ELITE AGENT Issue 03 Jan Feb 2015 [FULL] by Elite Agent

MOMENTS OF TRUTH PAGE 26

WHEN SHOULD YOU BECOME A DOT COM? PAGE 24

MARKETING BATTLE PLAN PAGE 18

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2015 ARE YOU READY?

The resolutions you need to make this year

VICTORIA’S TOP GUN

Mark Di Giulio THE SCIENCE BEHIND FIRST IMPRESSIONS Get noticed for the right reasons

THREE QUESTIONS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

How to get more productive… Fast!

AUSTRALIA’ S ONLY ONE DAY SALES & LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE THE BEST LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE IDEAS FROM 17 INDUSTRY TOP PERFORMERS + SPECIAL GUEST, GLENN McGRATH GLENN McGRATH (OAM) Australian Cricketing Great – Achieving and Maintaining Peak Performance LEIGH BROWN RE/MAX Executive Realty (US) – What Works! Super Sales Strategies from a Leading US Agent CAROLINE BOLDERSTON Belle Property Australasia (NSW) – The Five Common Traits of Real Estate’s Highest Achievers PHIL HARRIS Harris Real Estate (SA) – Next Generation Leadership VINCENT COURTNEY Romans (UK) – Creating the Ultimate Brand Experience & Cranking Up Your Team with Gamification ANDREW DRANE Harcourts Hills Living (NSW) – Five Keys to Double Your Productivity BRETT GREENSILL LJ Hooker New Farm (QLD) – Creating a Customer First Culture in Your Business ADAM FLYNN Biggin & Scott Knox (VIC) – Rapid Growth: Creating an Attraction Business JEREMY ROSEN Gary Peer & Associates (VIC) – Super Teams: The Eight Steps to Build the Ultimate EBU DAVID PALFREYMAN Barfoot & Thompson (NZ) – Maximising Every Opportunity to Win Business GLEN COUTINHO RT Edgar Boroondara (VIC) – Delivering an Unforgettable Customer Experience CONSUMER PANEL The Flipside – Consumers Tell Us What They Really Want INDUSTRY FIRST DAVID HIGHLAND Highland Property Agents (NSW) – 10 New Ideas to Dramatically Increase Your Business SYDNEY ONLY SARA EDWARDS with Doug Driscoll Starr Partners St Marys/Erskine Park (NSW) – Five Secrets To Hyperlocal Success SYDNEY ONLY JAMES HATZOLOS & SPIRO DROSSOS Barry Plant Doncaster East (VIC) – The Million Dollar Agent Formula: 10 Disciplines and Creating the Environment You Need for Success MELBOURNE ONLY ANDREW KELEHER Jellis Craig Doncaster (VIC) – The Five Essentials to Growing Your Market Share MELBOURNE ONLY TRACI STELLA Fletchers (VIC) – Five Secrets To Hyperlocal Success MELBOURNE ONLY NOTE: Program sessions and presenters may be subject to change without notification.

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INDUSTRY FIRST CONSUMER PANEL

THE FLIPSIDE Customers On What They Really Want

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Contributing Writers

The publisher welcomes editorial submissions from individuals and organisations within the real estate profession. The publisher reserves the right to edit, modify, reject or contribute to the content of the material provided.

Lisa B, Kellie Bishop, Fiona Blayney, Tara Bradbury, Sarah Dawson, James Dearsley, Melanie Dennis, Natalie Hastings, Peter Hutton, John Knight, Attila Kovacs, Brendan Lawley, Stephen McCann, John & Stephanie McCloskey, Samantha McLean, Paul Mylott, Joanne Olivieri, Debbie Palmer, John Percudani, Josh Phegan, Neville Sanders, Cecille Weldon, Ray Wood.

Photography

Platinum HD (Local Area), Dean Summers, Industrie Media (Cover and Mark Di Giulio feature story).

Big Shout Out (Thanks to…)

Hannan Bouskila, Victoria Button, Ben Bradshaw, Zoe Davies, Andi Diaz, Mark Di Giulio, Sam Fields, Andrew Harrington, Simon Henry, Leanne Howard, Clare Kavanagh, Anna Keneally, Mitchy Koper, Tiron Manning, Tracey McGown, Danielle Molyneaux, Hannah Moreno, Stacey Moseley, Marc Norris, Cara Oliveri, Shiona Pearson, Dave Platter, Maree Quinn, Karina Reed, Donna Roles, Lara Scott, Dean Stacey, Maggie Stergiopoulos, Pamela Thomson, Glenn Twiddle, Naomi Twyford, Mike Yeo, Lisa Yeung.

2 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

Registered by Australia Post/Print Post 100020180

Editorial Submissions

Some opinions expressed in Elite Agent Magazine are not necessarily those of its staff or contributing editors. Those opinions are reproduced with no guarantee of accuracy although Elite Agent Magazine endeavours to ensure those opinions and comments are factual. Our subscriber list may sometimes be made available to relevant brands who might be of interest to our readers and from time to time we may be in touch to inform you of new Elite Agent products and services. Please visit eliteagent.com.au/privacy for details on how we collect and use your personal information. Please email subscriptions@eliteagent.com.au if you would rather not receive these communications. We’ve done our best to acknowledge everyone involved in the production of this magazine; in some instances where we have left anyone out, it will be a genuine mistake made in the flurry and mayhem of activity close to deadline. Please let us know and we will give you a mention in the next issue. © Elite Agent Magazine 2015. All rights reserved.

At homesales, we’re focused on helping you reach a targeted and lucrative investor audience, to ensure that we consistently deliver results that impact your bottom line. We’re proud to be part of the carsales network of websites, which is accessed by millions of Australians each month*. We’re invested in you, so it makes sense to invest with us. Learn more by visiting agents.homesales.com.au or phone 1300 291 914 *Nielsen Online Ratings, July – September, 2014

Contents

Regulars 06 E DITOR’S LETTER 08 R EADER PROFILE Maree Quinn 10 UPFRONT News from the community 12 EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT Findings on foreign investment in Australia 23 M Y LOCAL: SURFERS PARADISE Stephen McCann 24 T ECH IN THE CITY: WHEN SHOULD YOU BECOME A DOT COM? Lisa B 25 MARKETING: MAXIMUM EXPOSURE Attila Kovacs 26 L EADERSHIP: MOMENTS OF TRUTH John and Stephanie McCloskey 46 AGENT PROFILE Hannan Bouskila, Raine & Horne Bondi 60 PM PROFILE Karina Reed, hockingstuart Glen Iris 64 T HE LAST WORD Fiona Blayney

First Person 14 THE POWER OF THE PAST Josh Phegan 16 2015: ARE YOU READY? Paul Mylott 17 P UTTING AFFORDABILITY FRONT AND CENTRE Neville Sanders 18 MARKETING BATTLE PLAN Ray Wood 20 S USTAINABILITY: A NEW OPPORTUNITY IN REAL ESTATE Cecille Weldon 22 STARTING SMALL, THINKING BIG John Percudani

Cover Story 28 VICTORIA’S TOP GUN Mark Di Giulio

Elite Agent

32 FIND YOUR BUSINESS RHYTHM John Knight 34 THREE QUESTIONS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE Samantha McLean 36 41 NOT SO CRAZY THINGS TO MAKE YOU STAND OUT Peter Hutton 38 THE SCIENCE BEHIND FIRST IMPRESSIONS Kellie Bishop 40 B EN BRADSHAW Interview with SponsoredLinX CEO Ben Bradshaw 42 IS GEN Y DRIVING YOUR BUSINESS? Brendan Lawley 48 PROPERTY MARKETING: AN AUGMENTED FUTURE? James Dearsley

Elite Property Manager

56 4 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

50 GET SMARTER – BE DIFFERENT – TAKE ACTION Debbie Palmer 51 R IGHT FROM THE START Natalie Hastings 52 GROW IT ALONE Tara Bradbury 54 THE OFFSHORING EXPERIENCE Interview with Pamela Thomson, McGrath Lower North Shore 56 F IVE WAYS TO BECOME A GAME CHANGER IN 2015 Jo Oliveri 58 S TAFF TRAINING: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Sarah Dawson 62 DEDICATION TO TASK Melanie Dennis

W EDITOR’S LETTER

WELCOME TO 2015. I’m sure it’s going to be a big one for Elite Agent Magazine and I hope it will be for you too. We’ve gained heaps of ground since we launched in September last year; our circulation is growing by the week in print and online. We’re looking forward to swinging into major action in February with some new features on our website. You may also notice a slight change in size this issue – we’ve made it just a little bit more ‘briefcase’ and digitalfriendly. So no matter how you receive your copy we hope it’s a slightly better fit! We’ve also introduced three brand-new columns this year: a ‘Reader Profile’, ‘My Local’ and also ‘Everyone’s talking about…’ Our goal this year is to increase the number of agents we feature in the magazine from all around Australia, hence the first two columns. With the latter we will discuss something topical or challenging and break it down so that it becomes easier to understand or can help you develop your own position on the subject. This issue we tackle the topic of foreign investment into

“ There is only one person on the planet holding you back from taking your business to 10x and that’s you!” – John McGrath

6 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

residential real estate in Australia, which is always a hotbed for debate. What do you think? Too much? Too little? We’ll let you be the judge after reading the article on page 12. Just before Christmas, as a bit of fun, I was offered a gift voucher from a well-known supplier to mock up some merchandise. I had a play with their software, and then the kit arrived and it looked amazing. (I’m loving my mousepad for sure!) I posted a photo on Facebook of our National Advertising Manager, Mark Edwards, wearing one of the T-shirts and what happens? I get all these emails asking how to get hold of these items. Well, wait no more; you can grab them on eliteagent.com.au/shopnow. We will be adding more and more cool things to this throughout the year, so keep checking back. There’s one other thing I finally finished over the break that you may also want to check out. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the ‘Attraction Agent’ theories; one of the things all the coaches recommend is that you should author an ebook. You can use this for several things: as a ‘published author’ you can give a copy to any clients that enquire, email it as part of a listing presentation, put it on the iTunes store and earn revenue from it, print/bind it and hand it out at opens, use it as blog/website content...

the list goes Y! on. Authority! AHowUtoTwritHe andOpubRreallishIT your own estate agent the e How to write om bec ebook and locals look up to. the and publish your own ebook and become the real estate agent the locals look up to is the resource that will get you going on this. So yes, this is an ebook on how to write an ebook, including what to do to help you write, illustrate and get published. We’ve included tips on what to write about, with a chapter by chapter plan and some hacks and cheats to help you get the job done fast. And the best bit is you can now download this ebook from our website, eliteagent.com.au, free of charge. We will be doing more of these little ‘guidebooks’ as the year goes on and will keep you posted as they happen. This issue of the magazine is absolutely jam-packed. Our cover agent, Mark Di Giulio from Barry Plant, is an absolute superstar, and such a pleasure to talk to. I think his philosophies on being a real person and being authentic in the industry are absolutely spot-on and key to success. Having followed in the footsteps of his mentor from the start of his career, it is definite proof By Samantha

McLean

that success leaves clues. We also have a bit of a treat with part of his interview online at eliteagent.tv, filmed by our very talented partners at Industrie Media, so don’t forget to get online and watch that one. It is a new year and of course we have included heaps of motivational stuff for you throughout the magazine to help make 2015 your best yet. I think back to some things that John McGrath said at AREC last year which I think may be some of the ultimate motivators. “The same time management strategy won’t get you to 2x your business let alone 10x, you need a new one.You can’t 2x or 10x without fear or risk or even some failures. There is a level of discomfort which is a gift. There is only one person on the planet holding you back from taking your business to 10x and that’s you!” I encourage you all to do something completely different this year, even if it scares you, and I promise I will do the same. But don’t forget to congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come. I think Fiona Blayney is bang-on again in The Last Word this issue: as well as facing our fears we need to also remember to be kinder to ourselves, and congratulate ourselves on how far we have come. I love all the events in real estate, and you’ll notice there are quite a few coming up. I don’t think it matters how many

I’ve been to; there’s always the opportunity to learn something new and meet new people. I am privileged to call some of the organisers my good friends, and they do work tirelessly to bring the best speakers to their events that they possibly can. I’ve just been given a sneak peek at the program for Ideas Exchange 2015 and it looks amazing. And who wouldn’t want to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger? Details for how to book both events are here in the magazine and online at eliteagent.com.au. Lastly, if you love the magazine, please spread the word. We will always offer one free copy per ‘resi’ real estate office, and this month we have a special offer on additional subscriptions: six issues of Elite Agent Magazine delivered plus a T-shirt and coffee mug. So if you’re looking for gifts for staff members, or would simply like to grab yourself a personal copy that won’t disappear into someone else’s briefcase, don’t be shy. I encourage you to check out the offer and help us get more magazines out to the wider community. And don’t forget to join me on Facebook: facebook. com/eliteagentmag, where the conversation continues every other day.

eliteagent.com.au 7

READER PROFILE salesperson. Seeing the excitement of a first listing or a great result in the eyes of a newbie is brilliant. I’m really proud of our team and the culture we are building.

TEAMWORK AND CLIENT SATISFACTION Maree Quinn is the manager of the sales team at Little Real Estate in Springwood, Queensland. She is a selfconfessed animal and pet lover who knits beanies for homeless people in her spare time. She loves her career in real estate, because she gets to meet so many ‘amazing in an everyday way’ people. What motivated you to get into real estate? Having worked in the not-forprofit sector, in 2001 I decided I wanted to make a profit for myself! But I do love my job because I get to be part of people’s lives during a time that is so open to possibility, with the accompanying challenges that come with any great change. I think our role as agents is so much more than it can appear to those outside the industry; those of us in it know the mental and emotional fitness we need to provide our clients support, problem-solve and balance competing priorities. How did you get started? I was living in inner Brisbane at the time so I spent the formative years of my career experiencing a property boom first hand, learning auction skills and marketing techniques. Most of all I was fortunate to have a wonderful mentor, Jim Midgley. As our Sales Manager, Jim took a team of rookies to a level of ability that was astounding in an industry where so often it comes down to ‘there’s your desk and phone, get going’.

8 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

How do you define success? Personally, I define success in terms of client satisfaction rather than dollars. At times I think the focus on being a million-dollar agent is putting the emphasis on the aspect that the general public perceives as compromising our integrity. If we were all measured by referrals, repeat business and client perception of outcome we would see less of the ‘sold in a day’ and more of the ‘bit of a struggle, but the client is satisfied with the market outcome and chuffed with the service’. What or who inspires you? I’m so proud to be part of a company that is making the same investment in staff development and support that I received. I started with Run Property late in 2013, doubling the sales team from one to two. Now twelve months later, as part of Little Real Estate, I have a team of five and we are still keen to find people with enthusiasm and resilience. I can teach skills; what I can’t change is attitude or motivation, which is an intrinsic part of an effective

Something you couldn’t live without? Despite my age, I’m all over new technology, putting the Gen Ys to shame. I have a gazillion apps, iPad, iPhone and I pay a virtual assistant to maintain my Facebook pages. I love that I remember the days when index cards were the CRM and floor plans were cutting edge! What are your thoughts on the changes to legislation in Queensland last year? I’m pleased to see the great outcome of all the work Antonia Mercorella and the REIQ have put in to improve the day to day foundations of our roles. The new legislation is well considered and puts the protection of our vendors

front and centre, which is as it should be. What do you enjoy most about Elite Agent magazine? Prolific learning is so important in real estate. While often it’s a case of old is new again, importantly by listening to the wisdom and experiences of others it can be a case of ‘I used to do that’ which reinvigorates and recharges. That’s where podcasts, CDs, training events and industry magazines like Elite Agent are so valuable. What advice would you give someone just starting out in real estate? Real estate is about delayed gratification, persistence, repetition and activity. Don’t stop! Words to live by One of my favourite quotes is “When the student is ready the teacher appears”, so if we remain students of our craft the sky is the limit.

Glenn Twiddle Presents Queensland Real Estate Agentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit 2015 featuring

ARNOLD Schwarzenegger & special guests

Aaron Dane Daniel Chris Amber Arnold Glenn Tom Tom Jay Pat Sansoni Atherton Hayes Gilmour Werchon Schwarzenegger Twiddle Carlin Panos Standley Mesiti March 16 & 17 Brisbane, Queensland Royal International Convention Centre Ticket Purchases can be made at

www.QREAS.com.au

ARNOLD SCHWAR ZENEGG ER LIVE, IN PERSON & ON ST AGE.

UPFRONT

LEARN FROM THE BEST – VISIT ELITEAGENT.COM.AU

RAINE & HORNE APPOINTS FRANCHISE SPECIALIST AS MARKETING MANAGER Former Jetset Travel World Group executive Melissa Chapman has joined leading real estate group Raine & Horne as its new Marketing Manager. Ms Chapman, whose extensive resume also includes senior marketing roles at Telstra and Outback Queensland Tourism, will be responsible for driving the 131-year-old firm’s brand and client engagement, as well as company growth. “Melissa’s brand management expertise within a franchising environment will be a major plus for Raine & Horne,” said Angus Raine, CEO and Executive Chairman. “She also has a proven ability to build, maintain and capitalise on strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.” Ms Chapman’s appointment is part of a marketing strategy by Raine & Horne that has contributed to a ten per cent growth in its office network over the past 18 months, according to Mr Raine. “We have launched a number of exciting staff incentive campaigns and highly visible consumer campaigns, including our current ‘You’re a Winner’ promotion, which will give a lucky vendor the opportunity to win a Mercedes Benz A250, among other major prizes1.” Ms Chapman said, “I am privileged to work with such a well-known and respected brand, and look forward to continuing to build on Raine & Horne’s success.” [1] http://www.youandrh.com.au/

10 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

Josh Phegan Membership reveals secrets to real estate success

Internationally renowned real estate coach Josh Phegan has released a groundbreaking online training program that promises to help agents sell more properties more often. The Josh Phegan Membership is an elite 12-month knowledge hub designed to bring out the best in every agent, with tools and tips for every facet of real estate, from prospecting to listing and selling, and even agent health and energy. “If you’re new to real estate it can all seem extremely

Landlord insurance with a personal touch in SA Well-known Adelaide real estate professional Wayne Johnson will spearhead EBM RentCover’s expansion into the South Australian market. A division of EBM Insurance Brokers, RentCover insures a market-leading 120,000 rented properties around Australia and now offers ‘on the ground’ personal service in Adelaide. “We plan to take advantage of what we feel is a gap in the local market for a specialist landlord insurer providing personalised, tailored service and advice to property managers and landlords. The time is right,” said EBM Executive Relationship Manager, Wayne Johnson.

overwhelming and frustrating. If you’re a pro agent, you’re probably still finding there are areas you need to tighten up on to sell more houses in less time so you can enjoy a higher income and financial freedom.” The membership contains Mr Phegan’s highly sought-after BluePrint course, which blends the behaviours, systems and tools used by the top agents to dominate in their market place. “BluePrint contains the secrets of all the top performing agents condensed into a step-bystep formula that, if followed, will dramatically increase your focus, skill level and market share,” he said. Agents can sign up to the 12-month Josh Phegan Membership at any time, with varying payment plans available, at joshphegan. com.au.

