manage property through natural disaster
Cassandra Charlesworth spoke to principals in Townsville and the Whitsundays to find out what that experience is like, and to understand the most effective strategies they implemented when dealing with these defining moments. Townsville Flooding: Ben Kingsberry, Harcourts As the rain continued to fall in Townsville on 31 January, Harcourts Kingsberry Principal Ben Kingsberry knew this would be a weather…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Behind the suits
You’ve made a name for yourselves with ‘Behind the Suits’. Why a podcast? Adam: Bobby’s mission was to change the negative connotation of real estate agents one person at a time. My challenge to Bobby was to think of a universal way to target more people at once. Most people think you need to be granted permission to do a…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Maintaining peak performance
What goes up must come down – unless your name is Tom Hector. The golden boy in South Australian real estate and one of the nation’s premier agents, Tom Hector’s rise to the top 11 years ago was nothing short of meteoric. Perhaps even more startling is that over the past decade the Harris Real Estate salesman and auctioneer has…
Read More » -
EPM
‘Taylor-made’ service
Overlooking the azure blue of the Coral Sea and encompassing residential, rural and island communities, the Whitsundays is one of those laid-back lifestyle destinations where time tends to march at its own pace. Here the property market ebbs and flows in step with tourism highs and lows, construction ups and downs, and the on-again, off-again influx of investors brought in…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Real estate’s finest ready for the Ride to Provide
The challenge will see these real estate professionals cycle 500km across the rural countryside of Thailand, raising funds for Hands Across the Water. We caught up with just a few of the many agents taking part… What do you do in real estate when you hit the target you’ve been aiming for? You make the next one bigger. That’s exactly…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
‘Together we will succeed’: Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson stepped into the top job at realestate.com.au in January – amidst arguably the worst downturn in the property market in the past 10 years. With an uncertain year ahead and global players such as Facebook making their own plans in real estate, Wilson’s overall philosophy is that it’s time for REA Group and agents to work together for…
Read More »