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Our future is in the cloud
PropertyTree is the next generation cloud based Property Management solution.
An intuitive and innovative solution from Rockend that allows you to grow your business from anywhere at anytime.
This innovation is supported with extensive training and client service from the market leader in Property Management solutions.
Accessible across all devices, it’s the platform to take your business into the future. PropertyTree has extensive automation, new features are released monthly ensuring you’re always working on the latest version.
Book a free demonstration at propertytree.com or call us on AUS 1300 778 733 NZ 09 909 7093
Innovation. Growth. Trust.
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04 | CONTENTS
Page 10
CONTENTS
REGULARS 07 WELCOME 08 SNIPPETS 50 ROCKEND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION UPDATE The latest from Rockend
TECHNOLOGY 10 TESLA’S CHARGE How the global innovator is getting Australia on the grid
14 TRANSFORMATIVE TECH How technology is changing the business of real estate
16 PAPERLESS OFFICE Redesigning document handling for the future
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Page 26
Page 48
BUSINESS
DESIGN
18 INFOGRAPHIC
36 SHAUN CARTER
Real-estate trends shaping the business
20 VALUE OF PEOPLE Talent management strategies for success
His mark on Australian architecture
41 TINY HOMES The trend that’s as much social as architectural
22 ENVATO 10 YEARS ON What the Aussie success story has learned from a decade online
42 STYLING TIPS Three keys to revitalising a room
INFLUENCERS
LIFESTYLE
26 SUZIE HAMILTON-FLANAGAN
44 MUST-HAVE GADGETS
Leadership and life lessons with BresicWhitney’s head of property management
Essential toys for the discerning tech-lover
46 HIDDEN BARS The best speakeasy in your city
30 CHRIS NOONE Riding the crest of the sharing economy wave
48 ECO-GETAWAY Boutique luxury from sea to mountain
34 FIONA BLAYNEY The entrepreneurial property manager now helping others grow
www.rockend.com.au
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SMART business is paperless ƂNG5/#46 KU C RCRGTNGUU FQEWOGPV management system that compliments REST Professional, STRATA Master and Console. An end-to-end business solution that automates mundane administration tasks into a press of a button – giving you time back, to grow your business. Call us today on NZ
AU
1300 657 700
09 909 7093 VQ CEVKXCVG ƂNG5/#46
Solutions. Growth. Trust.
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Content & Communications Coordinator Charlotte Norman +61 2 9330 4830 email: charlotte.norman@rockend.com.au
Rockend PO Box 451 St Leonards NSW 1590 Tel: 1300 657 700 Int: + 61 2 9966 0900 www.rockend.com.au
WELCOME
For more information on Rockend’s products call us today: AUS 1300 657 700 NZ 09 909 7093
Publisher Paul Lidgerwood Commercial Director Joanne Davies Managing Editor Peter Roper Advertising Shaaron Martin Design & Digital Prepress Monique Blair Niche Media Pty Ltd ABN 13 064 613 529 Chairman Nicholas Dower Managing Director Paul Lidgerwood Finance Controller Sonia Jurista
W
elcome to the first edition of grow! I’m excited to launch our new quarterly publication. This magazine has been designed to be taken home, read when commuting to and from work and shared with your business peers. Each edition will provide insights about the latest ideas and views in the property, technology and lifestyle space. The concept of ‘grow’ is something that is entrenched in this publication and is a core value of our business here at Rockend. This publication has been crafted to help people grow their business and professional careers while also helping individuals grow on a personal level. This edition includes an array of content, from articles about the tiny housing trend to the phenomenon of the sharing community that is rapidly transforming numerous industries and business models. Please enjoy the first edition and we’ll be back next quarter with a brand new and exciting issue. I hope you enjoy reading grow as much as we liked crafting it!
Thank you Alister Maple-Brown
Niche Media Suite 1418, Level 14, 1 Queens Road Melbourne Vic 3004 Tel +61 3 9948 4900 Fax +61 3 9948 4999 For inquiries about Niche Media’s custom publishing, please contact Paul Lidgerwood +61 3 9948 4902
Cover Photographer: Harold David Printing: Graphic Impressions
www.rockend.com.au
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08 | SNIPPETS
“HE SAW THE SHARING ECONOMY AS A NEW AND INTERESTING WAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CONSUMERS AND COMPANIES. JUST DON’T CALL IT DISRUPTION!” – FOR CHRIS NOONE, DISRUPTION IS THE NORM. PAGE 30.
“A TRUE PAPERLESS SYSTEM SHOULD BE PAINLESS.” – REDESIGNING DOCUMENT HANDLING. PAGE 16.
“MAYBE BIG IS NOT SO BEAUTIFUL AFTER ALL.” – INSIDE THE TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT. PAGE 41.
“IT’S SET ON JUST A ONE PERCENT SLICE OF A 2800-HECTARE, CARBONNEUTRAL CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE RESERVE.” – LATEST LOCALE OF AN ICON OF BOUTIQUE LUXURY. PAGE 48.
“INCREASINGLY, I BELIEVE AUSTRALIANS RECOGNISE THE IMPACT THAT GOOD DESIGN HAS ON THEIR LIVES, AND COME TO ARCHITECTS TO HELP REALISE THIS IN THEIR HOMES.”
“PEOPLE GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNINGS EXCITED BECAUSE THEY’RE FACILITATING PEOPLE’S LIVELIHOODS AROUND THE WORLD, AND NOT JUST THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE COMPANY.”
– SHAUN CARTER’S MARK ON AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE. PAGE 36.
– AT 10, ENVATO IS AN AUSTRALIAN TECH SUCCESS STORY. PAGE 22.
