Operating in Shepparton, Victoria, Mr Stevens has found his stride after following in his father’s footsteps and discovering the perfect business model to support his growth.
Real estate was always part of Mr Stevens’ life, with his father working as an agent for Rayson in Shepparton for seven or eight years.
“I was in high school at the time and saw him out on the weekend, every Saturday till about seven o’clock,” Mr Stevens said.
“I looked up to him and I looked up to what he did, and it sort of attracted me to the industry.”
Despite this early influence, Mr Stevens never initially planned to enter real estate.
After finishing school, he worked on farms before an opportunity arose to work with his father.
His entry into the industry wasn’t smooth sailing. With minimal training and guidance, Mr Stevens struggled to gain traction.
“I actually got fired from my first job,” he said.
“I lasted about three months. I listed one property, and it was a dreadful effort.”
After reflecting on what went wrong, Mr Stevens returned to the same office a year and a half later with a renewed commitment to hard work.
“It still was a pretty slow burn for me,” he said.
“The first year, I think I sold probably 10 properties.
“Second year was probably about 20-25. The third year was pretty similar.”
This steady progression laid the groundwork for his current success, with exponential growth following his move to Area Specialist in September 2023.
Mr Stevens had been contemplating a direct agent model for some time, having previously attempted to go independent early in his career.
“I always sort of had it in the back of my mind. I would love to go out on my own and run my own show,” he said.
After being referred to Area Specialist founder Michael Choi by a colleague, Mr Stevens was immediately impressed.
“He was just so switched on,” Mr Stevens said.
“Very entrepreneurial, high energy, could answer any question I had. He was just phenomenal.
“I was itching to get started basically after that call.”
The freedom and flexibility of the Area Specialist model have transformed his daily routine and productivity.
“I love being able to just get out of bed in the morning and go out to my home office and get stuck straight into calls, messages, all of that at seven o’clock in the morning,” he said.
“I don’t have to report to anyone. The pressure’s only on you to do the numbers and produce.”
Shepparton’s real estate market has become increasingly attractive to investors from across Australia, with buyer’s advocates targeting the region as a growth centre.
“The median price in Shepparton is $460,000,” Mr Stevens said.
“Between $300,000 to $500,000 is my bread and butter price point, though I do get a few $800,000 homes here and there.”
He said the upper end of the market caps out around $1-1.5 million for lifestyle properties, but it’s the affordable housing stock that’s drawing significant interest from interstate.
“A lot of buyers advocates at the moment in Shepparton from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, all over the country are targeting this sort of area,” he said.
“They sort of view Shepparton as a bit of a growth hub at the moment.”
Mr Stevens believes his listening skills set him apart in an industry often characterised by agents who dominate conversations.
“I’m not your typical agent with the gift of the gab, talking over people,” he said.
“I think my strength is listening to what the client’s needs are and then delivering on that.”
With ambitious goals for the future, Mr Stevens is targeting $1.5 million in GCI by 2028, which would require between 130-150 sales annually in his area.
“I’m going to need a team to do that,” he said.
“The next step will be adding an associate and then probably a buyer’s agent at some point.”
As his business grows, Mr Stevens is increasingly focused on community involvement in Shepparton.
He recently attended an event at Shepparton Food Share and has sponsored the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group, where his wife is actively involved.
As an avid marathon runner, he’s also looking to connect with local running and athletics clubs.
For Mr Stevens, the Area Specialist model has been transformative, allowing him to focus exclusively on what he does best – listing and selling properties.
“Where I was working previously, I was getting bogged down doing property management, helping people in the office and things like that,” he said.
“Now I don’t have to worry about any of that stuff anymore.
“I can just focus on what I want to do.
“I think that’s been part and parcel as to why I’ve grown so much as well, because I’m just focused on the one thing.”
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