“As Australia’s leading privately-owned and operated broker, EBM provides a level of service and responsiveness that is difficult to match. I’ve seen the RentCover policy and claims teams at work first hand and observed their commitment to exceeding clients’ expectations. “In addition, RentCover has the power to settle the vast majority of claims in-house, enabling faster turnaround times for claims – most of which are settled within a day of receiving completed paperwork.”

OVER

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: “I’LL BE THERE.” You’d be forgiven if you thought that this headline was a publicity stunt hoax by master ‘attention getting’ marketer Glenn Twiddle, but yes, Twiddle has secured Arnold Schwarzenegger to headline his Queensland Real Estate Agents’ Summit Two-Day Training. It started as a dream in Glenn’s ‘if I could do anything, what would I do?’ goal-setting session (in one of his own seminars) but even he thought it was to stay on the wish list for a good many years to come. “Be careful what you put on those ‘bucket lists’,” Twiddle says, “because if you apply yourself and then wait for other people to tell you ‘no’, you just might be surprised what you can accomplish!” “Now, more than ever before, agents need to skill-up with new and innovative strategies that work today, and not outdated prospecting strategies that stopped working in 2006.” Other than Schwarzenegger, the lineup of agents and trainers designed to help you achieve this task appears to be a pretty special group. Twiddle continues, “Also on the speaker list is Tom Carlin, Harcourts’ number one salesperson in Australia, who has done what others thought impossible by earning just shy of $2 million in a year, at the age of 26. Needing no introduction, having won as many REIQ Salesperson of the Year awards as Tom Hanks has won Oscars, Amber Werchon will also be joining us. Daniel Hayes has been described as a ‘Marketing Warlord’ and for good reason. Daniel’s ‘outrageous advertising’ is as attention-getting as you can get and has led his brand to be #1 in his town of Geelong in Victoria. And his rise to success, and the subsequent drama along the way, would make a Hollywood blockbuster even Arnie himself would be surprised by.” “Chris Gilmour has a brand new marketing system that is proving massive, which he will be sharing with attendees. He uses it to maintain his million-dollar annual performance, while affording him more time with his family by doing it in less time. The legend, Dane Atherton, Harcourts’ number one franchise business owner and REIQ Auctioneer will be there, as will the Sales King, Aaron Sansoni, and Millionaire Mindset Club founder and bestselling author Pat Mesiti.” The Queensland Real Estate Agents’ Summit will be held on Mar 16 and 17 in Brisbane. Visit www.QREAS. com.au for more information.

900 SALES CONSULTANTS

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EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT…

FINDINGS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE FEDERAL TREASURER The Hon Joe Hockey MP

asked the Parliamentary Committee in March last year to inquire into and report on the level of foreign investment as it applies to residential real estate.

ACCORDING TO FOREIGN Investment Review

Board (FIRB) statistics, in the first nine months of FY 13/14 the FIRB approved foreign investment into residential property in Australia of around $24.8Bn. This is 44 per cent higher than the $172Bn approved during all of FY 12/13.

12 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

WHY WAS THERE AN INQUIRY? Basically, to ensure that the Government is actually meeting the intentions of the current foreign investment policy. The aims of the policy are to boost the supply of new housing, provide the intended economic and social benefits (more opportunity to

purchase homes) and generate employment for buildings and suppliers. There were concerns raised in the wider community from time to time that foreign investment in Australian real estate was causing a distortion in the market and making housing less accessible and affordable.

WHAT WERE THE MAIN FINDINGS? The committee found that the current foreign investment framework should be retained, but that there were a few areas which could be improved. These included practical implementation tools centred around four key findings for change: • Timely tracking of foreign investment and where it comes from • Stronger leadership rules within the FIRB • Stronger enforcement of these rules • FIRB should be in future be funded by foreign investors and not the Australian taxpayer, with a purchase application fee of $1,500.

SIMON HENRY,

foreign investment expert and co-CEO of Juwai.com, answers some questions about the findings.

What is your reaction to the Parliamentary Inquiry’s findings? I was glad that the findings concluded that foreign investors are a real benefit for Australia. But I am worried about the proposal to tax or require a fee of $1,500 from overseas homebuyers every time they make an application to purchase a property – even if, through no fault of their own, they fail to buy it (for example, if another bidder wins it at auction). Will the proposals cut international investment? The proposed $1,500 fee could curtail foreign investment in Australia. The devil will be in the details. If a fee is necessary, it must be applied only when a purchase is made, not every time someone just seeks permission to buy. Anyone who has bought a property knows that you can bid on multiple properties before winning one. The report wants investors to pay $1,500, even if through no fault of their own they don’t get to buy the property in question.

Are foreign buyers good or bad for Australia? The Inquiry found what we knew to be true, that offshore investment is actually very good for Australia in three ways: 1. Overseas investment boosts the construction sector, which employs over 1 million Australians. 2. Without offshore investment we wouldn’t have as many properties available for domestic buyers. 3. Offshore buyers do not compete with first-home buyers. Are foreign buyers the reason home prices are high? The report itself revealed overwhelming evidence that foreign homebuyers are not the reason home prices are high across the board. More likely, prices are high due to low interest rates, supply constraints and negative gearing.

ACROSS

MORE THAN

300 AGENCIES

How does Australia rank internationally? We are uniquely restrictive among our Western and English-speaking peers, despite the fact that we depend more than any of them on foreign investment to fund new construction. These countries have no regulations like ours: the United States, Canada, NZ, UK and almost all European countries. These countries do have restrictions on international buyers: Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong. How will the Australian Government enforce compliance with the new laws/regulations mentioned in the report? Treasurer Joe Hockey now has to decide whether he wants to ask Cabinet to tighten regulation of offshore investment in real estate. Nothing will change unless the Government enacts the changes with new legislation. With the market slowing down, this is an awkward time to meddle with something that has been so positive.

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eliteagent.com.au 13

FIRST PERSON

Josh Phegan

The power of the past

JOSH PHEGAN DISCUSSES HOW to turn every sale into a long-

term relationship.

FORGET THE adage ‘the past will

come back to haunt you’. Real estate agents should strive to ensure the past comes back to help them. The trouble is, many agents don’t look at the big picture or view their career as a long-term journey. Instead of viewing every customer as a lifetime client, they have a narrow view of the sales process. Too often agents view a sale, and therefore the client, as valuable for only a single transaction. They see it as a deal to be done and dusted; very little thought, if any, is given to what role the client could play in future transactions. What many agents fail to realise is that if they build a long-term relationship with every client, the power of the past will turn full circle and come back to aid their career again and again. If you build your relationships and become a trusted friend in the industry, each client will not only deliver word-of-mouth referrals but will return as a client when they’re next ready to sell or buy. Before you let out a groan, anticipating the extra workload that building these relationships will entail, let me assure you there’s a simple yet effective philosophy you can follow. To harness the power of the past you need to learn to be relevant, frequent and consistent in your marketing.

14 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

RELEVANT Rather than sending each client the same pamphlet or email, you should ensure your marketing is tailored and relevant. A vendor or new homeowner doesn’t care that a property ten suburbs away has sold; but they will be interested in listings and sales close to them. The key is to be hyper-local and

to inform them about what’s happening in their street, their neighbourhood and their suburb. The price the house across the road sold for is relevant to them, as is the fact the median sale price for the suburb has risen by $50,000 in the past quarter. Use your ever-evolving market knowledge to target your marketing to each client.

Use your ever-evolving market knowledge to target your marketing to each client.

FREQUENT So how often do you contact your clients with this information? If you ring them once a year you’ll most likely find that it has been too long between drinks and the relationship is stale and awkward. Your aim is to become their friend in the real estate industry. I urge the agents I coach to use the ‘one day, one week, one month, one year’ approach. One day after the client has moved into their new property you should call them to check if there’s anything they need or whether they have any questions. One week later phone them with some friendly advice, such as where the late-night chemist is, or the fact that the restaurant around the corner is renowned for its steaks. One month later, phone again

and assure them that while you won’t be calling all the time, you will keep in touch whenever there is a listing or sale that’s relevant to them. One year later call your client to let them know that you’ve been looking through their file and, given some recent prices achieved in their neighbourhood, it would be good for you to take a walk through their property and give them an update on its value.

CONSISTENT When a client is ready to sell you want it to be your name that is top of mind. While your sales processes and marketing will never force a customer to sell, they can ensure you’re the agent they turn to when they’re ready. Examples of consistent marketing could be a weekly video where you discuss

what’s happening in the market in a particular suburb, or a quick email with a daily tip on preparing your home for sale. The key to marketing is to do it all the time and not just when things aren’t going well. That way you will avoid the need to implement crisis marketing. The secret to using the power of the past is never to underestimate the influence someone you meet today could have in the future.

Josh Phegan is a renowned coach, trainer and speaker for high performance real estate agents. Josh coaches more than 180 real estate agents and more than 60 per cent of his clients write in excess of $600,000. For more information visit joshphegan. com.au.

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eliteagent.com.au 15

FIRST PERSON

Paul Mylott

2015: Are you ready? PAUL MYLOTT, GENERAL MANAGER of Century 21 Australia,

shares five resolutions all real estate professionals should make for 2015. SELLING REAL ESTATE can make

for a hugely rewarding career. It’s a dynamic and exciting profession for many, which can often involve setting your own work hours and determining your own income to a large degree. How many other office jobs can really boast this same level of flexibility? Tens of thousands of Australians across the nation have chosen real estate as a career for these reasons and more. Perhaps it’s a passion for property as an asset class, or the opportunity for daily interaction with a variety of people from all walks of life. Let’s not forget the thrill of finally closing on a big deal, or the pride of winning the listing for a particularly unique or sought-after property. But it’s not a career for the faint-hearted. To ‘make it’ in what can often be a cut-throat marketplace requires an enormous amount of effort – and there is no point expending effort without having an end goal and a plan in mind. Below are some New Year’s resolutions I believe every real estate agent should consider as we head into 2015.

I WILL: PLAN MY INCOME So you want to make $200,000 per annum? Then you’ll need to be specific in planning how you’re going to achieve this. I recommend gaining an understanding of what is realistic in terms of the marketplace in which you

16 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

operate. This generally involves researching the average commission earned per sale in your area, and doing the maths to determine the number of listings required to meet your income goal. Analysing past performance will allow you to factor in realistic conversion rates, such

specifically. You could send a market update or informative communiqué every six to eight weeks, just to remain top of mind. If I stay in touch with someone I sold a house to five years ago, as an example, that person may know 20 other people who at different points are considering selling or buying

I’ve witnessed far too many agents displaying signs of fatigue and burnout over the past six to 12 months as the Australian property market experienced a phase of relatively high activity levels. as the list-to-sale ratio, as an example. Then all you’ll need to do is plan your activities around achieving these listing numbers – simple!

a property. If my former client hears ‘I’ve got to sell my house’, they’re more likely to respond with ‘Talk to Paul Mylott’ if I’ve stayed in touch.

I WILL: BECOME CLOSELY ACQUAINTED WITH MY DATABASE Higher-performing real estate agents tend to have an established database of potential, current and past clients with whom they are constantly in contact. Instead of taking an ad hoc approach, however, I recommend committing to regular contact by putting meeting reminders in your diary in January, ensuring you touch base at regular points throughout the year. This doesn’t have to involve clamouring for business

I WILL: EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, are increasingly becoming important weapons in a real estate agent’s marketing arsenal. Though I wouldn’t recommend approaching social media as a channel for direct selling, what it can offer is a platform from which to sell the activities you perform as an agent. If you sell a property for a record price, let your followers or ‘friends’ know about it. Similarly, if you wish to express

support for a community event, these forums are an ideal way to do so. It’s all about remaining front of mind in your local community.

I WILL: COMMIT TO A BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE I’ve witnessed far too many agents displaying signs of fatigue and burnout over the past six to 12 months as the Australian property market experienced a phase of relatively high activity levels. In a high-growth period it can be easy to get caught up, being on call 24/7. However, I don’t believe this is a sustainable strategy in the long term. Actively scheduling downtime to reconnect with friends and family, or simply to relax and rejuvenate, can be as simple as turning the phone off at 8pm each night and leaving enquiries to go to voicemail. That way you won’t miss any work opportunities, but will still benefit from some muchneeded downtime.

I WILL: BE READY FOR CHANGE None of us really knows what 2015 will bring. We can’t say for sure whether interest rates will rise, fall or stay the same; nor can we predict with complete accuracy the ‘hotspots’ which will provide the greatest capital gains or the highest rental yields. But this shouldn’t matter to the best-performing agents. My main resolution as a real estate agent would be simply to be ready for whatever comes along in 2015. Adaptability, flexibility and dynamism will be key in the Australian property market over the next 12 months. Here’s to a prosperous and fulfilling 2015.

Paul Mylott is the General Manager of Century 21 Australia.

Neville Sanders

Putting affordability front and centre NEWLY ELECTED REIA boss Neville Sanders discusses the goals

for the national body in 2015.

FIRSTLY, I AM VERY humbled to be in this role at what is a very important time for the sector. In 2014, REIA advocated strongly on critical issues nationwide, including housing affordability, the loss of firsthome buyers from the market and foreign investment in Australian residential real estate. Housing affordability will continue to be front and centre of our work in 2015 as we work

2014 quarter – just 12 per cent of the owner-occupied market. With first-home buyers increasingly feeling shut out of the market (or worse, giving up on ever owning their own homes) it is very disappointing to see the removal of first-home buyer grants in many states and territories. Western Australia is now the only jurisdiction to offer first-home owner grants for established homes. While all

We have repeatedly advocated to the Government that first-home buyers should have the option of unlocking their superannuation, as is the case in Canada, New Zealand and Singapore. with the Government to ensure that Australians have the ability to purchase their own homes and establish some long-term security. A lack of affordable housing impacts on the economy as well as the wellbeing of individuals and the cohesiveness of communities and society. With this in mind, REIA has been very concerned by what is emerging as a long-term trend with the decline in first-home buyers. The latest Housing Affordability Report, published by REIA and Adelaide Bank, recorded an all-time low for firsthome buyers for the September

other states and territories offer grants ranging between $10,000 and $26,000, first-home buyers must purchase or build a new home to be eligible. However, agents around Australia know that first-home buyers prefer established homes in established suburbs, where they are closer to public transport and entertainment choices. In 2015, along with the senior management of REIA, I will be directly advocating for all states and territories to recommit to first-home grants for established homes. We will also be strongly advocating for an improved

supply of housing for social housing tenants transitioning to private rental. This could be achieved by utilising individual private investors. In addition, we will be calling for conveyancing stamp duties to be abolished and replaced by an efficient source of revenue for states and territories. We believe that lessons can be learnt from experiences overseas, and we have repeatedly advocated to the Government that first-home buyers should have the option of unlocking their superannuation, as is the case in Canada, New Zealand and Singapore. Survey after survey of firsthome buyers has found that an adequate deposit was the biggest barrier to purchasing a property, and allowing access to superannuation with the amount withdrawn repaid over a set period provides a very workable solution. It is very disappointing to see the removal of first-home buyer grants for established dwellings in many states and territories, especially when new research suggests that first-home buyers are becoming more burdened with debt and increasingly using personal loans and credit cards to finance their deposit. The year ahead will also be an important one for tax reform, with terms of reference for the long-awaited Government review of Australia’s taxation system expected to be released

FIRST PERSON early in the New Year. As an organisation, we have been following this issue very closely and we have already commenced conversations with key Government figures regarding the retention of negative gearing and changes to stamp duty levels. We have also been conducting our own research to paint a picture of who are Australia’s property investors accessing negative gearing. Our research to date shows overwhelmingly that it is ‘mum and dad investors’ who purchase a single rental property as a means to help secure their retirement, which in turn helps ensure their self-sufficiency as they age and leave the workforce. It would also be absurd to treat property differently to any other investment option, such as shares, which can also be negatively geared. Expect to hear much from REIA on this matter as the year progresses! We will also be working closely with the Commonwealth Government to implement the recommendations from the House of Representatives’ Inquiry into foreign investment in Australian residential real estate. We welcomed the inquiry’s report, which was released in November and proposed a series of very workable solutions, including the establishment of a national database for property purchases, an alert system with the Department of Immigration and capital gains benefits forfeited to Government for breaches. We were also very pleased to see a recommendation for the Foreign Investment Review Board to focus more stringently on audit and compliance. In 2015, we will be working with the Government to implement the report‘s recommendations as a matter of priority – an issue for which REIA will be advocating on behalf of our members.

Neville Sanders is the President of the REIA.

eliteagent.com.au 17

FIRST PERSON

Ray Wood

Marketing battle plan

SOMEWHERE THIS MORNING, in the neighbourhood where you

make a living listing and selling real estate, someone woke and decided to sell. If they didn’t call you, it’s probably because they didn’t know you, says real estate marketing expert Ray Wood.

THERE ARE many of these

opportunities lost and it’s happening multiple times a day to agents everywhere. Today, property owners have more selling options than at any other time in history. There are dozens, or even hundreds, of agents in most areas of Australia, all competing for real estate’s Holy Grail: the listing. I’m fortunate to work with some very successful agents. Their focus on attracting new contacts and building relationships is one of the main reasons for their success. The philosophy and argument behind this is pretty simple: the more contacts I have, and the better I look after them, the greater the chance that the person who woke up this morning and decided to sell will call me. When you take a look behind the scenes of an elite agent’s contact strategy, the planning and attention to detail is state of the art. But most agents don’t do it because it requires planning focus, investment, implementation and followthrough. I recently sat in on a planning day with a highly successful agent setting up his marketing blueprint for 2015. This ‘Battle Plan’ as he calls it, is a full, detailed summary of all communication with

18 ELITE AGENT • NOV-DEC 2014

his contacts for the coming 12-month period. He invests a number of days to plan, then checks and tweaks everything to make sure he’s getting maximum ROI. To illustrate the real value of each contact, he simply divides

It’s obviously difficult to make a real connection with your contact list when only one in five sees your message. his annual income by the number of solid, warm contacts in his real estate CRM, as 95 per cent of listings will come either from people already in his database or sellers they refer to him. His contact methods include direct mail, postcards, email, text message, social media and telephone. The campaign manager in his CRM essentially drives his entire battle plan. He then methodically builds a calendar of when and how communication will be delivered and who is responsible for it.