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“ABOVE ALL, ADVERTISING TAUGHT ME ABOUT CREATING A POINT OF DIFFERENCE AND HAVING A PLAN MOVING FORWARD.” – SUZIE HAMILTON-FLANAGAN REFLECTS ON A CAREER STILL GOING STRONG. PAGE 26.
“SOMETIMES THE KEY TO ATTRACTING AND RETAINING GOOD STAFF IS MORE ABOUT WHAT NOT TO DO.” – WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT WINNING THE TALENT WAR. PAGE 20.
“AGENCIES THAT ENJOY EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAVE THE CHANCE TO NOT ONLY IMPRESS CUSTOMERS – BUT TO REMAIN A STEP OR TWO AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION.” – FOUR WAYS TECH IS CHANGING THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE. PAGE 14.
“AUSTRALIA HAS SOME OF THE BEST SWANKY, DIMLY LIT BARS... IF YOU’RE WILLING TO LOOK FOR THEM.” – OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST HIDDEN BAR IN YOUR CITY. PAGE 46.
“YOU PLUG IN WHEN YOU GET HOME, JUST LIKE YOU DO YOUR MOBILE PHONE, AND YOU WAKE UP WITH THE EQUIVALENT OF A FULL TANK OF PETROL EVERY MORNING.” – TESLA’S HEATH WALKER ON GETTING AUSTRALIA ON THE GRID. PAGE 10.
“ADD POPS OF COLOUR THROUGH FURNITURE PIECES, ARTWORK AND SOFT FURNISHINGS, ITEMS THAT CAN BE MORE EASILY REPLACED AS SEASONS OR PERSONAL TASTES CHANGE.” – THREE TIPS FOR TRANSFORMING INTERIORS. PAGE 42.
www.rockend.com.au
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10 | TECHNOLOGY TECH
TESLA’S AUSSIE CHARGE Tesla, the innovative, vertically integrated automotive company, is leading the charge to get Australia on the grid. We ask Tesla Motors Australia’s Heath Walker to share the company’s plan.
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“RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG, WE ARE GOING OUT THERE AND DOING BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.”
C
harging infrastructure in and between capital cities is the first destination on the journey of Tesla Motors’ Australian strategy. The Sydney to Melbourne route is now completely covered by ‘Supercharger’ stations, all of which are free to use. With Brisbane next to be added to the map, the company is slowly but surely overcoming the nagging issue of ‘range anxiety’ for its main customer bases across the country. Heath Walker is the marketing and communications manager for Tesla Motors Australia, and he chats with grow about how the brand is approaching the Australian market. grow: Tesla famously doesn’t do any paid advertising – how are you marketing the brand? Heath Walker: We don’t do any paid advertising because we want to invest the money back into the infrastructure to give our owners what they need in the short-term. Rather than waiting for the chicken or the egg by waiting for the charging infrastructure, like most companies that are producing electric cars, we are going out there and doing both at the same time. The other reason is that it’s difficult to explain what a Model S is in 30 seconds, so our best marketers are our owners. For them, or anyone that hops in our vehicle, to share their experiences is the best way. We do direct marketing and events just to get people in the cars, because they are so different. www.rockend.com.au
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12 | TECHNOLOGY
What are the main types of customers Tesla is targeting in Australia? We attract three different types of people. The biggest attraction to begin with has been performance-car enthusiasts, because a lot of our messaging has been to break the idea that electric vehicles are like glorified golf buggies. They’re not at all – they actually get instant torque. It’s a bit like turning on a blender: you get power instantly. The P90D goes zero to 100 in three seconds – that’s supercar performance. The second type of person we are getting is tech early adopters, who love the technology and the car and maybe haven’t been a car person previously – but this is a car that’s becoming more tech than car. We think of ourselves as a tech company first and an auto company second. The third is those who see the environmental benefit. I think those work in harmony with each other, with any one person that walks in coming in and
seeing a performance vehicle with the benefit that they’re not going to be hurting the environment while planting their foot on that pedal. The environmental person that comes in purely wanting an EV (electric vehicle) and has been cross-shopping EVs, but loves the idea of owning a Model S, also loves the fact that they get performance out of it. How are you addressing the issue of range anxiety? It’s an education piece really, because it’s a matter of changing the mindset. Range anxiety hasn’t come about because of electric vehicles. The thing that’s caused range anxiety is actually internal combustion engines, because we all sit there and wait for the light to come on to tell us that we need petrol and then we start to panic and look for a petrol station. The reality of our new electric vehicle is that you plug in when you get home, just like you do
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“A LOT OF OUR MESSAGING HAS BEEN TO BREAK THE IDEA THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE LIKE GLORIFIED GOLF BUGGIES.”
been extremely positive, despite it being quite an expensive vehicle. I think people take into account the cost of ownership. There’s a fraction of the fuel cost, and with servicing we’ll be cheaper than all other luxury brands in the market. We put a resale value guarantee for after three years, so that gives customers confidence. Then there’s less brake wear and tear because of the regenerative braking [kinetic energy generated by using the brakes helps charge the battery]. There is a saving there, so I think people take that into account.
your mobile phone, and you wake up with the equivalent of a full tank of petrol every morning. Ninety to 95 percent of your charging is done at home and the additional five to 10 percent is done as a means of free charging. We put in ‘destination charging’ at hotels, shopping centres, resorts and private parking. The other major point is for the long distance traveller – that’s probably been the biggest hurdle for electric vehicles. But our Superchargers are the fastest chargers on Earth and they charge half full in 20 minutes or a full charge in just on an hour, and we pay for them. The ability to charge for free certainly helps with the ‘revive and survive’ message on road trips as well. Every 200 to 250 kilometres you stop off for 20 minutes, grab a coffee and something to eat. What’s the response been in Australia? The reaction in Australia has been more positive than what was first predicted. The market’s
What will we see next in terms of developing this market? We are just about to start test drives in Brisbane – we’ll be running that out of a hotel in the shortterm. Then we’ll look at having a store out there in the not too distant future. Sydney will have a second store before the end of the year as well. The Gundagai Supercharger will complete the Sydney-Melbourne route and then we’ll look at going north to Brisbane with the Supercharger network thereafter. We are working with councils, local governments, whoever is interested essentially. If they’ve got interest in having a Supercharger, then we’ll work with them. Our focus is to join the major cities from our cost and development point of view, because at the moment we are paying for these things. So we need to make sure we work where our population is and where our owner base is and that’s Melbourne and Sydney. It will be Brisbane, based on opening a store there, so if we can connect those three then we’ll probably look to go west thereafter. www.rockend.com.au
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14 | TECHNOLOGY
FOUR WAYS TECH IS CHANGING THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE Real estate agencies across the country are developing new techniques to streamline services and keep up with emerging trends.