Printed material, like cards, is ordered and prepared at the beginning of each quarter. Exceptional direct mail letters, crafted to build rapport and engage a response, are written well in advance. At the appropriate time, his CRM prints, folds, envelopes and mails the letters to his contacts, for less than it would cost for him to do it himself, with the click of a button. So at the start of his year this agent knows what’s happening and when. He has a dynamic and compelling Unique Selling Proposition over every other agent in his area, because when his sellers wake up and want to sell, chances are they’ll call him. Most of the top agents I work with are intimately familiar with their numbers and leverage technology very effectively. Email is a good example. The real estate industry loves email because it’s the cheapest way to connect with someone. But that’s something of a myth, because the average email open rate is now below 20 per cent. It’s obviously difficult to make a real connection with your contact list when only one in five sees your message. There was a time when we looked forward to booting up our computer and checking our email.

It was novel and interesting. Today I hear nothing but complaints about the amount of time people have to spend each day clearing their inbox. But content is everything, and when the content fails to engage the target it’s easier to hit ‘Unsubscribe’ and make it one less sender you have to deal with. From a marketing perspective, an email subject line will almost always influence the open rate more than who it’s from. By way of example, a subject line like ‘Summer Newsletter’ is far less interesting than, say, ‘Have you seen this yet?’ It builds intrigue and interest. It implies the recipient is about to miss out on something if the message isn’t opened. Also, set up a blog on your website and direct traffic there when possible. Search engine crawlers are built to rank websites that are updated and visited regularly. Real estate software can now tell us who has opened our email and who hasn’t, and when used correctly this is a very powerful tool. Let’s say you send an email to 100 buyers about a listing where the owner has just reduced the price. You can then send another message the following day to those who opened the first one, saying something like ‘I notice you read my message about 123 Smith Street. With the price now at $X I think it will go quickly, so I’ve scheduled an open house this Saturday at 2pm.’ So set up your battle plan well in advance. Engage everyone on your list with some great content and arrange for regular, quality communication. It’s a sure-fire recipe for success, and right now is the perfect time to get started.

Ray Wood is the CEO of real estate marketing group Bestagents, a founding partner of real estate software company LockedOn and the bestselling author of How to Sell Your Home for More.

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FIRST PERSON

Cecille Weldon

Sustainability: a new opportunity in real estate

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, our politicans have contributed to the

idea that sustainability is either too hard, too expensive or too complicated. Cecille Weldon, Head of Liveability Real Estate at LJ Hooker, says this is definitely not the case – agents who are able to demonstrate how sustainability factors can impact the value of a sale or rental property are well positioned to win the listing. IT’S EASY IN our industry to equate innovation with technology and equate disruption with something that threatens us from outside; something that happens to us. Clay Christensen is the author of The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business, and a Harvard Business School Professor. He defined one expression of disruption as “new-market disruption”, that is, “when a product fits a new or emerging market segment that is not being served by existing incumbents in the industry.” In a new-market disruption, the unserved customers are unserved because serving them would be unprofitable under the current business model. So in essence the best innovation strategy is willingly to disrupt from the inside; to listen to the heartbeat of our real estate business model and look at the assumptions that underpin it. To look deeper into what we have judged as too hard, too expensive, not relevant or not profitable.

20 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

In doing so we see where our vulnerabilities lie and in turn identify where our new opportunities will arise. It’s about being ready and empowered to offer a new and more meaningful customer experience for our vendors, investors, buyers and renters. By beginning early to actively seek out and own the hidden opportunities, we invest in and retain our own relevance into the future. This is the philosophy which has underpinned my professional journey to identify new opportunities in the industry. Delving deep into the new residential real estate experience means identifying, collaborating, developing, piloting and refining. Of course it’s hard to maintain this investigative perspective for long. There’s a natural gravity towards the status quo; a pressure to keep on delivering value through traditional measures and just become better at what we already do. It’s more challenging to address full-on the barriers within our own thinking, our business models, operational systems,

our personal and professional judgments and our current industry knowledge. All these can block us from seeing a new market opportunity; to shift our perception from irrelevant to relevant, from unprofitable to profitable, from too hard to simple and robust. So what are we missing? Don’t let the word ‘sustainability’ blind you to the new opportunity in real estate. It’s a word that has been hijacked by industries and politics and is now associated with too hard, too expensive, too complicated. It certainly has little, if any, resonance in our industry. But let’s look beyond the word. For the first time in Australia’s history, people are reducing their power consumption. Households are a key touch point for these

changes, from appliances through to generating their own power with solar photovoltaic panels (PV). Even more relevant to sales and property management is the impact of the running costs on the perceived value of a property; what people are thinking about and looking for, way beyond a market appraisal. How do we know this? In addition to our research with Bond University, agents throughout the LJ Hooker network are reporting that buyers are now asking for power bills at the point of sale or rent. In my opinion this is one of the most significant trends in real estate over the last 10 years. It will impact how we appraise, list, sell and rent properties now and into the future. This is really the

team (soon to be the Centre for Liveability Real Estate) has spent the last four years researching the underlying trends and drivers of this new market in existing and new residential homes. We’ve worked collaboratively with the Australian design, construction and assessment industries to identify the property features that really matter; Liveability Property Features® which offer the potential for reduced running costs and increased comfort if used correctly by the occupant. We’ve integrated these into standard property marketing processes and have developed exclusive appraisal checklists and resources. All these work together with high-level professional training for the next generation of real

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In addition to our research with Bond University, agents throughout the LJ Hooker network are reporting that buyers are now asking for power bills at the point of sale or rent. other side of affordability. Can I afford to live in this house? Beyond the running costs there are new demands on our homes to respond and adapt to climate extremes rather than just continuing to rely wholly on artificial mechanical conditioning for comfort. And we want to live locally, to be close to a rich and vibrant community experience and have a healthy home that supports our wellbeing. So how can we communicate this more effectively? It’s really all about Liveability. In essence it’s about creating and finding your best home; healthy, efficient, comfortable and connected to the community. The Liveability Real Estate

estate agent, ‘the Liveability Real Estate Specialist’. This training program recently won Australia’s highest environmental award, the 2014 Banksia Sustainability Awards; Education for Sustainability category. The program has been created for the real estate industry by the real estate industry. It’s a positive and proactive step to guarantee our relevance into the future and provide a better, more meaningful, future-focused customer experience for renters, owners and investors.

Cecille Weldon is the Head of Liveability Real Estate at LJ Hooker.

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eliteagent.com.au 21

FIRST PERSON

John Percudani

Starting small, thinking big

JOHN PERCUDANI OF REALMARK in WA looks back at the early

days and forward to the next 25 years.

GROWTH IS something for

which all small business owners constantly strive. It’s something that provides the impetus never to rest on your laurels and continually to innovate, regardless of how well you may be doing. Earlier this year, Realmark celebrated its 25th anniversary – an immensely proud moment, both on a personal level and for everyone who’s ever been involved in our journey. This milestone has since prompted me to look ahead to the future and reevaluate where we currently

stand, where we want to be, and how we want to get there. When Realmark was founded in 1989, we had two staff, some second-hand furniture and we specialised purely in commercial real estate. Since then, we have established 17 offices around Western Australia and have diversified into residential sales and leasing, property management, strata management, financing and marketing. There is much to be proud of in the growth of Realmark. However, the question of ‘Where to now?’

was becoming increasingly apparent. In order to continue to grow, it was clear that we needed to reevaluate our strategic direction and take steps to set Realmark on a path to compete with some of Australia’s bestknown agencies. To meet this goal, we needed to possess a deeper corporate understanding.

The inner workings of big business and the corporate sector weren’t where our focus lay. Our internal structure still mirrored that of a small-to medium-sized business and wasn’t conducive to delivering sustained growth. Realmark, like so many in the real estate industry, specialises in property. It’s what we know best. The inner workings of big business and the corporate sector weren’t necessarily where our focus lay. Furthermore, our internal structure still mirrored that of a small- to medium-sized business and wasn’t conducive to delivering sustained growth. Consequently Realmark has been undergoing some very significant behind-the-scenes changes in recent months. These changes not only reflect

22 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

our growth as a business but also indicate where we hope to be in the future. In November, we announced the appointment of the group’s first-ever Chief Operating Officer, Paul Slaughter. Paul brings with him extensive corporate experience that will be integral to Realmark’s future growth. We are also in the process of appointing a Board of Directors to oversee the strategic direction of the entire group. Finally, we have been focused on attracting and appointing highlyskilled, highly-respected professionals across all facets of Realmark to ensure we have a solid foundation now and into the future. These measures are about evolution, not revolution, and refinement, not reinvention. They reflect the growth Realmark has

experienced since those early days in a small, one-room office in Perth’s western suburbs. We grew from a micro business into a small business, then from a small business to a medium-sized business. Now, with the appropriate structures, skills and knowledge behind us, we’re readying ourselves for sustained growth into the future.

John Percudani is the founder and Managing Director of Remark in WA.

MY LOCAL

SURFERS PARADISE Stephen McCann is an agent for Ray White Broadbeach, located on the sunny Gold Coast of Queensland. As part of one of the strongest franchises in this area, he believes the office culture is second to none. Stephen has lived in the area for 10 years, and been selling local real estate for six. With some of Australia’s most impressive buildings and tourist attractions, who wouldn’t love to sell real estate on the Gold Coast?

3 4

1. BROADBEACH Broadbeach is one of the bestknown locations on the coast, featuring Jupiters Casino, the famous Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and the Gold Coast Convention Centre, home to all the major events. These are all within a short walk of the beach. 2. BROADWATER Separated from the ocean by a thin strip of land, the Broadwater is a unique part of the Gold Coast. It stretches to Moreton Bay in the north and starts right in the middle of the action at Surfers Paradise. If you love boats, then this is the place to be; stay in the harbour of the Broadwater or venture out through the heads to the waiting Pacific Ocean. Situated on the foreshore are the Versace Hotel, Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel, the new Commonwealth Games Aquatic Centre, and the rejuvenated Southport Parklands. 3. SANGSTER One of the new areas of the Gold Coast is Pacific Pines, with approximately 6,000 homes and bordering on the Nerang National Park. It became a suburb in its own right in 2003 and is now nearing capacity. 4. TANUNDA Helensvale is a great suburb which is home to one of the busiest train stations on the Gold Coast. It adjoins Westfield Shopping Centre, one of the biggest shopping centres on the coast. It is family-orientated and has very affordable housing options. This property has just hit the market. It offers great access to the M1 motorway for travel and commuting to Brisbane, only 45 minutes away. 5. RIVERLINKS AERIAL If you get away from the beaches and into the suburbs, you find plenty of waterfront housing estates. This one is Riverlinks in Helensvale; it is close to Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove, famous for their golf courses and five-star resorts. 6. SURFERS SKYLINE It truly is one of the best skylines in Australia, in my opinion. We are fortunate to have the tallest building in Australia, the Q1, which reaches 322 metres in height. The high-rise capital of the Gold Coast centres on the Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach precinct.

eliteagent.com.au 23

Tech in the city Lisa B

When should you become a dot com? Corporate profiles, social media and websites branded to the individual are all being used today by agents to promote themeselves online. When building an online following, Lisa B answers the questions ‘how much is too much?’ and ‘who should pay?’

LOT OF real

estate agency principals are understandably nervous about their staff engaging in self-promotion online. But I believe it’s actually a good thing! If staff are building their online profile and linking their social media to their corporate presence, they are helping the brand in many different ways by building status, trust and recognition with Google. Also, it becomes much harder for them to leave the office at a later date because they have a strong association to the brand. It might sound difficult to manage, but that doesn’t always have to be the case; there are a few ways that your

added to and improved upon. A personal website doesn’t have to be anything expensive or complicated; it can be very effective with the right details. If you are the principal of an office and you are concerned about staff having their own websites, you can set up a subdomain on

Real estate agents should have a website in their own name. The ‘About us’ page is not enough. staff profiles and websites can be organised. I’m a believer that all real estate agents should have a website in their own name. The ‘About us’ page is not enough. Ideally, the aim is to have a professional personal profile on a dedicated website on a personal domain name. It’s a resume that can be continually

24 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

the main company site. The domain name would look something like this: johnsmith. yourwebsite.com.au. It would be a separate website, but on the same server as the main business website. The website would remain the property of the owner of the business, who would generally pay for the set-up and

maintenance of the site (or as agreed) as it would remain the property of the office whilst the staff member is employed. If the staff member left, the website would be removed from the internet. I would suggest that if the office is paying for a personally branded website for the salesperson, the only phone number on the website should be the office phone number, not the salesperson’s mobile number. As the office is paying for the site, they want every enquiry to come into one central location. Of course this is to be negotiated between the parties. In this scenario, should the office supply a website as a subdomain, the salesperson could also buy their own name as a full domain name and ‘point’ their domain name to the office subdomain website (this, again, would need to be in consultation with the office principal). Alternatively, if your staff members buy and own their domain names and create their own websites; for example, theirname.com.au, this should be at their cost. Using corporate branding and logos is fine, but if they were to leave it would need to be removed. Some principals can get nervous about this arrangement, thinking that if things turn sour with the employee the employer would have no control over the site. As an office principal, assess your own situation and have

clear agreements with staff regarding your online policies for websites as well as social media. As a company, protect your brand and always buy .com. and .com.au domain names if you can, for your company and personally. If you do not own your own name as a URL buy it now, as a personalised website will form the foundations of your online resume. So if you don’t own yourname.com. au and yourname.com, go to somewhere like godaddy.com and buy them now. If you don’t own both the .com and .com. au domain names, for your own name and your agency, your competitor could buy the .com domain and forward it to their website, or anywhere else they choose. They could effectively steal your traffic or damage your brand. For a salesperson’s individual website to be effective, they should have links to the company website, personal Facebook page, company Facebook page, Twitter page, LinkedIn page, and so on. Potential customers should be able to click the links on their website and be taken to Facebook or any other social media pages that are associated with your agency so they can get to know you all a little bit better.

Lisa B helps agents to become famous in their area. For more information www. dominatetheinternet.com.au.

Marketing Attila Kovacs

Maximum exposure Attila Kovacs explains how to get the message out to the maximum number of viewers in the shortest possible time-frame.

ITHOUT

traffic, video would simply be a waste of an agent’s time and money. Here are a few guidelines to ensure that your video marketing strategy is a successful one. Portals. It’s no secret that the largest volume of traffic will flow through the major property search portals. Buyers are filtering the portal contents to see what they would like to buy. Sellers are filtering to see what their property could be worth. Both are qualifying, on a conscious or subconscious level, the reputation, strength and perceived success of a local agency or agent. Want to quickly and easily test how effective video marketing would be in your market? Here’s what you need to do. 1. Produce a high-quality property video and attach it to your next sales campaign. Most reputable video suppliers will offer a free property video to trial their services, so don’t worry about the cost. 2. Record the Total Video Views at the end of the campaign. As a guide, an average listing will achieve around 500 views per campaign. 3. Multiply the Total Video Views by the number of Total Active Listings you have on hand. 4. The figure you have calculated will give you a

snapshot of your potential market penetration if you were to roll out video marketing across all listings. 5. Now calculate how many video views you could generate over a 12-month period: multiply the total number of video views for one listing by the number of listings you would secure in a year.

Video hosted on YouTube rates incredibly well on Google-based searches. How do your numbers look? Are they surprising? Could this type of communication and volume of traffic be powerful? The answers to how effective this type of marketing might be is there for you to judge. Electronic Direct Mail (EDM). Buyers want to know what’s about to hit the market, or at the very least what just hit the market. Use your CRM to blast your latest video listings to them in an informative and highly engaging format. Instant Response Marketing (IRM). This is a new trend of video marketing which addresses the notion ‘he who strikes first, wins.’ Based

around Video SMS (vSMS) technology, agents prepare a face-to-camera library of targeted communications for key phases within the listing and selling process. A vSMS is usually five to ten seconds in length and is sent to the buyer or seller within minutes of the last point of verbal communication. Here are a few examples. 1. For pre-listing presentations: ‘Hi there. Thanks for the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the sale of your home. I look forward to meeting with you shortly!’ 2. For post-open homes: ‘Hi! Thanks for coming through our property earlier today. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me on…’ 3. For post-auction: ‘Hi. Sorry you missed out on purchasing the property earlier today. We’ll be in contact with you shortly to better understand your needs.’ Social media. Video hosted on YouTube rates incredibly well on Google-based searches. Most major property portals now allow YouTube links to be included with your property campaigns. Including an agent’s name in the property video file name will ensure the name will live on for many months and even years after the property has been sold. Why is this so important? Your community is always crawling the web, hungry for more information, especially when it comes to past sales. You can imagine how

many times an agent’s name might appear in search results once five, 10, 50 or hundreds of listings have transacted over a period of time in their target area. Of course, linking your videos to drive any traffic to your Facebook business page would also be a great idea. Printed marketing collateral. Every point of communication is an opportunity to drive traffic to a pre-determined location. In this case, bring printed marketing collateral to life by linking consumers to agent profile videos, vendor testimonials, auction and recently-sold videos via QR codes and other virtual capture technologies. Agency website and email. Although most likely the poorest-performing location for online traffic, it makes sense to bring the home page of your agency website to life by using video, as well as the ‘About’ and ‘Meet the Team’ pages. Agent emails should also include links to online webpages that include current listings, recently-sold, vendor testimonials, agent profiles and many other types of useful and informative video communications. Ensuring that all video distribution channels are engaged and maximised will determine whether your video campaigns are successful now and into the future.

Attila Kovacs is the Managing Director of Industrie Media. For more information visit industriemedia.tv.

eliteagent.com.au 25

Leadership John and Stephanie McCloskey

Moments of truth Successful implementation of the company vision is a sign of great leadership. John and Stephanie McCloskey share how to turn your vision into reality, starting with an honest examination of customer experience.

n our last article we floated the idea of a company vision. A great leader is one who can take that vision and turn it into something meaningful, something the whole company can buy into. It is the execution that separates the great from the mediocre; the action of taking the words, the collective intention, and turning them into reality. Such is great leadership. Implementing the vision will allow you, as the leader, to coach and mentor your people. You will share in their successes and help them to grow in the areas where they have to stretch beyond their comfort zone. You will create an atmosphere where everyone is pulling together in the same direction, not because the leader wants them to, but because they want to! Your job is constantly to circulate, reminding everyone of the importance of the vision, to focus on the actions and encourage their best. The results of this will be better people who are more involved, representing your business in the marketplace. Great leadership requires sharing the responsibility for the vision. Too many leaders, especially managers, want to micromanage projects. Delegate instead! Be the hub of the project, share the stories and massage the problems. Relate your expectations and remind the

26 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

team of why they are doing what they are doing. In 2015, why not try a new approach and undertake a specific project as an experiment in executing the vision? We have found the best place to start is with a real examination of the customer experience. When

involving sales, rentals and admin, to examine the customer experience. We recommend you start by looking at every touch point in your business, every interaction with the clients you serve. That is web, signage, sales calls, rental processes, emails, texts and your language. How does

Over 60 per cent of so-called ‘satisfied customers’ will never purchase again from the same business. was the last time you had the courage to ask your customers ‘How could we have made this better for you?’ In today’s business world it is essential to be ‘customercentred’, but what does that really mean? Each time we touch the customer we create a ‘moment of truth’. Unfortunately, over 60 per cent of so-called ‘satisfied customers’ never purchase from the same business again! Being satisfied is the entry level as far as service industries go today. If you want your business to thrive then figure out what customers want and look at how to ‘wow’ them at every point. Convene a meeting of the whole team early in 2015, a project planning meeting

the customer experience align with your vision? How does it reflect on how you want to be seen? Does it deliver on your promise of service or does it fall far short? You may be surprised, but better you know than not know. If your business is big enough, then split into teams that have areas of responsibility. Assign a manager for the team and have them report back to you. Use deadlines. As a team, they will decide what needs to be focused on, who is doing it and when it needs to be done by. With every interaction, we create a moment where the customer can judge us. If you really want to make a difference in the marketplace today, then have your vision reflect how

you want your customers to perceive you. Remember, how they see you is how you are. If you think otherwise, you are dead in the water. By immersing ourselves in the customer’s experience we simply see ourselves as we truly are, and from that we can make some real-time decisions about how we go forward as a team. A number of years ago Michael Eisner, then CEO of Disney, was observed picking up a piece of rubbish at Disneyland. When asked later how many cleaners Disney employed, he proudly stated that the company had 4,210. This number equalled the total Disney workforce at the time. The reporter pushed for further clarification. Eisner replied that when the general public saw rubbish on the ground, they judged Disney as underperforming; they did not judge the cleaning department or a single individual, but the whole company. Therefore, Disney had 4,210 cleaners. If vision is how we see ourselves, then execution via a great leader is how it comes to life.

John and Stephanie McCloskey run Get Real Estate Training to activate engagement and leadership competencies in agents and provide coaching for real estate business owners. Contact them at getrealestatetraining@ gmail.com.

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“Sometimes the only transport available is a leap of faith. Don’t be afraid to take it.” - Margaret Shepard

cover story

28 ELITE AGENT â&#x20AC;¢ JAN-FEB 2015

Victoria’s top gun Mark Di Giulio MARK DI GIULIO STARTED his real

estate career as a member of Spiro Drossos’ number one sales team in the Barry Plant network of 80 offices. While he has been selling real estate since 2005, he has cemented his position as one of Victoria’s top guns in the past 12 months by selling more than 150 properties and being named the REIV Salesperson of the Year. He is now on track to write more than $2 million in fees this year. Interview by Samantha McLean.

HE DONCASTER Barry Plant

Real Estate office has played an integral part in the growth of the City of Manningham, Victoria since 1979 and is one of the market leaders in all areas of residential real estate. The diverse Barry Plant team, more than 40 strong, is known for achieving outstanding results for all types of property, from small investment apartments to multimillion-dollar luxury homes. Mark Di Giulio has been a part of this awardwinning team his whole career. “Real estate was my first job,” says Di Giulio. “I did go to university and studied a Bachelor of Business, majoring in marketing. Made my Mum and Dad really happy! But then I realised that I just didn’t want to go down that path and my Dad said, ‘OK, give real estate a go.’”

“At the time I really wanted to work for Spiro (Drossos); he had won several Barry Plant awards plus the REIV Residential Salesperson award in ’08, ’09 and ’13. I wanted to be his assistant and really learn from the best. So that was where I gained my start, working for Spiro, working his systems and processes; and over the years I’ve perfected this while interpreting it in my own way, taking what his business was to the next level.” Over the past ten years Di Giulio has now also won more awards than we could list here, but I asked him how it felt to achieve the honour of REIV Residential Salesperson of the Year for 2014. “My goal was always to mimic Spiro,” he says. “When I started my career, Spiro was writing maybe between $300 and $500 thousand in fees. The moment that he went from this level to, say, a million dollars in fees was when he won the REIV and Barry Plant Auctioneer award for Novice Auctioneer, and then he went on to become Residential Salesperson of the Year within the Barry Plant network. After that, he became the REIV Agent of the Year (non-

Principal), and then was nominated for the REIA Real Estate Agent of the Year. “To me, that looked like a natural progression. If I want to be successful, I’ve just got to follow what Spiro is doing. So I set my sights on the Novice Auctioneer award and won it. After that my business started to prosper. So then I thought, OK, now I want to become the Agent of the Year within our company. And I did. And then I thought to myself, no one has written over a million dollars in fees in our organisation; I want to do that, so I did.” “It wasn’t something that I thought I would want to win when I started out. But I knew it had to be done if I was going to mimic Spiro’s success. Every time he’s achieved something I’ve paid attention, looked at how he did it and thought, I’ll copy that but I’ll make it better again. Spiro had written $1.3 million in fees; I’ve now surpassed that and written over $1.6 million, and I’m on track this year to write $2 million. And yes – now I’d love to win the REIA Residential Salesperson of the Year award too; that would be the ultimate achievement.” What were the early days like? “Real estate is a career that works well when you are a local because you’re truly part of the community. You start seeing your old school teachers, parents of your best mates when you were growing up. That

eliteagent.com.au 29

cover story was a little bit of a springboard for me.” “I live in the area I sell my properties in. Working in Spiro’s team, I was an assistant for his properties and it was easier for me to gain momentum because I already had success and recognition in the community from being a part of his team. So long as I worked hard, I was always going to be successful because I came from a very successful business. If you’re starting out in the industry, that’s probably key. You really need be a part of someone’s team who knows what they are doing, who is successful. If you learn from someone who is not successful, then naturally you’re going to get the same result.” Di Giulio carries 20 to 30 listings at any one time, and yet is still able to provide personal service to all his clients. I ask what his secret is to managing such a large portfolio. “We have four team members at the moment, plus a new starter this year. I’m running as the team leader, my wife

“I say to my vendors, ‘If it rains, don’t be worried because the rain only keeps away the neighbours. It won’t keep away your buyers. Buyers want to buy regardless of the weather.’” Lisa Yeung is my business manager, and I currently have two buyers specialists, my brother Robert Di Giulio and Adam Spozio. I also have an administrative assistant. The buyers specialists who work my buyers are also generating and producing new business. And then I’m nurturing existing business and converting my selling prospects to listings.” “My biggest challenge on a day-to-day basis is in fact time management. You get to a point in your business where you might only be doing the ‘dollar productive’ things, but then to be consistent with your service and make sure that you’re doing the right things is important. You have to really allocate your time effectively.” What do you do differently in your listing

30 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

presentations that sets you apart? “My formula is warm and fuzzy, followed by real estate, followed by warm and fuzzy. I think the trouble with most agents is they are probably only doing a one-hour appraisal dominated by real estate, and that’s fine. My typical market appraisal usually goes for two and a half hours.” You have won several auctioneering awards as well. What do you most enjoy about auctions? “Buyers love auctions because they are more entertaining, and that’s something I’ve always tried to do. My auctions, I think, are probably a bit different, with things like the easel and the way I use my presence. I’ve seen a lot of auctioneers, and they’re very aggressive, very loud and pushy.

MARK DI GUILIO’S TYPICAL DAY 5.30 - 6.30am Training at the gym three to four days per week. 8.00 - 8.30am Team catch up – we sit down together and have a quick, brief meeting about the day ahead. 9.30 - 12.00pm Prospecting – following up current leads, hot leads, past leads, database, buyers. 12.00pm On the road – a combination of indoor meetings and market appraisals. My job is really to be on the road and doing face to face appointments. I’m out there negotiating, selling, listing; that’s what I need to be doing, and love doing. 7.00 - 8.00pm Last appointment – finishing up around 10-10.30pm. And I think the old-school agent of aggressiveness is really gone. I’m not a comedian, but at the same time I’m not an aggressive person. I think that’s probably why I get some really good results. I think the new-age agents are all about engagement. All about persuasive mannerisms. And just being a good, authentic human being.” “I actually do some of my best auction work in the rain!” Di Giulio explains further. “I love it when it rains. The emotion and the engagement level are usually quite a bit higher. Some agents will take people into the garage and conduct the auction in there if it rains. I get them

into the lounge room. And I love the fact that people can be sitting on the couch, only a metre apart, where they can eyeball each other. Just seeing every emotion with every bid because they’re so close, and the tension is incredible, you could sometimes cut it with a knife. Having someone who’s on the other side of the street or behind a tree or a car – you can’t get the same level of engagement. I say to my vendors, ‘If it rains, don’t be worried because the rain keeps away the neighbours. It won’t keep away your buyers. Buyers want to buy regardless of the weather.’” If you could give your younger self any advice now, what would it be? “Oh, I would definitely hire an administration assistant earlier than I did!” Di Giulio continues, “I think most people come into this business because of their personality type. It’s what they’re good at. They’re not good at business management or paperwork. So that is one thing I would do. The other thing would be to become an auctioneer a lot sooner than I did. And I would tell myself to go through drama classes, improvisation and publicspeaking classes. The first year I entered the Auctioneer of the Year competition, I

“You really need be a part of someone’s team who knows what they are doing, who is successful. If you learn from someone who is not successful, then naturally you’re going to get the same result.” lost it. I played myself back on video and watched myself. And there was nothing of me in it; it was all robotic.” “I ended up employing a drama coach, did some drama classes and lessons. And I became more natural and started to understand tonality, mannerisms and presentation, and obviously engagement. Then I adopted that into my listing conversations. I also got into public speaking which just changed my world. “You need an independent coach, because if you gauge your performance based on your director or your sales manager,

myrealestatetraining.com.au national enquiries 1300 155 144

mum, dad or wife, they are always going to be biased and tell you you’re amazing! But paying a professional to critique you – this was one of the things that changed my business dramatically. Listing presentations, as well as auctioneering, are performance-based, so the drama classes were a huge help.” What do you see for your market in 2015? “I’m thinking the market will continue to build. We’ve got 90,000 migrants coming into the country. Where are we going to put everyone? So, from my perspective, supply and demand is really the driving force. But having said that, I would actually like the market to level out. I’m a big advocate for having realistic vendors. And I’m thinking that when the market improves you get a lot of vendors who get carried away and, subsequently, properties don’t sell because the wrong expectations are set.” “The successful agents of the future will be the ones who can manage this in a professional and ethical manner, while appealing to the emotional side of vendors because it’s an emotional transaction. These will be the agents who can get realistic expectations from the market and in turn be the ones who sell more properties.”

MAKE IT YOURS. eliteagent.com.au 31

business management own enthusiasm and remind you that you can always do better. Being a mentor and using a mentor is win-win. Those who are getting coaching are curious, hungry and humble. Those who don’t can languish and ramble rather than progress. Another vital tip comes from our pre-school books, much like the Grasshopper and the Ants: provide for rainy days. Successful businesses and individuals never presume it will always be rosy. They provide for the rainy days by putting cash aside, or at least leaving some room to move within your life and finances. Waste infuriates me; it infuriates top shelf real estate agents too. Waste in real estate businesses can come in so many forms, from the marketing collateral that is out of date to those landlords who will not spend money on repairs, or vendors with unrealistic price expectations. Although many will not agree, one sure sign of a great real estate business is the recovery of advertising from vendors upfront – likewise for individuals within the industry. I’ve seen it transform businesses and individuals from mediocre to great.

Find your business rhythm CAN AN ACCOUNTANT PREDICT your success in

real estate? We can come close, says John Knight, who has studied the business management practices of top agents over a number of years.

HEN WE

launched our business late last year our team of accountants looked to stretch the boundaries. We wanted to move out of our comfort zone and take a giant leap towards reaching our potential. We acknowledged that we needed to look different from our competitors, run faster than our competitors and deliver something the market had yet to see. That is also true for real estate agents just getting started in their careers, or those needing a bit of kick along. With more than 20 years as an accountant and more than half of that period advising the real estate industry, I often do a test with myself to see whether, at the first meeting, I can guess if an agent will go the distance and rise to the super league of success. What is that je ne sais quoi of a good sales agent, property manager or business owner that separates them from the pack? Interestingly, the traits of successful individuals within the real estate industry are no different to those of a successful business in the industry. Everyone is a business, so think like one now. What are the proven essentials that transpose nicely across a successful real estate business to a successful sales agent or property manager? They start with taking a long-term view.

32 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

Even if you have fallen into the industry for one reason or another, as an individual you need to invest in your systems, processes and procedures right from the start in exactly the same way a business would. You are the business, so from technology systems to back office processes, procedures need to be in place to ensure everything is systemised with one consistent way of doing things. You should also have rhythm – not just the ‘Red Foo’ kind, but the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual rhythm of self-monitoring. Monitoring and managing activity on a regular, consistent basis is critical, because your budget is built from the ground up based on these activities. Once systems are in place there are the more ethereal prerequisites, like starting with ‘your eyes open wide’. Businesses and individuals who have their eyes wide open see problems before they arise and opportunities before everyone else around them. Get leverage by using others: in an industry where how much you earn is only limited by the number of hours in the day, great businesses and successful individuals get leverage by utilising others to complement their own skills, or introducing technology to make the most of their time. Great agents have a mentor and are often one themselves too, whether they know it or not. If there are those who look up to you, then use those skills to coach and develop talent and provide focus, direction and guidance. This in turn can revitalise your

Even if you have fallen into the industry for one reason or another, as an individual you need to invest in your systems, processes and procedures right from the start. Another sure-fire way for success is to know clearly your own strengths and weaknesses. This way, like a business, you can take advantage of the opportunities and eliminate the threats. Your SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is your friend: use it to strive for success. If your strengths are the same as everyone else’s, find a new point of differentiation. Be different, be remarkable, be remembered. If you are not yet reaching your potential, irrespective of whether you are a sales agent, property manager or principal, focus on profit, not just sales, and you will go a long way to improving your headspace for success.

John Knight is the Managing Director of businessDEPOT, helping businesses of all shapes and sizes achieve their goals. For more information visit businessdepot.com.au.

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productivity

THREE QUESTIONS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN: time to start thinking

about improvements we’d like to make in the year to come. If you’re like most people, the chances are that you want to become more productive and more successful overall. The Stop-Keep-Start method is a fantastic way to cut to the chase and see rapid change in results. Story by Samantha McLean.

NOWING YOU’D like to

be a more productive, dynamic person and actually accomplishing that are two different things altogether. That’s where it helps to have a tried, true and simple method in your corner working for you. The Stop-Keep-Start Method is a proven process that has helped thousands of people become more productive. It’s an excellent way to ask for useful feedback from your manager, and a great tool for selfassessment as well. Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved and discuss the ways you can put it to work for you.

34 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

WHAT IS THE STOP-KEEP-START METHOD ALL ABOUT? Also sometimes called the SKS Method for short, Stop-Keep-Start is a simple way to decide what parts of your life are serving your ability to be productive, what parts aren’t and what should be added to the mix for best results. You begin by asking yourself three sets of questions in order: 1. What do I need to stop doing because it’s hindering my progress? 2. What should I keep doing because it’s really working for me? 3. What do I need to start doing in order to reach my goals? This method was first conceived by

Brigham Young University professor Phil Daniels. It’s notable for being reassuring and action-oriented. It’s also prized for being a quick way to get organised and spring into forward motion, as well as asking for feedback from others which can help you selfassess and determine which way to go next.

WHAT SHOULD YOU STOP? When you ask for feedback, or think about the feedback you’ve received from others in the past, consider whether or not there are any common threads. Have people consistently told you that you need to stop keeping to yourself so much? Are there things that are not dollar-productive that you could drop? Feedback you hear again and again tends to contain at least a small grain of truth, especially when it comes to tendencies that don’t serve you. Take a moment to consider seriously what kinds of opportunities you could create by working on certain tendencies or behaviours. Ask yourself how stopping the not-so-good stuff will help your professional life – or your personal life, for that matter – evolve for the better. Don’t be afraid to ask others for clarification as to why they made certain suggestions as well.

WHAT SHOULD YOU KEEP DOING?

WHAT SHOULD YOU START?

All of us have things we’re already absolutely nailing and we should keep doing those things. However, we need to become fully aware of what they are. Consider what clients, colleagues, friends and family members consistently tell you they appreciate about you. What can you do to continue nurturing these behaviours and building on them in the future? What skills can you work on to take advantage of these natural tendencies you clearly have? It’s also important to consider whether you’ve ever been surprised by anything people have consistently complimented you on. Ask yourself why you were surprised. Are there ways you could continue to build upon these unique strengths?

Last but not least, assess what behaviours and mindsets both you and other people feel you could stand to add to your overall repertoire. Consider what skills, information or additional training you might need in order to be successful at adding these traits and behaviours. If you don’t fully understand why a given person may have mentioned something in particular, ask them to clarify. It’s also important to assess whether the suggestions that might be most beneficial frighten you at all. Is there a particular reason why you may not have explored these possibilities for yourself at some point? Consider how you can overcome your apprehension to get past those fears.

Stop putting productivity off! Get started today. There’s no time like the present.

MOVING FORWARD SUCCESSFULLY Once you successfully use Stop-KeepStart to assess and consider possibilities for future change, it’s time to get active as far as the practicalities involved. When you consider the suggestions from all three lists, do you see common threads? How can you leverage your existing skills to help you develop new ones and continue to evolve both personally and professionally? SKS is a simple exercise to be sure, but it’s also effective. You too can join the multitudes it’s already helped. Have a think about how you can get started today.

To give you some examples we asked hockingstuart’s top performers what they were going to stop-keepstart doing in 2015.