T
echnology has come a long way from the first set of bulky computers in your local real estate office. With advancements in technology occurring rapidly, real estate agencies across the country are developing new techniques to streamline services and keep up with emerging trends. Australians spend an average of 10 hours online per week – with those in younger age brackets spending up to 18 hours on the net every week. The continued rise of the internet as a primary source of information and advertising has provided extensive opportunities for those in the real estate industry to expand in the online sphere. So, what are the biggest advantages of new technologies for real estate agencies? 1. New ways to reach customers Gone are the days of only reaching potential buyers or tenants via newspapers, magazines and word of mouth. A study by realestate.com.au found that 78 percent of consumers were accessing property listings and information online. Many real estate companies have chosen to move with consumers: shifting their focus to list properties on their websites and real estate portals, utilising social media platforms in a client-friendly way, and engaging personalised targeted marketing techniques. Mobile content
and marketing is one of the biggest targets for agencies, with around 80 percent of Australians consuming information using devices that fit in their pockets. Optimising websites and delivering advertising that is mobile-friendly can do wonders for a marketing campaign. 2. Integrated internal processes Document management tools are making life easier and offices less wasteful. For the everyday user there are apps like Dropbox, but there’s also specialised document management software for the real estate industry like Rockend’s fileSMART.
READ MORE ON THE PAPERLESS FUTURE ON PAGE 16.
In the finance department, cloud-based accounting software allows secure storage and sharing; software is updated automatically and costs are lowered. For real estate’s unique requirements, REST Professional has served the industry for many years, while PropertyTree is a new cloud-based offering from Rockend.
ISSUE 1 | 2016
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Contact database management has also been remodelled as technology advances. Agents can take down contact details of potential clients using smartphones, set up regular or automated messages advising clients of new properties on the market, and even send clients a text when their lease application or price offer has been processed. 3. Increase in positive communication The real estate industry revolves around people, and innovations in technology have led to an opportunity for greater communication between agencies and clients. Where in the past agents
4. Innovation in information exchange Not only do new technology and digital advancements mean that agencies can better remain in contact with clients and colleagues, it also means that they can present information to potential buyers or tenants in new, innovative ways. Many digital consumers are leaning towards video content. A Nielsen report found that at least 55 percent of Australians – more so among younger people – are choosing to view online video content over regular broadcast television. Video content like visual walk-throughs of properties can be extremely effective on
may have spent precious time playing phone tag with potential clients or having face-toface meetings, many now use email or online contact forms as their first port of call and primary form of communication. In turn, clients are finding it easier to access information about listings, specific real estate offices and contact information for particular agents. Online listings have also helped to streamline the communication process. If a listing is effectively detailed and contains great imagery, the first contact from potential renters or buyers is more likely to be to make an offer.
property listings, adding an extra element to the portfolio. Video advertising is also on the rise, particularly on social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. Embracing new technologies can give agencies an advantage over competitors and help listings stand out. Technology has revolutionised the way that real estate agencies and their clients can operate and communicate. Agencies that enjoy embracing new technologies and incorporating different processes into their workflows have the chance to not only impress customers, but to remain a step or two ahead of the competition. www.rockend.com.au
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16 | TECHNOLOGY
IN PURSUIT OF THE PAPERLESS OFFICE grow asks Rockend’s Andrew Emanuelli about the main reasons agencies are finding great benefits in redesigning document handling processes.
F
rederick Lancaster introduced the concept of the paperless office in his 1978 book, Toward Paperless Information Systems. Lancaster’s book was well ahead of its time and 38 years later the paperless office has not yet been achieved universally, with the reliance on paper remaining. But the Utopia is closer than you may think. With recent advances in technology and mobile technology, however, the paperless office, or at the very least a ‘paper-light’ version of that office, is now finally within reach of most small and medium businesses. grow chats with Andrew Emanuelli, product manager at Rockend, to discuss the five key benefits of a paperless office. 1. Increased efficiency The aim of any new office system should be to increase productivity and efficiency and provide better client service. The conversion to a paperless office should achieve all of these things, and more. “A true paperless system should be painless. The aim is to scan, manage, archive, retrieve and transmit documents without the need to handle paper,” Emanuelli says. He explains how the fileSMART system receives documents by scan or email, collates them and then creates various workflows to streamline the management of the information, depending on whether it is used for property management, sales or strata management. ISSUE 1 | 2016
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“A property manager with 1000 properties on their books is able to complete their end of month reporting within two to three hours,” Emanuelli says. “Prior to that the same process might take three days.” Another attractive feature of a paperless system is the ability to integrate document management software with email and accounting programs, reducing the need for double handling. And, a paperless system largely eliminates user entry errors. 2. Greater security Going paperless allows users to back up all documents to a hard drive or the cloud and has the added benefit of creating an audit trail.
For example, one of Rockend’s clients impacted by the 2011 Brisbane floods was able to save their documents this way. “The flood water reached the eaves of this business, but the client was able to reconstruct all of their data on a new computer,” Emanuelli says. “They were able to retain copies of all data over a five-year period, such as property inspection reports and copies of leases.” 3. Reduction of environmental footprint A paperless office can also reduce the environmental footprint on the planet by creating less paper and waste – not to mention the reduction of clutter within the office environment, hopefully reducing workplace tensions between employees over lost files and messy desks in the process! 4. Money saver Increased profit and decreased cost are dual benefits of a paperless system. Once bulky filing cabinets and documents are no longer required to store documents, the size of the office required by a business can be downsized or, better yet, used to generate more income. “After converting to a paperless system recently, one client was able to remove their compactus and create more office space, generating further revenue for the business,” Emanuelli says. Businesses can also save on postage and administration costs by emailing documents where possible to achieve a true paperless office. Given the increasing price of postage and reduced Australia Post delivery times on the cards, this is potentially a large saving for many small and medium businesses. 5. Telecommuting Adopting paperless technology also makes it possible for various staff members to work from other branch offices by allowing remote access to all files and documents. For example, a business can host Rockend’s fileSMART on a cloud server, rather than in a physical, on-premises server room. The benefit of this is that, aside from more convenient arrangements for staff that may in turn lead to increased business productivity, businesses can save on leasing fees as smaller offices with hot-desking arrangements can replace the traditional office set-up in the future. www.rockend.com.au
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18 | BUSINESS
REAL ESTATE TRENDS OF THE FUTURE “There’s this idea that the great Aussie dream is to own your own home, but with generational change that’s just not true. You’ve got three in 10 renters who are renters by choice because they prefer the lifestyle.” – Social researcher Mark McCrindle.
WHERE AUSTRALIAN RENTERS LIVE
63%
22%
14%
Detached house
Apartments or units
Semidetatched house
THE THREE BEST THINGS ABOUT RENTING
38% The ability to move to other locations/ suburbs easily
24% Easier to upsize or downsize as needed
VERSUS
77%
10%
8%
18%
ALL AUSTRALIANS (renting and/or owning where they live) (1% and 5% = other)
Flexibility to travel for extended periods of time
AGE Renters are significantly younger than non-renters.
TOP FIVE FEATURES RENTERS LOOK FOR Allocated parking
38%
Pet friendly
32%
Cable internet
35 years
45 years
The median age of adults living in a rented home. (Australian renters)
The median age of adults living in all private dwellings (all Australians)
31%
Strong mobile signal
25%
Lots of power points
22% 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35 40%
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RENTAL PRICES ARE COOLING
FEWER NEW HOMES TO BE BUILT
Rents are growing at their weakest rate since 1996 – and could even start to go down over the next 12 months. Possible reasons include too many houses and units vying for too few tenants, pressure on wages and lower rates of population growth.
Treasury estimates that new home building will rise by just two percent in 2016, down from 8.5 percent in 2015. The fall in new home building will be concentrated on new multi-units.
Region
Current
Month
Quarter
YoY
Sydney
$592
0.0%
-0.4%
2.3%
Melbourne
$447
-0.3%
0.0%
2.1%
Hobart
$336
-0.7%
-2.0%
1.5%
Brisbane
$431
-0.4%
-1.0%
0.9%
Canberra
$491
-0.6%
-1.8%
0.7%
Adelaide
$365
-0.6%
-1.0%
-0.2%
Perth
$462
-1.2%
-3.1%
-5.7%
Darwin
$539
-1.7%
-5.0%
-10.5%
Combined Capitals
$484
-0.4%
-0.9%
0.7%
AVERAGE RENT IN CAPITAL CITIES
$484
$488
$467
All rentals
Houses
Apartments
8.5% 2% 2015
2016
BABY BOOMERS HAVE OPTIONS Depending on the state of their finances, Baby Boomers real estate options are to: • keep living in the family home • downsize to a one-level home close to amenities, or • a sea / tree change to satellite metropolises near capital cities.
PROPERTY MARKET TRENDS
HOT
2016 IS A BUYER’S MARKET For the first time in four years it has been declared a buyer’s market. As property prices soften and auction clearance rates dip to more modest levels, eager sellers are racing to cash in before prices slide further and mortgage interest rates go up.
Gold Coast Brisbane Larger coastal cities Tasmania
HOME VALUES FALL
-1.2% -1.2%
AUCTION CLEARANCE RATES PLUNGE
Source:
Larger regional centres
90% Small rural towns
-1.4%
-1.4%
Sydney and Melbourne
55%
WA / SA FOR SALE
NOT
The Renter of the Future 2016, McCrindle Research; CoreLogic RP Data (February 2016) www.mccrindle.com.au
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www.rockend.com.au
18/07/16 11:07 AM
20 | BUSINESS
THE KEY TO TALENT MANAGEMENT As any successful business owner will tell you, attracting and retaining good agents and property managers is key to winning the talent war. Here’s how.
I
f there’s one thing successful managers agree on, it’s the fact that people are the key to winning in business. In real estate, a strategic approach for recruiting and retaining talent is more important than ever due to rising threats to the sector, both cyclical and systemic. These threats include slowing sales post the resources boom and, more immediately, the end of the Sydney and Melbourne booms. Another is potentially serious disruption from blossoming peer-to-peer web portals, which offer to sell homes without an agent – as if ‘agent’ were a dirty word – and for a fixed fee. Good agents are themselves driving the focus on retention from the inside by seeking increasing flexibility from principals in the specific conditions of their employment, says Stefan Williams, co-founder and CEO of real estate marketing services platform Campaigntrack. In exchange for their loyalty to the agency, many make demands regarding recruitment and training, administration, marketing services and collateral.