HELEN YAN, SALES AGENT HOCKINGSTUART BALWYN

Winner of hockingstuart Agent of the Year STOP I found that a lot of quality time can be lost in administrative work or doing menial tasks myself, such as letterbox drops. While these are necessary facets of the business, it’s not productive for me to be doing them. They don’t help me improve my customer service and hence don’t assist with driving referrals to the business. KEEP In 2014 the majority of my business came from referrals, which are increasingly important in real estate. I’ve found the biggest driver for referrals to me personally has been my strong commitment to customer service. Assisting clients with all aspects of the sales process and being available to help them outside of normal business hours (such as showing them the local area, helping them set up in the neighbourhood, enrol their kids in local schools, and so on) has proved to be a point of difference for me.

START I’m going to find ways to reduce my unproductive activities and spend more time doing dollar-productive work. For me, that’s time with customers, whether it’s speaking to them on the phone or having face-to-face meetings. I believe that real estate is more about service than sales. If you provide the right level of service, the clients will sell you and the houses sell themselves.

NIGEL O’NEIL, CEO

Winner of REIV Award for Corporate Promotion and Communications STOP 2015 is the year to stop worrying about things I can’t control. As a CEO I can control my communication, staff management and business and recruitment strategies. But there are so many market variables in real estate which are simply out of our hands. KEEP Running a successful business requires a sharp mind.

This year, I created positive habits in my life to keep the mind and body fit – this helped me maintain effectiveness throughout the year. START Customer service is the key to any successful servicebased industry, and effective communication is a huge part of this. We plan to work with our offices to develop processes to assist them with databasing, perfecting their listing and OFI presentation skills and going ‘back to basics’ on client liaison to ensure these relationships are really strong.

MARK ZAMMIT, GENERAL MANAGER OF HOCKINGSTUART BENTLEIGH AND DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Winner, hockingstuart Agency of the Year STOP This year we’ll cut back on direct marketing. Most of our business comes either through existing clients, word of mouth,

or our solid brand reputation – we’ll focus our energy where it’s most effective. KEEP Last year we undertook an analysis of both our sales and PM divisions. For sales, we looked at the origin of our business leads. We also analysed our rent roll, assessing what each client is worth to the business. It took four months but allowed us to understand exactly what is and isn’t profitable, and why. This led to numerous successful negotiations of new contracts without losing a single client. We plan to continue similar analyses in 2015 to help us reflect accurately on our business processes. START We’ve just employed an experienced business development manager, and believe that’s the right path for us for growing our business. You can never underestimate the power of having an additional perspective to shake things up.

eliteagent.com.au 35

41 sales

(not so) crazy things to make you stand out as a real estate agent

SHORT ON IDEAS? NOT ANY MORE! Peter Hutton shares

his top tips on how to give your brand distinct appeal over the competition in 2015

36 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

OULDN’T IT be nice

to stand out? Really stand out so that you become one of the top five per cent of real estate agents in your area? Standing out from all the other agents can be a hard thing to do, especially with all the noise your competitors are making. But the truth is that it’s not that hard when you consider what everyone else is doing. I’m talking about the ‘same old, same old’ stuff agents do, like free property appraisals (boring) or offering ‘our free real estate newsletter’ (ah, no thanks). So here are 41 ideas that will help you get noticed, build a list, get your foot into more doors and list more properties. 1. Create a survey – find out what your prospects want help with. 2. Create a blog and share information that will help your prospects. If you’re not a writer that’s fine: use video or have someone else supply you with the content, like Agent Marketing Wingman. 3. Refuse to follow the trends even when doing so would provide a quick fix of attention. Keep being yourself. 4. Big vs. little: increasingly people don’t like big. They fear being treated as unimportant. If you are small use this to your advantage. Being small you may be the underdog, but people love the underdog – play this up! 5. Find your ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ (USP) and tell the world what it is. Your USP should include the three Rs: Reality, Reward, Risk. For example, Domino’s Pizza: “You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less – or it’s free.” 6. Don’t be a go-getter, be a ‘go-giver’. Be willing to give of yourself. It’s about being of service to people and giving them what they want. 7. Offer an incentive to get leads. The Law of Reciprocity says that when you give something to someone, they will reciprocate the gesture. For example, offer people a free eBook as a gift and in return ask for their names and emails – see #9 below. 8. Find your ‘Big Why’ and core values and let them be your compass to every decision you make going forward. You’ll need to know this before you can craft a cool USP. 9. Craft a ‘listing magnet’ and generate a massive list of future sellers and landlords. Mine was an eBook I wrote called The Key: 21 Secrets To Selling Your Property For More which I gave away for free.

10. Return phone calls and emails. Don’t make people wait. 11. Make sure your CRM has an autoresponder built in so you can set up an automated email trail to nurture your leads. 12. People love to belong. Make them feel like they’re a part of something. Invite them to special ‘Your Name Here’ community gatherings, for example cinema nights, Friday night drinks at the office, and so on. 13. Own your niche. Stop being a generalist and be a specialist. This will make it easier for prospects to trust you. It will also give you greater cut-through with your prospecting and marketing. 14. Treat every person at your open homes like a prospective seller. That way you’ll be giving them a first-hand experience of how you’ll be handling their buyers when they list their home with you. 15. Never lie, not even little white lies. Don’t mislead people by sugar-coating things. Be sincere, honest and speak with integrity. 16. Being the nice guy may not be serving your clients. Far better to speak frankly to a client even when the news isn’t good. Salespeople who tend to challenge people’s perceptions and assumptions outperform those who don’t. 17. Focus your prospecting on future sellers; only about five per cent of agents do this. All the rest only target ‘now’ sellers. Obviously, if everyone’s targeting ‘now’ sellers it’s very competitive. Use

In your competitor’s strength there is weakness. Don’t compete by playing their game; look at their USP and do the opposite. Play your own game. education-based-marketing to build a list of future sellers. 18. Give away branded umbrellas at open homes when it’s raining. 19. Offer a free handyman service to help prospective sellers get their home ready for sale. 20. Start saying ‘no’ to the wrong kind of business. Sometimes you have to give up something to get something. That also means stop trying to be all things to all people. 21. In your competitor’s strength there’s weakness. That is, don’t compete by playing their game; look at their USP and do the opposite. Play your own game.

22. In many markets it often turns into a ‘twohorse race’. So if there’s already someone in the first spot, aim to occupy the second spot. If there are already two dominant agencies or agents in your area, be the wild card. That means be that person people go to for a second opinion because they know you’ll have a different point of view. 23. Work from a busy café where all the locals go. I knew a lawyer who did this; he ran little ads in the local rag calling himself ‘The Coffee Shop Lawyer’ and offered free 15-minute consultations while at the café. If you do this, wear a name tag and

33. Challenge your perception. Stop thinking everything is written in stone. It’s not. Open yourself up to greater possibilities, and start taking some risks to stand out in the crowd; it’s your perception that creates your reality. 34. Be consistent in everything you do. The easiest way to stay consistent is to use your ‘Big Why’ and values as your yardstick against all the marketing and prospecting you do. 35. Stop copying your competitors. Replicas never earn as much as an original. 36. Write a list like this about something your

Challenge your perception. Stop thinking everything is written in stone. It’s not. Open yourself up to greater possibilities, and start taking some risks to stand out in the crowd. have your laptop branded so people can recognise who you are. 24. Optimism is infectious, as is enthusiasm. How can you weave more of this into what you do? 25. The Law of Expectation: create an expectation that your service will be exceptional. 26. The power of stories: use case studies in your newsletters, writing them like a topnotch news reporter would. Make them human, engaging and conversational. 27. People love to play, so use quizzes, contests and puzzles to engage people. 28. Realise your prospects are making all kind of assumptions about you, your company, your results and your service. Take advantage of the positive assumptions. Turn around the negative ones. 29. Create your own signature copywriting style so your listings stand out on sites like realestate.com.au and domain.com.au. 30. Stop spamming people. Start using ‘optin-prospecting’ instead. 31. Offer a guarantee. When you lower or remove the risk altogether for prospects to do business with you, you’ll make it easier for them to say yes and give you a go. 32. Build traffic to your website by basing it on a dynamic blog structure. That’s what I did with my real estate agency, and we received between 10,000 and 13,000 unique visitors to our website a month! That’s a whopping amount few agencies enjoy even today, putting our little independent agency’s website into the top one per cent in the world for traffic (source: alexa.com). It got us a lot of leads, of course, and lots of listings.

prospects will find helpful or interesting and put it on your blog. 37. Send out five handwritten cards a day to people in your area, congratulating them on having such a beautiful well-kept front yard. 38. Reward loyalty. Spontaneous gestures to clients go a long way and give rise to referrals (refer #6). 39. All great books are written to answer a question. Authors call it the ‘central question’. In the same way, great brands are based on answering a central question that their clients want answered. What can you do to answer your prospects’ most pressing needs, desires, and central question? 40. Be hyper-relevant to your prospects. Stop bombarding people with stuff they don’t need or want. Everything you use to market yourself must be relevant to them. For example, do a six-month market wrap-up report, specifically for their street or apartment building. 41. Innovate. Innovate. Innovate. Never stop innovating. Make a decision now that you’re going to do everything within your powers to take your brand to the next level. Start by committing to implementing three items from this list into your business in 2015.

Peter Hutton has spent over 20 years mastering the art of selling real estate. Peter is a published author, speaker and licensed real estate agent. He loves to share his knowledge and runs workshops for agents focusing on his 5P methodology that reveals how to achieve “The LOVE Price” for their vendors.

eliteagent.com.au 37

personal development

THE SCIENCE BEHIND

first impressions A GREAT MANY STUDIES HAVE examined the ‘first

impression’, including its neuroscience and lasting effects. One thing is known for sure: first impressions do matter! In fact, opinion can be formed on visual presentation alone in just one-tenth of a second, and this impression is so strong it can override what a person knows to be true. Story by KAPS Recruitment Director Kellie Bishop.

ANY PEOPLE and businesses invest a great deal into providing a good first impression, from the clothes an individual wears to the front window of a real estate office. Setting a good first impression is worth the effort because of the ‘halo effect’, where a positive impression of a person leads to the formation of favourable beliefs about their personality and ability. Consequently, a poor first impression can cost you business, status and opportunities. For individuals, the need to put your best foot forward when job hunting is commonly known. After all, you will be competing with other people for a position, and creating a great first impression is a large part of demonstrating your suitability for the role. However, the importance of a good first impression is not just limited to securing a second interview or even gaining a position; the effects of the first impression can impact the entire period of employment. In particular, research suggests that those who make a sound first impression are often rewarded with more desirable tasks and flexibility in their workload than other

38 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

FIVE TIPS FOR MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

Be positive and confident

If you don’t believe in yourself, why should other people? Have faith in yourself and your abilities. Similarly, positivity goes a long way. Negative attitudes have been shown to have an enduring and powerful impression on people, but for all the wrong reasons! By believing in yourself and remaining optimistic, you will inspire faith in others.

employees1. This research also suggests that these judgments are not easily overcome, even in the presence of considerable ability, highlighting the importance of getting first impressions right with future employers. The first impression provided by recruiters and companies is equally crucial; especially when you consider that the goal of recruitment is to attract the best staff for the business. While business development managers and sales agents know the importance of making a good first impression, the same care is not always given to the presentation of the company as a whole. The company itself and anyone representing it also need to make a good first impression. In the case of recruiting, the recruitment consultant may be the first contact the interviewee has with the company the recruiter is working for, meaning the onus is on them to create a favourable first impression for the client. So ask yourself: are you making a good first impression? Would you be impressed if you met yourself today and knew nothing about you? Does your appearance send the message you wish to convey? Is your body language open and honest? Do you speak with confidence and an easy tone?

Be open and honest

Don’t try to be someone you are not, or portray a personality that is not yours. This is usually obvious and leaves people feeling like they didn’t really know who they were talking to. Something just seems ‘off’ when you are talking with someone who is not genuine.

Know your audience

Regardless of whether you are a jobseeker or a recruiter, preparation is key. Taking the time to research the individual or company beforehand and developing some informed questions

indicates your interest in them and overall professionalism. It also promotes a more detailed and informed discussion between the parties, allowing you to connect meaningfully and create a strong impression.

Listen

Demonstrating that you value others goes a long way when connecting with people, and listening is perhaps the most useful means to achieve this. Smiling, nodding and asking useful

follow-up questions are key behaviours to use here. Conversely, avoid interrupting people or taking conversations off-topic. Allow the other party opportunities to respond to your thoughts throughout the conversation to show you welcome their ideas and contributions.

Take care with your visual presentation

Recent research indicates that 62 per cent of employers report that a candidate’s dress sense has a big impact on their employability, while 50 per cent of candidates report that the employer’s dress sense impacted their decision to accept a position2. In addition to selecting attire that is neat and professional, other important presentation factors include avoiding inappropriate make-up and visible tattoos. Both employers and recruiters also report that maintaining eye contact and adopting a firm handshake are crucial, so be sure to employ these practices. In an interview it’s not just the jobseeker being interviewed; both sides of the bench need to make a good impression. While the jobseeker needs to sell themselves, the employer needs to sell the job and this is

“First wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits into the impression made by the first” – Yann Martel often overlooked in the recruitment process. In particular, you need to sell your workplace and company, representing what future and career the interviewee has within the team. It is crucial to reflect on, or even solicit advice about, the first impression your company is portraying to a prospective employee. Recruitment consultants can be a useful tool for achieving this, or you can consider adopting review processes to evaluate the presentation of your company.

The first impression is a lasting impression. However, once you have this mastered, don’t forget that follow-through is also important. The care and diligence you put into making a good first impression should be applied to how you conduct yourself afterwards, demonstrating congruence between what you appear to promise in your first impression and the behaviour you display later. This will help to instil confidence in you as an individual and in the business you conduct. “First wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits into the impression made by the first” – Yann Martel

Kellie Bishop is a director at KAPS Recruitment, a boutique Melbourne-based agency providing recruitment services to real estate businesses. KAPS Recruitment offers a unique, industryspecific approach to recruitment. 1. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199301/ good-vibes-versus-big-brains 2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ article-2661474/First-impressions-really-DO-countEmployers-make-decisions-job-applicants-sevenminutes.html

Elite-agent-2015.pdf 1 1/6/2015 3:26:23 PM

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eliteagent.com.au 39

technology BEN BRADSHAW, CEO

of SponsoredLinX, is a talented sales and business professional and one of Australia’s most respected authorities when it comes to the finer points of online marketing. He is well versed in the areas of Google AdWords, SEO marketing and traffic generation: all important if your goal is to generate leads online. Interview by Samantha McLean.

et’s get straight down to business. If you were a real estate agent, what would be your top tips for building an effective business website? For the front end of the website, the key thing is making sure that you’re building credibility. For the ‘back end’ it needs to be search enginefriendly. Make sure the website is built with search engine optimisation in mind, and around a specific set of keywords about real estate in your local area. However, don’t try to rank for everything. Trying to rank for too many keywords actually dilutes your potential success. To get traffic to your website you could start by running a Google AdWords campaign with Google for a week, starting at as little as $10 per day, running a code on your site that will let you know which keyword triggered each lead. Using that sort of strategy works really well. You can then figure out which keywords really make you money online, and which ones actually cost you money.

40 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

How to make Google work for you What terms are people likely to be searching for? Is it going to be ‘real estate for sale, [suburb name]’, or something else? Sometimes people will type in something like that, but we’ve found terms like ‘real estate’ won’t convert anywhere near as well as something like ‘investment real estate CBD’. For instance, you might type the word ‘loan’ into Google and get a bunch of different results: car loan, home loan, and so forth. But if you’re more precise and type in ‘split rate variable home loan’, see an ad or an organic listing for those exact words and click on that, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to convert. One thing to remember is not to go straight for the obvious keywords, as those won’t have the highest conversion rate. The broader the keyword, the lower the overall conversion rates. Do you still have to be on page one as far as search engine results go? You do. Roughly 95 per cent of people do not click past page one. We also know that a lot more people are using mobile devices to find information, especially in regard to local real estate searches, so mobile compatibility is important. Roughly 50 per cent of local searches are from mobiles. These days, if you build a great website and it’s not geared for mobile you will be penalised by Google. A lot of people will be visiting your site via a mobile interface.

Something like 78 per cent of all websites are still not mobile-responsive, yet 50 per cent of the traffic comes in via mobile devices. That’s definitely a huge opportunity to be seized. Make sure the site is mobile-responsive and it will immediately increase your traffic rate.

What do you recommend for generating leads on your own website? Visual images are good – a banner, image or graphics that really illustrate your specialty are excellent. A good title is essential. If your keywords are ‘investment real estate’, the site’s home page should say something along the lines of ‘Welcome to Brisbane’s leading real estate investment brokerage’, incorporating the keywords. There should also be an effective call to action, so a form on the website to help facilitate that action is a must. Short forms are desirable, because people don’t necessarily have the time to type out a lot of information and today’s user prefers convenience. You’ll also want to avoid distracting the visitor with too many other things. If I’ve been looking for information on real estate investment and then I’m told, ‘Hey, check out my blog article and my About page and all these other things’, I’m easily distracted from filling in that form. It does also help to be succinct. People don’t really have time to do a lot of reading, so if you can keep things brief and easy to skim with bullet points and lists, that’s ideal. Don’t forget that your traffic doesn’t always land on your home page. People put a lot of emphasis and time into making sure

the home page is perfect. However, when you look into the analytics, particularly in regard to organic search traffic, people are finding the site via the blog pages and other pages as well. Site owners should take that phenomenon into consideration.

There are a lot of ‘portals’ for real estate in Australia. While the market is becoming fragmented, there are still some big players. In the next 12 months, do you see the portals losing strength or getting stronger? We’re definitely living in a more fragmented world now with the internet, so that’s a factor. If I were a real estate agent, knowing

Somebody said to me that if you add up all the advertising fees an average agent pays various portals over a year, it can be well into six figures. If you were to spend that on your website... I’m not too familiar with agents’ costs, but I know for a fact if you were to spend $20,000 on your own Google advertising you could generate leads for both sales and property management really cheaply! It takes a month to figure out which keywords people are typing in and so forth. Bottom line is you’re going to be in much better control of the whole exercise and once you’ve done it you can scale it.

These days, if you build a great website and it’s not geared for mobile you will be penalised by Google. what I know about online marketing, I would feel that I could generate more listing leads from other sources, like search engines. If you’re not doing that then there’s a lot you’re missing out on. You can also get massively ahead of your competition if you’re doing some SEO, AdWords and social media and they’re not. You’ll have a much better result.

Once your website is ranking on Google, it’s going to rank on Bing and Yahoo and all the other search engines. You set up your marketing processes and, as your business is built, it becomes a money machine. In this case it could be a lead machine as well. I would much prefer to do things that way than be completely reliant on one or two websites.