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Demand for flexibility is being driven by a trend for agents to want to be associated with brands ‘relevant’ to their marketplace. Significantly, Williams says, some top performing agents are interpreting ‘relevant’ as a demand to be treated almost as a contractor of the principal rather than as an employee. The basis of their claim is that the agent brings the vendor to the table to sign up with the principal by virtue of their own skills set and effort. This interpretation is exemplified by a growing number of agents now employing a personal assistant or marketing coordinator. They pay for it out of their commission and, in this sense, they are literally running a business within a business, Williams explains. The principal’s role under this model, as they see it, is merely to deliver them a suite of the necessary supporting services. “They see themselves becoming more effective agents by marketing themselves first and their agency brand second,” Williams says. Sometimes the key to attracting and retaining good staff is more about what not to do, according to Ross McLarty, licensee in charge of the Kariong New South Wales office of George Brand, a nine-office non-franchise group on the NSW Central Coast. A cardinal sin is for principals to reduce agent commission rates as an agent brings in incrementally more sales, says McLarty, who has been in his role for 11 years. He says it’s, unfortunately, not unheard of for principals to claim that a vendor in a particular sale is historically a company lead and that therefore the commission is for the agency. Another no-no for a principal is not to intervene to sort out regular infighting among agents to claim commissions. It’s possible to identify sinning agencies by their higher than average turnover in staff – who are generally not shy to trash the principal. Attracting and retaining good residential property managers is no less difficult. But different strategies are required, especially as property managers are more readily portable due to a persistent shortage and, at the same time, have a relatively high turnover. This turnover may be a consequence of former sales professionals predominantly occupying management roles in real estate businesses. Often that means decision-makers don’t fully understand the property management
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role and don’t care as long as their asset, the rent roll, is being looked after. One key to retaining property managers is establishing a set of dedicated retention policies for specific roles. These may include ‘time in lieu’ and ‘rostered days off’ – intended to prevent staff burnout. Manager’s can also implement a ‘floating roster’ to help smooth over the management a property manager’s portfolio when that manager is on leave so he or she doesn’t have to come back to a time-consuming ordeal required to catch up. Yet another is a dedicated healthmanagement program for managers, including a series of lectures, regular outward-bound activities, individual health assessments and even a bimonthly massage program.
TALENT MANAGEMENT DOS AND DON’TS • Do keep an eye on emerging trends in sales techniques, and marketing and branding tools. • Do support your agents and property manager with coaching and mentoring to overcome fear of failure. • Do provide your agents with quality leads. • Do allow your agents and property managers to develop a sense of ownership of the agency. • Do introduce a health and well-being program specifically for property managers. • Don’t let your brand become tired in the eyes of agents and vendors. • Don’t play favourites or allow infighting among agents over commission. • Don’t issue agents with unexpected deductions from their commissions. • Don’t allow your agents to feel technologically disadvantaged relative to their industry peers. • Don’t overload sales staff or property managers with corporate administration and marketing related work.
15/07/16 4:25 PM
22 | BUSINESS
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ENVATO: 10 YEARS ON Melbourne-based Envato celebrates its first decade this year. It has been one of challenges, lessons and highlights, as Envato’s executive director and co-founder Cyan Ta’eed shares.
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eb designer Collis Ta’eed and his graphic designer wife, Cyan, were at their local swimming pool in Ashfield, Melbourne when the idea struck. The couple were running a web design agency and had faced a number of difficulties buying flash stock online. In between their swim laps they came up with the idea behind Envato – a platform that facilitates the buying and selling of stock files. It could be a passive income generator, they thought. But that idea grew and soon it could no longer be described as passive. It evolved to become Envato – a platform hosting digital marketplaces that facilitate the buying and selling of images, audio files, visual effects, codes, WordPress themes and more. Today, it has more than 1.5 million buyers and sellers and more than six million community members working across its various marketplaces. In 2014, Envato was named Australia’s coolest tech company by JobAdvisor, was listed as one of the best places to work by BRW in 2015 and took the honours in JobAdvisor’s Coolest Company for Women competition that same year. The accolades are well-deserved; Envato’s journey hasn’t been a walk in the park. As the company turns 10, we catch up with executive director and co-founder Cyan Ta’eed, who shares more on the story of Envato, the challenges it has faced and the opportunities it has for the future. grow: Tell us more about Envato’s initial weeks when you first started. Collis and I wanted to do something that gave us a passive income stream, so that we could travel.
We worked on the idea for six months. We worked late into the night and during the day we were working on our clients’ projects, so that we could bring in enough money to pay for all the outlays of this new business. It became more than a passive income idea. We became very attached to it. But we were deeply in debt by our standards. We had maxed out our credit cards; we borrowed money from Collis’ parents and we were living in my parents’ basement to work on this. So when we launched it, there was this real need for it to succeed quite quickly. In that first week we made $100. So we thought we were off, but the main challenge then was growth. We needed to hustle to stimulate that growth and we came up with various ways and experimented with different ideas. And how did you get that growth? We were lucky because we were designers and were already engaged with the community. We knew people who wanted to come on board early as sellers. But this was a very ‘chicken and egg’ scenario. Sellers aren’t interested until you have buyers and vice versa. But I think because we were already part of the community, people decided to give us a go and started to put their stuff up on our website. And then we started getting more and more buyers. We also started to have stock that wasn’t available anywhere else. The thing that really took off was when we offered 10,000 free credits to buyers during the initial weeks. And we said, ‘Look, take it and spend it, wherever and whenever you want to.’
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It was a small investment on our part, but people got hooked onto the product right after that and, when sellers started seeing money coming in, they started putting up more stuff. That got the ball rolling. What other challenges did you face back then? I think there’s a great deal of assumed knowledge about running a business that people have from having worked in large businesses. As for Collis and me, the maximum team size we ever worked in was 10 people. There were a lot of things that we had never been exposed to and therefore didn’t know how to handle. We have never spoken to lawyers before, never had an accountant before. We did not plan for the growth we were going to have when we were setting up all of the supporting company structure. So wrapping our heads around that, the jargons were challenging. And, as we grew, we had to figure how to manage other people and that was challenging too. It’s been 10 years for Envato. What are some of the highlights for you? It was very, very exciting when we started seeing our first million-dollar authors, and hearing that people were quitting their day jobs and setting up full-time on various Envato marketplaces. We realised that it wasn’t just about people earning a little bit of side income; people were setting up their own small businesses and we were facilitating that. It’s always exciting to hear such stories about people from countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan and the US earning a lot of money through our platform, employing people themselves, living on their own terms and making a difference to their respective communities. These stories are shared regularly throughout Envato. We keep our fingers on the pulse of our community and we emphasise our core value – when the community succeeds, we succeed. It’s very easy to start to dehumanise when we’ve got more than six million members. So we make it a point to go back to the individual stories. And we find that people get out of bed in the mornings excited because they’re facilitating people’s livelihoods around the world, and not just the bottom line of the company. We strongly believe that, while every business has to be profitable and focus on the bottom
line, it should also engage people. And every time I hear a success story, I have this renewed vigour for what we do. Internally, one of the most recent highlights would be winning the Australia’s Coolest Company for Women title last year. We worked hard on that and to get that recognition is great for the entire team. You have more than 180 employees and contractors working all over the world. How do you manage workflows and ensure that everyone is on the same page? First, we champion a flexible work environment. We make use of practical applications like Trello boards, Slack and Google Drive and we make sure that the hardware is really up to the task. It’s become a norm for all of us. It isn’t just the people working remotely who have this flexible work arrangement. It’s all of us. We encourage our team to work from home for two days a week, at least. Everyone’s so used to it now. Everything’s online and we ensure that everything’s always accessible for everyone. We focus a lot on goal setting and that requires a bit more rigorous management. We put together the goals for the team for the week, the month or this sprint, and we have it all up on the board, so that we all know where our individual pieces fit. For the last couple of years, we have emphasised that we don’t care what ‘work’ looks like, whether it’s bums on seats or not. We focus on results here. Part of the reason we won that Coolest Company for Women title was because of this flexibility. You could go home at 2pm to be at your kids’ kinder recital or whatever it may be. We sold the whole team on this philosophy and it’s working great for all of us. What’s Envato’s plan for the next five years? Well, we’re looking at a subscriptions model where members pay a fee and buy whatever they want, whenever they want, skipping the checkout process. We’re also looking at hosting website themes and that’s now in the testing phase. We’re working on a couple of things and we really like releasing a lot of products to see what sticks and what engages the communities. We tend to launch them very leanly and test that out before we actually pump some funds and muscles behind them.
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“WE FOCUS A LOT ON GOAL SETTING AND THAT REQUIRES A BIT MORE RIGOROUS MANAGEMENT.”
www.rockend.com.au
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26 | INFLUENCERS
PROPERTY BECOMES HER She comes from a long line of wine producers and isn’t averse to the odd drop herself. But it was through a rewarding career in real estate that Suzie HamiltonFlanagan’s thirst for success was finally sated.
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uzie Hamilton-Flanagan has a hankering to call Malcolm Turnbull a neighbour. “If money were no object, my ideal home would have panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and the Bridge. Wolseley Road, Point Piper would have to be my absolute dream location.” Yet, whatever her political persuasion, it is clear Hamilton-Flanagan recognises the value of a decent house and land package when she sees it. A 20-year veteran of Australia’s competitive real estate market, her investment education began almost before she could walk. A direct descendent of the pioneering McLaren Vale vintners behind Hamilton Wines and the eldest of five children, she was first exposed to real estate and the fortitude required to carve a successful career out of it by accompanying her parents on their weekly property scouting adventures. “My father’s work ethic is amazing. He is still working and running a medical practice at 80 years old. He was my first true mentor passing on the same work ethic and moral integrity to me. As a young girl, I spent hours with my mum researching and driving around looking at potential properties. So with the combination of my father’s professionalism and my mother’s ability and drive in negotiating and buying of real estate it was a good recipe for success.” Hamilton-Flanagan says her time at Adelaide’s single-sex Wilderness School cemented the values her parents had instilled in her, together with the belief that any goal could be achieved providing she was prepared to put the hard work
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into it. There was never any discussion about her opportunities being limited because of her gender and her time at ‘Wildy’ only fuelled her drive to gain financial independence. “My time there enriched my life with a great friendship group and moral grounding that is the basis of who I am today,” she says. Hamilton-Flanagan was studying radio production when she was first introduced to the man who would later become her life partner and the father of her children. Having arrived in the South Australian capital from Sydney to take up a creative director position with advertising agency Young and Rubicam (Y&R) Adelaide,
Marshall Flanagan sensed her eagerness to flex her creative muscle and did what he could to convince her to join him at the agency. She duly did and a few years later – around the same time the pair exchanged wedding rings – Flanagan received the news he was being transferred to Y&R’s Detroit office. It would prove a fantastic experience from which they would grow both professionally and personally. “Americans have a real ‘can do’ attitude. Living it first-hand really took me to another level of understanding about being a professional in the workplace,” says Hamilton-Flanagan. She was 28 by the time she and Flanagan made their first significant investment together.