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You’ve recently visitied Google in San Francisco. What new developments can we expect in the next 12 months? The latest thing that would be great for real estate agents is using the Google+ Hangout feature. That’s a user Hangout via which you could stream an auction or event, live. You could have a community of people register for an event. You could send your email list a link, like advertising for an auction. But if you stream it live via Hangout it can go anywhere in the world in real time. That’s pretty powerful when you think about overseas and interstate investors. You could host an open inspection via Hangout, for example, where everyone wants to see the inside of a house but perhaps they don’t have the time to come and see it in person. You could literally walk around with your phone on the inspection day and they could log in and get a bit of insight at a distance. You can create a bit of social media buzz around that as well. Using Hangouts as an agent is definitely a cutting-edge thing to do and it’s easy too. You just need your smartphone and a bit of technology nous to get involved.

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principal

BRENDAN LAWLEY, CEO

of Brad Teal Real Estate, looks at the impact of a younger workforce on the industry. How can we attract and retain the present generation into our business and have them perform at their peak?

IS GEN Y DRIVING YOUR BUSINESS OR DRIVING YOU NUTS?

F YOU’RE THE principal or office

manager of a real estate business, it’s almost impossible to ignore discussions or commentary regarding Generation Y. Gen Y-ers (your employees currently aged between 18 and 30) form an integral part of our workforce now and into the future, so it’s important for us as business leaders to consider what makes them tick when developing strategies and work practices that effectively attract, retain and develop staff. We operate in an era in which the generations have never been so categorised, analysed and debated: Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964), Generation X (1965 to 1982) and Generation Y (1983 to 2000). But before we explore some policies for implementing effective strategies, cultural changes and work practices, it’s reasonable to ask ‘Are the generations really that different?’ To highlight what I consider to be a resounding ‘yes’, a simple illustration of the evolution of the Gen Y demographic can be found by plucking an example from an industry predominantly comprised of that age group – sport. For the uninitiated, the 1970 AFL (then VFL) Grand Final was the best comeback in a Grand Final in history. In the last three minutes of the game a 20 year old Brent Crosswell (in the Gen Y demographic of his time) kicked a goal that put Carlton in front, having trailed their opposition by 44 points at half-time. Due to the manner in which the game was then played, it was inconceivable in the 1970s for a team to win from that position (and it would still be pretty impressive today). When Crosswell kicked the goal, his teammates ran in to congratulate him from … nowhere! Not one of his brothers in arms (un-tattooed arms incidentally),

42 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

ran to him, congratulated him, high-fived him, hugged him or acknowledged the feat in any way. They simply went about what they were there for and set up for the next centre bounce. Fast-forward to today. In any game of AFL, NRL, A-League and so on, any player who kicks a goal will receive contact from at least one of his teammates 100 per cent of the time – whether they have just won a nail-biter or are 50 points behind. Even before the actual game starts and the players are in the change room, they form a tight huddle by putting their arms around each other. They then run onto the ground, but pause so they can run through the banner together. The captain tosses the coin, then runs back to another team huddle. After the half-time break they come out onto the ground (having been isolated and together for a full twenty minutes) and

form … yep, another huddle. So what has happened? Why was this need for public affirmation not important decades ago, yet there is now a generation that craves regular, overt encouragement, motivation and positive reinforcement from those around them? And more specifically, how do we manage it? Firstly, do yourself a massive favour; get used to it and accept that things are different. If a situation arises in your agency regarding a Gen Y-er and you find yourself starting a sentence with the words ‘When I started work’ or ‘When I was your age’, stop! The societal and cultural environment that existed when you were in your twenties bears no resemblance to today, so stop wishing things were different. Something needs to change, and it’s you! If you feel like the gulf between you and Gen Y is too great and you just can’t relate

to them (or don’t have the patience), employ someone who can. This is not an admission of defeat; it is being smart. You never know, with another senior person on board you might just find that you have more time to work on your business.

GENERATION GAP? So what are the challenges for us as business leaders? One of the issues facing us is that we may often be put in a position where we are relating to Gen Y-ers in a manner they haven’t faced before. We are dealing with a generation that comes from a school system that acknowledges achievement when there often isn’t any, and/or who have been raised in an environment of compensatory or consultative parenting. This makes Gen Y a generation of expectation. They expect reward, praise, forgiveness and understanding. And they expect it when? Now! As much as they might come to us from a ‘cotton wool’ background, however, Gen Y can be fiercely independent and confident. Many have grown up in an environment where their family has become fractured and they have shown the resilience and confidence to get through such a situation. They bounce back, deal with issues and move on. They are empowered and confident, many coming from a participative parenting environment that is more consultative than autocratic. Such an upbringing, therefore, doesn’t necessarily make them poor workers. It makes them typical of their generation, and if you don’t provide these things – praise, reward and so on – they will get them from someone else. Gen Y won’t stick around in an environment they don’t approve of or relate to, or one you think they should be loyal to. They often have no commitments holding them to a job and no need for job security (as with many Baby Boomers or Gen X-ers). They are probably still living with their parents and will continue to do so until their late twenties, so they have very little financial stress. They are a transient generation who will be employed on their terms, not yours. If they don’t like their job, they will leave and probably move into a totally unrelated field. They should be admired for this. They have the confidence to take a risk and try their hand at something else and will not compromise their enjoyment of work. You won’t see many Gen Y-ers in a job they hate.

CHANGE AGENTS Gen Y is a generation that considers change to be a normal way of life, so if you are a

conservative, traditional manager who clings to the past, I have some bad news. Where we might see the implementation of change as being a big deal, Gen Y view it as normal and as a natural part of life. They are great change agents and their enthusiasm and energy make any change process much easier than working with people who instinctively try to block or resist it. You must ensure your organisation has a genuine culture of change. If you are not personally leading by example by embracing change and being an active change agent in your agency, or even worse are in denial about change, you are going backwards. You may not notice it at a day-to-day level, but as a director or manager your behaviour is under constant scrutiny from staff. The signals you send have a massive impact on the change culture of your agency. If you merely pay lip service to the technological, structural or cultural changes required for the growth and development of your business, you are in real strife. Don’t expect that issuing edicts instructing staff to comply with workplace changes will have the desired result if you don’t believe it yourself. Develop and encourage an environment where change is a seamless part of the culture and you are evolving all the time. Critically review your policies and procedures, including input from your Gen Y-ers. Some of your policies may be in place purely because they have always been there and may be outdated. If Gen Y can’t see a reason for it, good luck trying to get them to buy in.

INTERVIEW AND INDUCTION We all know that one of the biggest challenges facing our industry is attracting quality staff. The process of creating a positive first impression starts before they are even employed. If they are coming for a recruitment interview in a crusty, old, tired-looking office and being interviewed by a crusty, old, tired-looking manager, it’s game over. They want to work for a progressive, modern, innovative company who embraces change, has a vibrant social environment and values its staff. Make no mistake, when you invite Gen Y-ers in for an interview, they are interviewing you! Good applicants know they are good applicants and will be making a choice of whether they work for you or someone else. So if you interview a great candidate, don’t muck around in signing them up. Back your judgment because if you waste time by interviewing a few more ‘just to compare’, you will lose them. Consider carefully which questions to

ask and what information to give about the company. A Gen Y-er will not care that the company has been around for 120 years, as their mindset does not rate stability and job security as a major consideration. Tailor your interview to focus on what’s in it for them; training, career development, flexibility, autonomy, fun, working with other Gen Y-ers, agency social activity, and so on. Ditch the old ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’ type questions. Have a Gen Y staff member participate in the interview. Ideally, this would be someone they will be working with, not necessarily as a manager. Make a big deal of induction. Have business cards ready for them before they start and make sure the receptionist knows about them and uses their name when they start. (‘Hi, you must be Jodi’.) Be excited and enthusiastic about having them as part of your team; introduce them to everyone in the office, starting with the people involved in the interview process to give them

If a situation arises in your agency regarding a Gen Y-er and you find yourself starting a sentence with the words ‘When I started work’ or ‘When I was your age’, stop! the sense of familiarity. In other words, indicate to them that their appointment is important to your business. The average length of tenure for Gen Y is two and a half years. Do you remember when we wouldn’t employ staff if they had an employment history of just two or three years in each job because they had an unsettled work history? Well, I’d take that record now! The physical environment is also important to Gen Y. If staff want to personalise their workspace, let them. What’s the big deal if they put personal pictures up? They customise the rest of their lives to the point where they dictate who advertises to them through Facebook and so on, so why would work be different? They’re not hurting anyone, are they? If you have a tired, staid workplace, spruce it up. Unleash as much technology on Gen Y as you possibly can. Remember we are talking about a generation who have never known a world without mobile phones. Rolling out iPads to your workforce might be a big deal

eliteagent.com.au 43

principal for you, but just another day at the office for them. To them, it’s as expected as much as a desk is.

RECOGNITION AND REWARD Let’s not forget the Grand Final example we started with. One of the biggest adjustments you might find is satisfying Gen Y’s seemingly endless need for affirmation or recognition. This affirmation is received in their everyday life through social media, which gives them the opportunity to have their opinions heard (whether they are good or not), by their countless ‘friends’. Gone are the days when acknowledgment is expected only if some outstanding work is produced. It is now expected regularly and publicly. Bear in mind that when a Gen Y-er hits the workforce, they may not have yet experienced failure, risk, disappointment or under-achievement. It may be the first time they have ever been told that they are wrong, that something they have done is simply not good enough, or they are being reprimanded. This is a legacy of both a parenting approach and school system that rewards everyone. Remember when you were at school and students received an award or recognition for outstanding performance? Contrast this to now. I would wager that there is not a primary school child in Australia who would go through each year not having received an award for something. Be creative and flexible in how you reward your staff. These rewards, incidentally, are not just limited to remuneration packages. Ask them how they prefer to be rewarded. Commissions, salary or a hybrid model? Do some ‘what if’ scenarios and get the numbers right, and don’t do things because ‘we’ve always done it that way’. Forget the days of ‘salary for property managers and administration staff, commission for sales’. Gen Y expect to be rewarded for effort. Be spontaneous with rewards. Make them meaningful and genuine. Give rewards when none were expected. A day off, a bunch of flowers, gold class tickets. It’s easy.

MUTUAL RESPECT Gen Y is great to have around. They are relaxed and easy-going, but also dynamic. As a legacy of growing up in an environment underpinned by the internet and immediate supply of services (‘fast’ food!), they are used to things happening now. As a result they don’t procrastinate, they just get things done. They are well connected, opinionated and resourceful. They thrive on a challenge and

4 4 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

won’t respect you purely because of the title on your business card. They will respect you when you earn it. Gen Y has been programmed to question authority, so take a breath, count to ten and get used to it. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as blind obedience can do much more harm to your agency than someone raising genuine issues. Don’t expect them to be loyal to the company, but foster an environment where they will be loyal to you. Remember, people join companies, but leave bosses. Listen to them! Consider that our way may no longer be the right way. Don’t expect that all of the genius ideas need to come from you. Facilitate ideas, take a risk, let them make a mistake. There is almost nothing that you will implement that will bring your agency to its knees. As much as we can give Gen Y latitude to express themselves and allow them workplace flexibility, you have not lost control. In fact, Gen Y wants to be led and wants you to be assertive. They don’t like weakness and even if you make decisions that don’t necessarily work in their favour, they will respect that much more than if no decision is made at all. While we’re on the subject of respect, you must respect them. Don’t forget they have grown up with a lifestyle in which they are always contactable (this is particularly unhealthy in a number of ways, but that’s another topic), so always get back to them. Return every email, phone call, use their name, ask their opinion. Have regular one-on-one conversations with them and don’t just get them into your office for negative reasons. Take an interest in what they do. Ask them what they did on the weekend, then remember it. Be approachable but don’t try to be their best friend. You can relate to Gen Y really well if you understand them, but don’t try to be them. Gen Y can spot a try-hard or someone who is disingenuous a mile off and if you are not sincere, your credibility will take a pounding.

DELEGATING Gen Y needs to be kept busy, stimulated and challenged, so ramp up your training and development and be aware that these are two different things. If you don’t have a structured training program for the year ahead for each staff member, get one. In addition to your training schedule, ramp up your development of staff. Be a mentor, coach, get them to job share, teach them aspects of your business outside of their functional role. Take an active role in their development and you will be rewarded with

staff who want to stay with you. Make your training interactive and don’t just teach them what. Teach them why. Gen Y has been conditioned to question everything, so the learning must have some practical meaning. Be prepared to delegate to your Gen Y-ers, but make sure you establish clear boundaries and expectations. You must delegate meaningful tasks and make their level of decision-making really clear. Don’t make assumptions about maturity or common sense, and get used to stating the obvious. Gen Y may give you the impression they know it all, but of course they don’t, so you will need to be very clear on instructions you give them. Once you’ve delegated, don’t just set and forget. Establish clear checkpoints for review (this may mean setting specific meeting dates in your diary) and correct or reward progress as appropriate. If you are delegating, make sure it is genuine. Gen Y will spot lip-service immediately. Stop being a boss. If you have an autocratic management style, change. Barking orders at staff doesn’t work, so start coaching or guiding your staff. If you can’t change, employ someone who can and reduce your functional operational role. If you don’t want to do this, become a recruitment expert, because your churn of staff will be off the charts and you will spend much of your day recruiting. By now you’re probably thinking that you have lost control. Not so! You do have rights as an employer and every employee has accountabilities and responsibilities. They are being paid, after all. When performance issues arise, you do however need to take a consultative approach in getting them sorted out. The days of sacking someone on the spot for poor performance are long gone and staff must be given a genuine opportunity to improve their performance. It is important for you to focus on the issue and not the person. The good news is that we’re not talking about Martians! Look upon the challenges of working with Gen Y as just that: challenges. Situations will be thrown at you that you haven’t dealt with before, so enjoy the ride. And then, of course, there’s Generation Z...

Brendan Lawley is CEO of Brad Teal Real Estate, an eight office network covering Melbourne’s north-west suburbs. Brendan has a background in general management and human resources roles, and is responsible for the development of corporate growth strategies in the business.

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agent profile

Hannan Bouskila

Raine & Horne Bondi Beach, NSW Hannan Bouskila has been with Raine & Horne for 10 years, initially working in property management before moving into a sales assistant role, then into a full independent sales role in 2010. In his first year, he was awarded Raine & Horne’s Sales Agent Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has been a member of the Raine & Horne Chairman’s Club – which recognises top performers – every year. He is also the youngest agent in a team of 30 in the highly competitive area of Bondi NSW. Currently he is ranked in the top three income-producing agents in the team.

What was your first job, and what was the most important thing it taught you? My first role was as a sales assistant at Breville. Apart from being an interesting entrée into retail and sales, it taught me always to ask open-ended questions and spark engagement with the customer.

46 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

What do you like most about your work now? As Associate Director at Raine & Horne Bondi Beach, my role is multi-faceted. The part I enjoy the most is what I call the ‘chase and close’. The process from that first appraisal through to the listing and the final sale can be quite exhilarating, and it gives me

lots of motivation and energy. On the flipside, I also really enjoy helping people find their dream homes. What do you still find the most challenging about what you do, and how do you deal with it? I find the hardest thing to deal with is the emotional rollercoaster of the real estate

journey. Quite often a day can go from good to bad to good again, all in the space of a couple of hours. You can be in a position where last-minute objections come up that impact a deal, but I handle this by making sure I don’t give up when things go bad, and I rely on my experience to get me through.

Define ‘success’ for you personally. What will you have achieved? To me, success comes when I have established long-lasting relationships with my clients that will see them coming back to me time and time again. For instance, I might help someone find an apartment to buy as a first-time purchase; if that person then comes back to me three or five years later to buy their second home, then I’ll know I’ve been successful at my job. Further on in the real estate cycle, they might then speak to me again when they’re starting a family and looking for a bigger property, or referring their family or friends. Describe what a typical day looks like for you? I’m usually in the office by 8am, answering emails and setting up my day. Then I’ll be on the phones from nine till 12, before grabbing a bite of lunch and heading out on appointments. I usually finish my day with vendor meetings and listing appointments between seven and 9pm. What is the one thing that’s not obvious about you that you wish more people would ‘get’? Because I sell such a high volume of properties every year, some clients tend to think I specialise in selling apartments – especially because Bondi has a relatively large proportion of higher-density living. But more often than not I sell houses as well as apartments, so my challenge is to show I can sell any type of property. What do you consider to be your real estate secret superpower? I’d have to say it’s my attention to detail and delivery of

information to the client. I believe this gives me the ability to close a deal and gives my clients that extra reassurance. What makes you laugh? Usually when I’m not working I’m spending time around my family and friends, and no matter what the situation, we spend most of our time laughing. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received, and why? I once sold a home for $250,000 over reserve. Apart from being extremely happy, the client also sent me an email outlining what that $250,000 would allow her and her family to do. It was a great compliment and a nice insight into what it means to overachieve for the client.

I’D DEFINITELY ADVISE MY YOUNGER SELF TO CALL MORE PEOPLE – IT’S ONE THING TO BE AN ENTHUSIASTIC SALESPERSON, BUT UNLESS YOU CALL THE PEOPLE YOU’RE MOST AFRAID TO, THEY WON’T KNOW YOU EXIST. Is there anything you’re afraid to do, or you would do if you weren’t afraid to do it? I’d have to say bungy-jumping would be on my bucket list if I could overcome my nerves about heights! If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be? Looking back, I’d definitely advise my younger self to call

more people – it’s one thing to be an enthusiastic salesperson, but unless you call the people you’re most afraid to, they won’t know you exist. What’s next? On a personal level, I want to work on building up my own property portfolio over the next few years. I need to start taking some of my own advice and invest in more property myself!

eliteagent.com.au 47

marketing

Property marketing: AN AUGMENTED FUTURE? JAMES DEARSLEY IS AN Independent Technology

Consultant for the real estate industry in the UK. In this article, he discusses the potential of augmented reality technology for property companies around the world.