“DESPITE HER LIFELONG FASCINATION WITH BRICKS AND MORTAR, IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR CHILDREN THAT HAMILTON-FLANAGAN FIRST CONTEMPLATED EARNING A CRUST FROM REAL ESTATE.” Their tentative foot on the property ladder came following their return from the US when the couple landed a “gorgeous” character sandstone villa in Maylands, South Australia – and an 18 percent interest rate to go with it. Yet, despite her lifelong fascination with bricks and mortar, it wasn’t until after the arrival of their children Olivia (now 22 and a public relations specialist) and Henry (19, who now works in hospitality) that she first contemplated earning a crust from real estate. “Believe it or not my first job was as a nursing sister at Royal Adelaide Hospital. I don’t really like talking about my time as a nurse, as I hated it.” www.rockend.com.au
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Eager to return to work following her pregnancies, but unable to commit to the long hours demanded of a career in advertising, Hamilton-Flanagan was quick to recognise that an offer to work in property management at North Adelaide agency Colley and Co presented just the opportunity she had been hoping for. Her background in advertising helped her grab a foothold much sooner than would normally be expected, she says. “Without doubt the key learnings from my time in advertising were marketing-based. Know your consumer and, more importantly, consult with them through market research. Gather information on their perceptions and needs and competitors, industry trends and the price environment. Above all, advertising taught me about creating a point of difference and having a plan moving forward.” Hamilton-Flanagan remained under the guidance of principal John Colley for five years, before her natural aptitude for working with people saw her turn her hand to sales. The move proved a successful one with her selling her first $2 million property within 18 months. Her natural leadership abilities were soon recognised on the broader stage and in 2008 she accepted her first management role in property management at Toop & Toop Real Estate, where she was charged with managing a team of business development managers and leasing consultants. In 2012, she was offered the role of general manager of Harris Property Management, leading the then young boutique agency to become one of the largest growing and most successful property management agencies in Australia. Her current role is as head of property management for inner city Sydney agency BresicWhitney where, as well as being in charge of a burgeoning consultancy team, she is responsible for a rent roll encompassing more than 2300 properties. While admitting her hours have “reduced substantially” since making the move from Adelaide, an average week still sees HamiltonFlanagan dedicate around 55 hours to the delicate act of balancing landlord and tenant expectations. She is eager to point out that property management is no nine-to-five working environment. A typical day involves everything from finalising commissions and managing
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budgets to addressing landlord issues and reviewing new software. She says technology plays a critical role in her ability to carry out her work, with her phone being an essential part of her every day arsenal. The use of software developed specifically for the real estate sector also plays a significant role, offering landlords peace of mind in terms of the company’s financial management strategies, in addition to the time management efficiencies. “We have a strong relationship with Rockend and work collaboratively to ensure the software is providing us with the support required. The role of property manager has many elements and without the right software to support all the given tasks, our processes would not be as streamlined. I look forward to the rollout of their cloud-based software PropertyTree to support the bigger rent rolls in the near future.” Despite the demands, Hamilton-Flanagan says she continues to enjoy her work because of its diversified nature. “The thing I like about property management is growing, developing and running a business unit. It’s complex, challenging and multifaceted,” she says. “Developing a business plan with an aligned marketing strategy, understanding your customers and differentiating the business with service offerings and revenue streams. Internally, it’s building a cohesive team that is culturally aligned with the business’ core values, vision and purpose. The flow-on effect is that the team delivers for our landlords and tenants.” She sees it as her responsibility to build an effective and collaborative team that gets the best return for its clients in service, communication and financial freedom through its role in wealth creation. Clearly this approach has worked well for her with awards in excellence from respected agencies such as the Real Estate Institute of South Australia and Leading Property Managers of Australia, awarded to both Toop and Toop Real Estate and Harris Property Management during her tenure. “I have worked with some great teams and I thank them a lot for what I have learned from my time in those businesses,” she says. “The team at BresicWhitney is a great bunch of young committed professionals, who are keen to learn and improve their skills. They all love working for [directors] Ivan Bresic and Shannan Whitney and that makes for a great work
“SHE SEES IT AS HER RESPONSIBILITY AS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HEAD TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE TEAM THAT GETS THE BEST RETURN FOR ITS CLIENTS IN SERVICE, COMMUNICATION AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM THROUGH ITS ROLE IN WEALTH CREATION.”
environment. We also have the most amazing offices – vibrant, contemporary, energetic, minimalistic, artistic and design forward, which is so important, so we all love coming to work.” Yet, as with all roles, property management also has its downfalls and Hamilton-Flanagan cites undertaking performance reviews and terminating staff as her least favourite aspects of working in this sector. “The solution rests in evaluating every aspect of the business and then engaging your team in creating a sustainable plan that everyone can take ownership of and be accountable for. With this in place my experience is that staff are engaged and feel valued, landlords are happy and the business prospers. Everybody wins.” Her children and husband play an important part in turning off on those days when it all gets too much, as does making the most of all the calming distractions her adopted city has on its doorstep. “I love football and can think of nothing better than watching a game of AFL. There are a lot of similarities between business and sport. I also enjoy sampling good wine, going to new and interesting restaurants with friends – I love a good food experience and Sydney has plenty on offer.” www.rockend.com.au
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CHRIS NOONE ON COLLABORATIVE CONSUMPTION Chris Noone’s career has surfed the wave of emerging industries, from the early days of video games via mobile content to his current role in a company capitalising on another sector promising big things: the sharing economy.