UGMENTED REALITY, or the superimposing of digital imagery on your real world view, is not necessarily a new concept. In fact, rather strangely, it was first referenced by the author of The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, back in 1901. Interestingly he was discussing the notion that we would soon be able to wear glasses where images would be superimposed over the lens to tell us whether a person we were looking at was good or evil. In one fell swoop, L. Frank Baum was putting forward the concepts of wearable technology (think Google Glass), and augmenting your view with information. This was over a century ago and is only now becoming a reality. Virtual reality is a growing trend, but augmented reality (AR) is now available and being used today by a raft of property companies. Reviewing AR for the first time can be confusing as there are so many different aspects to the technology. Firstly, there is a geo-location feature because of our prolific use of smartphones and their ability to send information regarding our whereabouts. Property portals Trulia in the US and Funda in the Netherlands have capitalised on this already. Should you open their app, stand on a street and turn around, properties that relate to your search preferences appear as clickable buttons to give you more information. Several companies in the UK, like Haart, have looked into this and are continuing to experiment. AR can also be about augmenting your physical marketing material like newspaper advertisements and property details. One of the most popular apps that facilitate this is Blippar, with a turnover of over £10 million a year. ‘Blipp’ an image with a Blippar logo

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and, if you are viewing that image through their app, an augmentation will occur. However, with the vast array of AR platforms out there, we have to be careful. If we are looking to augment our adverts or property details with extra content (think videos, slideshows of images and contact details) we need to “reduce the friction between intention and action” – a phrase often used to demonstrate the potential of AR. If a paper has one advertisement that

It will only be a matter of years until we will be selecting what sort of view we want to have and what information we want to see in the physical world around us. needs Blippar to show the content, another advertisement using Layar and another using Augment it will bore the client and waste their time. As such there is a property-based AR platform, built by a former real estate agent, which is one to watch. It is called Virtual View and is free on the App Store. From my understanding, it is already working with large brands like Fine & Country in the UK. It offers all basic AR content at an affordable price, and can also offer more complex augments like 3D floor plans or entire buildings that appear to ‘pop out’ from the page. As long as people have

downloaded the app and are connected to Wi-Fi or a 3G or 4G network they can see extra information about the property. With good analytics in place, agents can achieve a greater understanding of how their advertisements are performing and which properties are appealing to their audience. We have looked at cost-effective solutions for businesses so far, but there are also more complex ways to use augmented reality if you are in the New Homes sector. Bespoke apps can be built to cater for far larger developments; in fact developers St. James and Weston Homes in the UK and Lanterra in Canada have some fantastic examples of AR. Emaar, one of the world’s largest developers in Dubai, are investing in their first AR application for one of their flagship developments in the Dubai Marina – their first of many such applications, I hear. It is an exciting time in property marketing; augmented reality is available now and many agents and developers are already taking advantage of the technology. There is an even more exciting future to it too. L. Frank Baum was right in his assumption that our vision will soon be augmented. With wearable technology like Google Glass and, currently in discussion, augmented contact lenses, it will only be a matter of years until we will be selecting what sort of view we want to have and what information we want to see in the physical world around us. There will no longer be terms such as ‘virtual reality’ or ‘augmented reality’, but perhaps an overriding term: ‘immersive reality’, ‘interactive reality’ or my favourite, ‘selective reality’. We are living in interesting times.

James Dearsley is the Founder of The Digital Marketing Bureau and an Independent Technology Consultant. A regular keynote speaker at conferences and a widely-read blogger, the latest property technology news can be found on his consultancy site: www.jamesdearsley.co.uk. This article first appeared in four-i magazine in the UK. For more information about four-i visit http://propertyacademy.co.uk.

EPM ELITE PROPERTY MANAGER

THE OFFSHORING EXPERIENCE

McGrath Neutral Bay takes a local approach PAGE 54

Debbie Palmer Get smarter – be different – take action! Page 50

Natalie Hastings Right from the start Page 51

Tara Bradbury Grow it alone Page 52

Jo-Anne Oliveri Five ways to be a gamechanger in 2015 Page 56

Sarah Dawson Staff training: investing in the future Page 58

Melanie Dennis Dedication to task Page 62

eliteagent.com.au 49

Guest Expert Debbie Palmer

Get smarter – be different – take action! It’s a New Year and a time to focus on moving forward into 2015. Debbie Palmer has some tips for making it your best year yet.

AVE YOU taken

a moment to review how you’ve performed over the last 12 months? Did you achieve your goals? And if not, how can you do things a little differently this year? Did you experience any setbacks? If the answer is ‘yes, I did’, you are not alone. Many of us often navigate through our personal life and career path with many challenges to overcome. I believe if you can work towards having a positive mindset in every situation, while looking for the lessons and mapping out solutions to your challenges you will experience personal and business growth. The process of going through life’s trials and tribulations isn’t always easy. I have definitely had my fair share of ups and downs. But when things get tough, you have to dig deep and be more determined to come out the other side a smarter person from the lessons you have learnt. One of the reasons for writing this article is because I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of business owners, department managers and senior property managers who have opened up to me and shared their personal and financial struggles over the last 12 months. When things are not going so well and you are faced with pressures it can sometimes be

50 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

difficult to get into a positive frame of mind to enable you to turn things around quickly. But there is always a solution to every challenging situation; you just need to work towards it. If you want to experience change you need to get smarter, be different and take action. Decide now to make it one of your New Year resolutions to dedicate at least a day away from the agency to gain a clear head so you can plan your business or career goals, objectives and strategies for the next 12 months. A favourite saying of mine is ‘Fail to plan, then plan to fail’.

Planning 2015 • What do you need to action or implement to improve your performance in 2015? • What can you do differently in 2015? • Can you improve your attitude and mindset? • What new marketing and sales initiatives can you implement? • Who will implement them? • How can you reach more clients and customers? • What new technology are you looking to embrace? • What tools and resources do you need to improve your internal operations and profits?

STEPS AND AREAS TO CONSIDER Assessing 2014 • How did you perform in 2014? • Did you achieve your goals? • What worked, what didn’t work and why? • What lessons did you learn? • What was your attitude and mindset like in 2014? • Did you have the right team to support you moving forward? • Did you have quality systems in place to streamline the day-today running of the business? • Did you have a clear marketing and business growth plan in place? • Did you attend adequate training? • Did you make a profit? • Did you have a financial management plan in place to monitor income and expenses?

There is always a solution to every challenging situation; you just need to work towards it. • What are your short-term and long-term goals? • What training are you planning to attend? • What is your financial budget going to include? I believe that now, more than ever, it’s time to: • Get switched on with your branding, advertising and marketing. • Ensure that you are having constant contact with your clients and customers. • Be delivering exceptional customer and client service so you stand out from your competitors.

• Invest more into your team’s training and skill enhancement requirements so they are better equipped to perform at an elite level. • Be present, active and involved within your business more than ever before. Words of success for 2015 “Believe while others are doubting… Plan while others are playing… Study while others are sleeping… Decide while others are delaying… Prepare while others are daydreaming… Begin while others are procrastinating… Work while others are

wishing… Save while others are wasting… Listen while others are talking… Smile while others are frowning… Commend while others are criticising… Persist while others are quitting.” (William Arthur Ward) Happy New Year and wishing you every success.

Debbie Palmer is the Managing Director of the PPM Group. Join Debbie’s live property management training broadcasts on a Monday to educate, inspire and motivate your team. Go to www. ppmsystem.com.

Natalie Hastings

Property Management Mentor

Right from the start Natalie Hastings looks at ways to improve your team’s performance in 2015 through better recruitment and training.

FRESH NEW year lies before you, offering the chance to make 2015 your best real estate adventure yet. Before the year begins in earnest, take time to think about your business and the people who power it. To make 2015 the outstanding success you’d like it to be, you’re no doubt thinking about recruiting energetic new team members. Having assisted numerous principals and property management department heads with the process of upskilling and recruiting for their teams, I present an array of recruiting and training basics. They are certain to help you choose well-matched new team members, boost individual performance and build a quality corporate culture. Here’s to you – and your team – in 2015!

HIRE WELL, HIRE ONCE Rushing to hire a team member to fill a gap can soon cause employer’s regret – not only in disruption and a loss of time and resources if you pick the wrong recruit, but in money and intellectual property too. By taking a methodical and measured approach to recruitment, you’ll have the time to get to know your potential employee and see whether they’re a good fit, both for the role and your brand. First things first: ensure your job advertisement is well written, fully explaining the

role’s responsibilities and the qualities a candidate must have, to prevent an avalanche of unsuitable CVs flooding your inbox. Once you’ve made a shortlist of quality candidates, go online and visit their previous employers’ websites and the candidates’ professional and personal social media pages. This will tell you how the

Think laterally. Monthly ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions are a fun way to have staff members present to their colleagues on a topic at which they excel.

candidate is likely to represent your own company, based on their online behaviour. Google is your new best friend! Of course you’ll also check references thoroughly with past employers. At the interview stage, observe any above-and-beyond initiatives the candidate has taken. Have they researched your brand’s website and social media pages? If they already know a little about your business and its values, you’re looking at an interested and proactive individual. Crucial to any hiring practice is a test run – at hastings + co our trust accounting roles require incredible attention to detail, matched with speed and accuracy, so we always complete a mini ‘play date’ exercise which reveals the candidate’s skills in receipting and reconciling. Do the same with your potential candidate to identify areas of strength and weakness.

CULTURE AND FEEDBACK CRITICAL You’ve found your ideal new team member – nicely done! Take them out for dinner or a drink with your team a week before they begin, introducing everyone and making your newbie’s first day less daunting. Now it’s time for a thorough induction, a process that unfortunately many employers overlook. A poor induction leaves a new team member feeling lost and unsure of your expectations, so make sure any training on software or

systems and processes is done immediately and with clarity. Make a date to meet with your new recruit at the end of their first week to see how they are settling into their new role and to address any concerns. Likewise, diarise a follow-up meeting at the end of their first month to provide more focused feedback on performance and give your employee the tools to make improvements, if necessary. Ensure that ongoing training, not just for the new recruit but for your whole staff, is also diarised now, making sure that a culture of improvement and learning is fostered from the get-go. Make it full of variety, encompassing online training, in-house training, classroom training and – of course! – onthe-job training. Think laterally. Monthly ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions are a fun way to have staff members present to their colleagues on a topic at which they excel. Everyone gets real-world training, learns something new and has a free lunch into the bargain. Now is also the time to commit to attending industry and related events together as a team. Networking as a group is great for confidence building, brand building and creating a feeling of being ‘all in it together’.

Natalie Hastings is the Managing Director of Hastings + Co. For more information, visit hastingsandco.com.au.

eliteagent.com.au 51

Business Development Mastery

Tara Bradbury

Grow it alone Do you rely too much on the sales department for new rental managements? It should not be your only source of leads, says BDM Academy founder Tara Bradbury.

LL BDMS

understand that in order to generate more business you need to allocate prospecting and promotion time. I used to be the prospecting excuse expert. I would say to my principal ‘I don’t feel comfortable’ or ‘I don’t know what to say.’ To be successful at prospecting you must be consistent. If you don’t implement prospecting time into your ideal week, it will never happen. Your prospecting will only be effective if you promote your brand, build relationships and target the areas from which you want to receive referrals. Many agencies seem to expect 50 per cent of the growth to come from the sales team, but in my experience only 10 per cent of our growth comes from sales! To me, sales referrals are the icing on the cake; they are great to have but shouldn’t be the only focus area for the BDM. In this article I am going to cover three areas of new management prospecting that you can implement yourself, no sales interaction required!

NETWORKING EVENTS In the real estate world, we need to focus on expanding our network of contacts every day. Networking is about obtaining information and making contacts that will help grow the property management department. It’s an essential tool to build a good reputation, so when you speak

52 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

about your agency you will be considered the expert in your field. A person who attends networking events and fails to follow up a lead is wasting their time. You need to be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and take a chance. The contact may say no, or they may not be ready yet; but if you don’t keep in touch who will they call when they are ready? Who will they recommend to their friends or family when they need help? Points to remember when building relationships: • Make contact and record your conversation. • Ensure you ask for all contact information and don’t be afraid to ask how to spell their name. Sending an email or letter with their name spelled incorrectly could potentially lose you the business. • Set a date to contact them again and record what you speak about next. • Keep good notes on the conversations to which you can refer back, for example if they recently got married, or mention of a baby, a holiday or a birthday. • Always provide value-added information to prospective clients. I believe the old saying ‘time is money’ is very true when you are relationship-building. If you don’t complete the above steps and don’t follow up your potential clients, you are wasting your time.

Sales referrals are the icing on the cake; they are great to have but shouldn’t be the only focus area for the BDM. OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH CURRENT CONTACTS Do you have a follow-up system in place for your existing clients? The current landlords, tenants and tradespeople of an agency are, unfortunately, often overlooked. However, it is important that they are happy with your service so that you can get future business from them. Don’t be scared to ask for feedback from your clients and communicate with them to ensure they are happy with their property manager. During your conversation, take time to ask them if they have any

other investment properties in your area. You will be surprised how many have properties that are with other agents or are privately managed. Start by making five phone calls a day and go through a short survey with them to get as much information as you can. Make sure you limit each call to five minutes where possible, and provide all feedback to your team members at the next meeting. Congratulate those who are doing a great job and have received positive feedback from the landlords. If you receive negative feedback, make sure your principal is aware of it and share it with the property manager. Discuss the problem and allow property management to come up with a solution first, then make sure you follow up both parties to ensure that the issue has been resolved. Make sure you ask if they have property that you don’t currently manage, or whether they have ever considered starting an investment portfolio. Remember, the main reason why communication fails and clients get frustrated is because they are left hanging. In a lot of cases we listen and pass their concern on to the staff member involved, but we don’t follow up. If you want strong communication in the property management department, it starts with you. As a BDM you are a leader, and you need to ensure your level of communication is replicated

through your team members. It doesn’t matter what you say; it only matters what the other person hears.

SOCIAL MEDIA What does your Facebook profile say about you? With Facebook evolving rapidly in such a short space of time, it’s not easy for users to grasp the unspoken rules of acceptable social interaction. However, there is an understanding and generally agreed courtesy and etiquette for online communication. Based on recent Facebook experiences, I must stress my opinion and approach to this subject is purely focused around suggestions to help you enhance your interactions and success with this very powerful online network. My recommendations: Take the time to comment on different posts throughout your newsfeed and respond to all comments posted on your profile, page and group. Before posting your comments ask yourself, ‘Is this post appropriate to share with my friends and professional network?’ Take time to consider the ramifications of what you are posting prior to updating your status. General statements may seem harmless to you, but others may read them in a different light. Communicating on Facebook is mostly textual and you need to be aware of your tone. Remember, the wealth is in the words; since the person viewing your comments is unable to read your body language, you really need to consider what you are about to say before you click the ‘post’ button. It is very easy for someone to think you are being sarcastic when you are not, or

misunderstand your tone. Be sensitive of who you might be tagging in photos, especially those shots which are unpleasant and inappropriate. Even if you have the most stringent privacy settings, there’s still a risk that what you post can reach people you wouldn’t want it to reach. So just play safe and leave your venting for somewhere private. It’s entirely up to you how you promote yourself through this very powerful network. For anyone in the real estate industry it’s important to find a happy medium between being fun and being sensitive to everyone you connect with. When you find that right balance you’ll not only increase your online profile, but also strengthen your agency’s branding in a positive and professional way. The big question you need to ask yourself is: are you taking full advantage of all the opportunities available while allocating time for prospecting and promotion? The overall goal for all BDMs is to increase the value of the property management department. There are hundreds of ways to achieve that. With the right mix of activities, you can identify and focus on the most effective prospecting techniques. It’s important to have a clear plan with an outline of how you will reach your ideal referrals. Then, by effectively implementing the strategies that work for your agency, you will start to see the reward.

support

Tara Bradbury is the Director of the BDM Academy. She shares her business development ideas and strategies with property management BDMs and principals. For more information visit bdmacademy.com.au.

eliteagent.com.au 53

ELITE PROPERTY MANAGER

The offshoring experience While outsourcing in property management has been a buzzword on everyone’s lips for some time, Pamela Thomson from McGrath Neutral Bay has made it work for the incredibly busy group of McGrath offices on the Lower North Shore of NSW. We spoke to her in detail about her experiences incorporating offshoring into such a large team, including how to prepare, what pitfalls to avoid, and what the benefits really are.

54 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

irstly, what made you think about outsourcing/offshoring? As head of the business team, I look after things like training, business strategy and looking for better, more innovative ways to do things. I regularly look at what other people are doing and at what we are doing, and that’s how it came about. Where do you outsource to? We have three virtual team members in the Philippines who work for us full time. Where are they physically located? They work in a shared office with a company called Multi Rational who have been really good for us. They have a designated floor manager, our girls check in to the office each day and the floor manager gives us statistics on when they are logged in and out. Other than that we do the work supervision ourselves. What type of things do you outsource? Basically we outsource as much admin as we can. Communications around routine inspections (letters/emails before and after the inspection), rent increase notices, scanning documentation, preparation of letters to landlords and tenants; making sure they are all sent to the printer here on a timely basis. They do all the data entry, management agreements, all the redirections come from them, insurances and compliances; they send these notices out, making sure everything is compliant before it all gets filed in the end. They do our reference checking after an application comes in. They also do all the arrears calls and SMSs. Plus there are some other things like maintenance follow-ups, Friday job status reports, signboard information renewals, maintenance surveys, and things like that.

How do you communicate with the team on a daily basis? For day-to-day matters, just via email. They get involved in all the training sessions that the local team do via Skype, especially for legislation training and that sort of thing. I also have separate regular meetings with them via Skype; I generally speak to the team leader who manages the other girls. There are no special instructions any more; it’s basically another part of the team, almost as though they were sitting in this office. It sounds as though you take the approach with them that you would a local employee? Yes, absolutely! You’ve got to train them just like you would a team member locally, instead of treating it as just someone

somewhere else that you give tasks to. You’ve got to create job satisfaction and ownership, the way you would for a local employee in the office. You also need to make sure that they have regular daily tasks to complete so that you can work with them on speed and execution – that is, becoming more productive. Otherwise, just like any employee without direction, they could fill up their day with other, less meaningful tasks. The biggest challenge with outsourcing is to get virtual team members to be as productive as someone here in the office. Because they’re ‘notionally’ cheaper you may think that is OK if they are not as productive as a local employee, but it shouldn’t be that way. It should be exactly the same. What about trust accounting? No, we did try outsourcing the trust, but that was one area where it didn’t work. I think it’s actually better to have someone local for that, particularly as property managers regularly need to talk to someone about accounting issues. It just works better that way.

We have taken the time to train our team. They didn’t get on the phone straight away; I think it took 18 months before we even let them take a call. We did a lot of admin in the background before we’d even let them do reference checks externally. We wanted them to be able to answer questions correctly. We gave them industry knowledge. I even went over there and helped with setting them up – I wanted to make sure they were in a nice, friendly environment, one that would keep the culture that we have in our office. They want to learn your business and feel like they are a part of it, not just get a pay cheque at the end of the day. You need to think about the same things that you do here, including career advancement, progression, pay increases and the like. What are the benefits that you have realised? Our property managers now have more of a client/sales focus. All the calls they make are different kinds of calls. We want them

YOU’VE GOT TO CREATE JOB SATISFACTION AND OWNERSHIP, THE WAY YOU WOULD FOR A LOCAL EMPLOYEE IN THE OFFICE.

What are some of the other pitfalls or things to look out for if you have never outsourced or offshored before? The first thing I would say is find a recruiter. We did this and it was very beneficial. It’s hard to find the right personality for the job and we had to consult with someone local on what we needed to look for: cultural things, what we needed in an employee (male versus female) plus a wealth of other local knowledge. You also need to be prepared to put some work in yourself to set up the right processes. While there are a lot of tasks you can send offshore and pay someone by the hour to do, I wouldn’t suggest you do that in property management. You just don’t get the same service level to the customer or the same level of care.

to be more of a relationship manager and not just a property manager. We wanted them to be able to give advice on increasing value, increasing returns in properties, renovating strategies on returns. Building investment portfolios. Just having different kinds of calls with clients. Initially this was a big shift because it wasn’t something they had ever had time to do before. But now we can take the time, not be swamped by admin, and in the end everybody feels much better about their role as well. Property managers by definition are process people, so if you’ve got all of that process sitting there for them to do, their heads aren’t clear to learn anything new. But we’ve found that most of the team have been interested to learn new things. And when they do, our clients see them differently. Again, it does take a while. It takes 12 months to skill up those property managers, and now we’re getting good results. They are consistently signing up new business from their portfolios, which I guess means we have achieved the intended objective.

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ELITE PROPERTY MANAGER They must be understood by all parties, and of course need to be pre-emptive in their approach. Implementing proactive operations in the New Year not only puts you out in front of the overwhelming number of agencies that still operate reactively, but helps attract and retain clients too.

Five ways to be a gamechanger in 2015 New year, new start! Jo Oliveri offers some practical suggestions to raise the bar in the next 12 months.

F YOU WANT TO be a game changer in

2015, you are going to need to start it with a purpose. These five simple strategies in the areas of operations, technology, leadership, marketing and customer service can help you stand out from your competitors and attract more clients this year.

OPERATIONS: BEING PROACTIVE WINS YOU CLIENTS For too long, property management has been a reactive industry. But in 2015

56 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

operating a proactive property management business is not only possible, due to the plethora of available technologies, but it’s what your clients want. Proactive operations mean implementing proactive policies. These give you the ability to lead your team, let them take anticipatory action and consequently deliver a better service to your clients. To make your policies proactive, ensure they cover key operational areas, including your legislation, culture, standards, processes and relevant codes of conducts.

TECHNOLOGY: APPS STREAMLINE YOUR SERVICE Whilst our industry has never been on the cutting edge of technology, if you want to be a game changer in 2015 then you have to put yourself there. As our clients become more technologically savvy, so too should we. If you don’t allow your business to adapt to change and adopt new technologies then you risk losing touch with the ones who keep your business afloat. As more and more people own smartphones and tablets, more and more apps are flooding the market. To offer your clients cutting-edge communications and service standards, you should implement appropriate property management service apps into your existing operations. Research has shown that apps can save you time and money, help you remain relevant with your clients and streamline your operations. Most importantly, as the majority of property management businesses are failing to adapt to change and adopt new technologies, using apps will position you as a game-changing leader in the industry. As a result, consumers will choose your agency because they know you deliver the innovative, technology-driven service they are looking for.

LEADERSHIP: TAKE CONTROL Lead your property management business; don’t let your property managers do the hard work. Making the decision to be in charge and take control of your business in 2015 will separate you from your competitors. History shows that principals who rely on their property management team to make operational decisions and inform them what’s going on in their business not only have a lower team retention rate but earn less income too. This is the year you should step up and become the key decision-maker in your business. This means guiding, nurturing and supporting your team as they work towards achieving agency and individual targets. Taking control also means protecting your agency’s brand, culture, service standards and reputation, and not allowing your team to steer your business in a different direction. Make the decision to be in charge

of your business and stop letting others take the reins. This will separate you from the majority of agencies that lack leadership and consequently deliver an inferior service.

MARKETING: CONTENT MAKES YOU A LEADING AUTHORITY If you want to be a game changer in 2015, your agency must be seen as a ‘leading authority’. As the saying goes, if you don’t have a website then you don’t exist. However, in the New Year if you are not publishing content then you don’t exist. That means whilst you may have a website you probably don’t have an authoritative voice in the industry, as you are most likely not publishing ongoing, SEO optimised content. A static website, emails, letters and the occasional phone call no longer cut it. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you have to invest time in planning and executing a content marketing strategy. A content marketing strategy can be defined as the process of developing, producing and sharing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire and engage a clearly defined and understood audience in order to drive profitable consumer action.

Research has shown that many businesses in other industries will be increasing their content marketing budgets and volume in 2015. Learn from their example and start publishing content that delivers greater value than your competitors. This will not only position you as a leading authority amongst your consumers, but also differentiate you from the overwhelming number of laggard agents who most likely only offer a static website.

SERVICE: PREMIUM FEES, PREMIUM SERVICE Competing on fees is not the way of the future. Our consumers are savvier and more informed than ever before. As a result, they now want a premium service and are prepared to pay for it. The secret is out – low fees equals poor service. And, in this day and age where we operate in an interconnected society, you don’t want to be known as the agency that delivers a poor service, because you can be sure it will spread like wildfire over the Internet and cause harmful reputation damage. Instead, 2015 should be the year your agency stops competing on fees and starts competing on service. This means charging

a premium fee and delivering a premium service by implementing the discussed strategies. If you make this decision you will be perceived as higher quality, attracting more clients and earning higher profits both for them and your agency as a result. So if you want to be a game changer in the New Year, implement these game-changing strategies. Be more proactive, invest in technology, take control, create some great content and start offering a premium service. You’ll stand out from the crowd, attract more clients and bring in more business as a result.

Jo-Anne Oliveri, CIPS, TRC, Founder and Managing Director of property management business solutions company ireviloution, is an international real estate identity who has trained over 500 agencies and thousands of agency owners and property managers worldwide. With over 20 years’ real estate experience, she is seen as a leading authority and thoughtleader on all things property management and regularly speaks at the industry’s top Australian and North American conferences. Visit ireviloution.com to find out more.

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ELITE PROPERTY MANAGER

Staff training: Investing in the future Sarah Dawson of Rockend explains why taking time to train your employees is never a wasted effort.

TAFF TRAINING IS an area that

is often neglected in real estate agencies. In some cases a high turnover of staff can be attributed to a lack of investment in employees. Many business owners fail to realise the value of trained staff and how this can impact their bottom line. It has been proven time and time again that trained staff are closely linked to increased productivity. Training ensures that all staff have a similar skillset, understand how your

business operates and recognise all processes and technology in your office, which creates a highly productive environment. Establishing basic training for new employees ensures they are up and running in your business in no time. This basic training will also help determine areas that need further development and training in the future. Training is one of the simplest ways to increase your service offering. Having fully trained staff will ensure everyone is completing work to the same standard and following procedures. Untrained staff can

lead to inconsistencies in your business, which can negatively impact your customer service offering. All clients want to receive the same service and offering, no matter who is serving them. If a property manager is sick or a new manager takes over a management, you can ensure that your client receives the service they are used to. Investing in the development of your staff will help create a solid brand for your agency. Having a structured training program also helps to create a targeted performance management system. Outlining key performance areas through training and assigned goals will help you to track your employees’ performance in the role. Training can help refine weaker areas and enable staff to complete their job to a higher level. Many successful businesses have a structured performance management system; implementing this in your business could see an increase in employee retention and productivity. Many principals are often scared to invest in their staff in case they leave. Investing in your staff proves your commitment

CREATING A WORK ENVIRONMENT WHICH FOSTERS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT WILL SET YOUR BUSINESS APART IN THE LONG TERM. to their future career and development, which encourages loyalty. Creating a work environment which fosters learning and development will set your business apart in the long term. The biggest deterrent when it comes to training programs is the perception that it will take too much of your agency’s time. However, time spent in training is a true investment in your business, which will ultimately benefit your agency and increase staff productivity and retention rates.

Sarah Dawson is the Account Management Team Lead at Rockend, Australia’s leading provider of property software. With over 20 years’ experience in the industry and extensive experience in management roles, Sarah understands the needs of real estate businesses.

58 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

property manager profile

Karina Reed

hockingstuart Glen Iris Karina Reed is a seasoned authority on all aspects of property management, having amassed over 22 years’ experience in the industry. Conscientious, efficient and hard working, she maintains a genuine enthusiasm for helping people and still ‘loves a challenge.’ As manager of the property management department at hockingstuart Glen Iris, Karina heads a dedicated team who respect her knowledge and appreciate her fun and happy personality. Together they seek to grow the rent roll and forge lasting and harmonious working relationships.

How did you get started in property management? My mum cut an ad out of The Age employment section for a ‘Girl Friday’ position located in St Kilda, back in March 1992. I liked the location and job description – mostly typing and filing – which seemed like a good role coming straight from high school. Now, having been in the industry so long, I’m qualified in all aspects

of property management – reception, administration, managing a portfolio, leasing, BDM, shareholder and manager of the property management department. As a property manager, what are the biggest challenges that you face? It’s always a balancing act between landlords and tenants. We’re almost like mediators,

What do you love about your job today? I love how each day is so different. I love dealing with different nationalities and people from all walks of life. It’s really nice to be out and about in a social work environment.

A week later he came to our office and presented me with a bottle of champagne to say thank you for giving him a go. I remember feeling embarrassed – I couldn’t understand why other agencies had turned him down. It was a really good reminder to show equal respect to everyone who walks through the door.

What do you feel makes your team unique? Our clientele is very multicultural and we’ve built our team to reflect the needs of our customers, including having staff who are multilingual.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? I’d say, ‘A quick meeting is always a good meeting’ and ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. Another that works when dealing with tricky

trying to fulfil the needs of both sides at once.

I HAVE AN UNUSUAL OUTSIDE INTEREST: I’M A QUALIFIED MARRIAGE CELEBRANT! Having this diversity makes a big difference to customer service and puts us at the top of the game in our area. As a property manager you must have some interesting stories to tell… Years ago a prospective tenant came into our office looking pretty dishevelled. I gave him a set of keys to inspect a property (back then it was the norm to give keys out). He applied for the property, was accepted and moved in.

60 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

situations is ‘Always smile when on the phone’. People seem to sense it in your voice and respond well, and it helps me feel more positive. What are your most important values? Teamwork, loyalty, trust, fun and staying positive are all very important to me. What are the key features in maintaining healthy relationships with landlords and tenants?

mirror their approach to staff management. Do you have any interests outside real estate? I have an unusual outside interest: I’m a qualified marriage celebrant! I also love practising yoga and reading about fundamental nutrition. When it comes to a healthy work/life balance, I believe it’s all about time management. I structure my work days to function efficiently so I can spend quality time at home. I make sure I am ‘present’ when my two children are with me. I believe in open and honest communication. Every client wants to feel the lines of communication are open; it’s the most important way to show you have their back. Do you have a mentor, or someone who inspires you? Yes, I have several! My husband, Chris Reed, is my

mentor both professionally and personally. I value my ex-colleague and friend Lyndal for her brilliant IT and recruitment knowledge, and my Mum inspires me in raising my family. I still value what I learned through my first two managers, Rosemary Philp and Kerry Fraser. Even today I try to

If you could have any three people at your dinner party, who would it be and why? I’d invite David Attenborough, because he’s such a fascinating guy, and Lewis Litt – my favourite character from the US TV series Suits. And David Gillespie, who has written several books on good fats and quitting

sugar, because I’m passionate about changing views on traditional eating habits. What are your predictions for property management and the real estate industry in 2015? I think we’ll continue to see increased professionalism in property management across established agencies. With so many companies undercutting larger agencies on letting and management fees, additional service offerings will become the norm to ensure businesses remain competitive. What advice would you give someone starting out in property management? Keep an open mind about the industry; it’s not all about moving from one open inspection to the other. The role is really about problem solving. If you’re good with people and like helping them, it could be right up your alley!

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ELITE PROPERTY MANAGER

Dedication to task

Melanie Dennis, Director of Domain Property Advocates, describes how employing a dedicated leasing consultant can greatly improve the service you provide.

62 ELITE AGENT â&#x20AC;˘ JAN-FEB 2015

ROPERTY MANAGEMENT is an everevolving industry. Clients require more support and assistance to maximise return and growth than ever before. Investors are savvy and knowledgeable in the 21st century and looking for more than simple property management; instead they are seeking strategic planning and mapping of their investment path. Our property management business is bolstered by the investment expertise offered by our advocacy business. Being genuinely independent and impartial allows us to offer the holistic property investment approach so many investors crave. To further advance and add to our level of service, in January 2014 we changed our property management business structure considerably and employed a dedicated leasing consultant. The plan is to provide better communication and more flexible property inspections, as well as to maintain our low vacancy rates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; consistently under one per cent. The addition of a dedicated leasing consultant has translated to a better-managed prospective tenant database. We are also able to provide an increased number of property inspections, and communicate more frequently with landlords and tenants during the leasing period. Being tech-savvy as a business has never been more pertinent. Domain Property Advocates (DPA) facilitates an online application which enables prospective tenants

to complete and submit their applications faster and easier. Of course we still accept a handwritten application form; however, as a team we could see the frustrated prospective tenants being handed a form at property inspections to complete. Taking advantage of the online application process, they can now get their application to us any time, with little hassle. Our property open for inspections are in a league of their own. Our professional leasing consultant arrives with ample time to stage the property, not only with the industry standard material relating to the application process and the tenants’ rights and duties under the Tenancies Act, but also a full property brochure, which we complete in-house with a property floor plan. This guarantees our property is remembered and stands out after a busy day of househunting for the prospective tenant. DPA utilises key safes at most properties, making appointments easy at the last minute or after business hours. Having a leasing consultant who is dedicated to finding the right tenant for properties frees up our property managers to focus on providing a superior end-to-end property management service. More often than not

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real estate companies rely on their property managers to open properties and lease them, leaving them too stretched for time to manage their portfolio effectively. Knowledgeable investors are keen to improve the growth and return on their investment. For example, we have noticed a sharp increase in the interest and use of our in-house ‘makeover’ division. This is where we obtain quotes, execute small or large scale renovations and, once completed, devise a cutting-edge marketing campaign, complete with slide show, to maximise the property’s online presence and showcase the completed renovation. Investors generally don’t have the time or necessary expertise to roll out a renovation of any scale without it taking an unreasonably lengthy period of time. This costs them big money with a vacant property while the works are slowly completed. With a crew of preferred trades who satisfy our strictest selection criteria, DPA can negotiate the most competitive price and ensure the work is completed quickly. Experienced in the delivery from start to finish, a planned timetable of works is compiled for all parties to agree and adhere to. Outsourcing the works doesn’t imply

the investor loses the ability to provide a personal touch to their investment, if they desire. Their involvement can be as considerable as they choose, with the ability to make fittings selections and colour choices. As the process can be overwhelming for some, investors can defer the selection to our expertise; our recommendation is a closeto-neutral and inoffensive colour scheme, with durable and good-quality fittings. As we broaden our service and valuable additions to meet the market, we become acutely aware that investors’ expectations are increasing. Investing in property and parting with a significant sum of money should be a strategic and professional step, and not left to chance. Positioning ourselves as experts in leasing, managing and renovating, we attract likeminded clients treating the industry with the clout it deserves. Our cohesive business is due largely to our true team approach, with all departments servicing our clients with synergy.

Melanie Dennis CEA (REIV) is the Director of Domain Property Advocates.

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The Last Word Fiona Blayney

Thinking of you Fiona Blayney says that it’s time to silence your harsh inner critic and focus on the positive.

thought of you today. It’s not often that I do, but today I thought of you. I wanted to give you an enormous smile, a big hug, and say you’ve done an amazing job and I hope you’re proud. I wanted to show you the road you’ve taken, make you remember the things you’ve learnt, the setbacks you’ve had and the determination you’ve maintained to keep going. I wanted to invite everyone you’ve ever touched into your day, showcasing that the contribution you made into their world has had an impact

when you had a hundred balls in the air and were working tirelessly to keep them there. I wanted to say, ‘See what you’ve done? You’ve done all of this; be proud and stop punishing yourself for what you are yet to achieve!’ It’s been many years since you left the school gates, destination unknown. You’ve had more learning since then, and there’s much more to be learned along the way. Sure, there will always be someone with more money than you, more assets and more possessions. There will be someone smarter, more driven

There will be someone smarter, more driven and perhaps even with more energy. But guess what? There will never be another you. on their life in more ways than you can imagine. Perhaps just for a moment, perhaps forever. At times you are such a critic, perhaps your harshest, and we both know that at times your critics have been pretty harsh. I know you think of what you haven’t achieved rather than what you have, and today my wish for you was that you could see how untrue these thoughts really are. I wanted you to see those moments when you felt a fraud, when you doubted yourself,

64 ELITE AGENT • JAN-FEB 2015

and perhaps even with more energy. But guess what? There will never be another you. Today, I watched you onboard another team member. You recounted the journey of your career and the timeline to establishing the business that you now direct. It was as you stood back to view the whiteboard scrawl of the world that is you that I saw you catch a glimpse of what you’ve created, and I wanted to jump up and down as you smiled. I knew you were proud.

You turned to look at your new starter, and you saw a face beaming with pride. I knew you could see this person had made the choice to come on the ride with you; they had bought into your dream and I could see the humility fill your heart. You should think of you today. When was the last time you thought of you? We spend countless hours in workshops, undergoing training, reading books, considering ‘our goals’, setting career milestones, scoping out what we want our life to look like, and ultimately setting our plan of attack to achieve. Like you, I do this too. In the midst of the goalsetting, budgeting and planning, in the midst of reflection on what you did and didn’t achieve last year, do yourself a favour. Stop and ‘think of you today’ and how you will right this atrocity in 2015. Take a moment to

congratulate yourself on everything you’ve done to be the person you are today: the knowledge you’ve gained, the people you’ve surrounded yourself with and the home you’ve created, to name just a few. We are all often our greatest critics, always striving for more and thinking ‘What’s next?’ We forget to take a moment to congratulate ourselves for who we are, what we contribute and the life we’ve created. Of course you can always list more, sell more, lease more, manage more, employ more, service more: in essence you can always achieve more. Perhaps we all can; but does it appease that person staring back at you in the mirror? I thought of myself today and for a moment I saw a person I am proud of. In that moment I thought, everything from here is all a bonus.

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