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here are a few themes that have run throughout the career of Chris Noone, CEO of Collaborate Corporation, a company that operates peer-to-peer businesses including DriveMyCar, MyCaravan and Rentoid. These platforms allow anyone to rent out their unused belongings for money, in a similar fashion to how Airbnb allows homeowners to rent out spare bedrooms. His passions have meant he’s worked in video games, mobile technology and now the sharing economy. Thanks to his business focus on flexibility, he has enjoyed success in these fields and joined their journeys as technological advances took them from new, niche items to mainstream user pastimes and consumption models. The sharing CEO The chance to move to a company that runs sharing economy businesses was a great one for Noone, who’s always been interested in companies that are operating on emerging and exciting models. “I really like companies that can solve big problems and are doing things differently for the first time,” he tells grow. “When I was approached by the company to join this business I saw that the sharing economy presented some big opportunities... the benefits to the economy and the benefits to the consumers of monetising unutilised assets are really quite profound.” As a marketer, he saw the sharing economy as a new and interesting way to meet the needs of consumers and companies. Just don’t call it disruption! www.rockend.com.au
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For Noone, it’s a word that’s had its day. “I just feel that people think it’s a bit of a generic word now. A lot of companies say ‘we’re disrupting’, and it’s like, ‘well really, are you?’” Engaging the target market for businesses such as those run by Collaborate Corp requires agility and the ability to target both owners and renters of physical assets. “We have to segment those audiences, and quite often they are very different. “Owners of the assets are typically very different to the renters of the assets, but we need to put those people together.” The start-up and consumer level of the sharing economy is heavily publicised. For Noone, however, many of his day-to-day roles
“HE SAW THE SHARING ECONOMY AS A NEW AND INTERESTING WAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CONSUMERS AND COMPANIES. JUST DON’T CALL IT DISRUPTION! FOR NOONE, IT’S A WORD THAT’S HAD ITS DAY.” as a CEO are similar to those in traditional corporations. “We’re a publicly listed company, so we still have a lot of regulatory requirements, and we have to answer to shareholders. “At the end of the day, no matter if you’re a large business or a small business, you still need to solve problems for your customers and excite them, and make them want to participate or purchase your product.” Insight and experience People from whom Noone derives most inspiration have been those who bring tenacity and passion to the workplace on a daily basis. “They’re pushing to do something better, and no matter how many challenges are put in front of them, they understand the challenge, they solve
it, they jump over that hurdle and move onto the next one.” He’s also inspired by managers that have the ability to fully engage with their staff. “They look after them, they’re able to generate a really good environment and attitude within the business.” Teamwork brings us to another theme that pops up through this interview and is clearly an important element to success for Noone. On the back of his steady rise from marketing manager to CEO, his advice for managers is all about building a great team. “That team’s really got to share in the vision and they’ve really got to support you along the way,” he says. “You’re only as good as the people working with you. They’ve got to buy into the strategy.” Looking forward As for the future, Noone wants to see Collaborate Corporation turn from a $10 million business to a $100 million business, or larger. He wants to continue involvement in all levels of the business – operational, strategic and stakeholder. The sharing economy is one that presents huge opportunity, and its growth is one that will harbour the growth of the company, too. “Moving into the long-term, we see the sharing economy permeate every part of the economy.” Evidence already exists of the sharing economy making its way into larger organisations, such as the New South Wales Government. “We’ll see people really thinking about their reputation and profile in the sharing economy,” he says – not just using the marketplace for one good deal, but for the long run. “We’ll see people engaging in those longerterm platforms, and caring about building a good reputation, because once you build a good reputation, people who are looking to rent products or provide services to you will see that you are a good person to deal with.” As it has in Noone’s career, the marketplace – and the devices with which consumers engage with it – is certain to change. “You can’t predict what job you’re going to be doing in 20, 30 or 40 years’ time,” he notes. With that in mind, Noone’s best advice is to “understand what your passions are, and what turns you on, because that really won’t change throughout your career”.
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34 | INFLUENCERS
TRAILBLAZER Industry training guru Fiona Blayney is blazing a trail to get professionals in the real estate industry thinking differently about goals, success and life.
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t’s no surprise that Real+’s Fiona Blayney is at the top of her game, after all, she’s been working in real estate since before she was old enough to drive. “I’ve been in this industry since 1992. I was the work experience girl who ended up with a job,” she says. “I was doing open houses at 16 and would need to be picked up and dropped off because I couldn’t drive. I remember typing the leases with carbon sheets in between the paper and collecting rent in cash, knocking on doors if people didn’t pay on time. Every spare minute I had, when I wasn’t at school, I would be in the office learning the ropes.” On leaving school Blayney began working full-time with First National Real Estate, quickly moving up the ladder, until throwing on a backpack and heading to the UK for a year. But that was never going to last long for someone so driven and Blayney wasn’t surprised to feel the familiar pull of real estate calling her home. “I took a job with John McGrath, back when the company’s Monday meeting could be held with all staff in one office,” she laughs. “I feel really blessed to have had that time in my career as I have to say that my way of working, and all its nuance is certainly inspired by him.” As soon as she walked off stage after her debut speaking gig (on time management), Blayney realised that she’d caught the training bug. Within a couple of years, she was working as training manager at McGrath, travelling the country consulting and training those in the industry. Eventually, Blayney branched out on her own. “I started to work from my spare bedroom,” she says. “That was in 2007 and I named it Blayney Potential Plus.” A year later she took out a 120-square metre office – for two employees. Blayney is the first to admit that she had no idea how she was going to fill the office, but she figured that if you create the space you’ll fill it. “I’m all about pushing myself and creating a no-going-back attitude,” she says. “Now, almost 10 years later, there are 11 people in the business and we operate in the consulting, training and coaching space. We have built an online learning system and service recruitment needs across all commercial, residential and industrial spaces.” Now married and with two children under the age of five it may sound like Blayney is managing
to do the mythical ‘all’ of the successful working mother, but this notion is something she’s quick to dismiss. “It’s so important to acknowledge that working when you have young children is a juggle. My husband and I are hands-on and work together as a team,” she says. “I don’t want people to think that I wake up at 5am, drink my green juice and go to the gym when the reality is that I struggle to get out of bed and have to have PT sessions booked in or I wouldn’t go. “Surrounding yourself with a good team at home and at the office, as well as your friends,
SHE TOOK OUT A 120-SQUARE METRE OFFICE – FOR TWO EMPLOYEES. is crucial. It’s just not possible to be successful without them.” As well as teamwork, Blayney puts her success down to three little words: freedom to choose. It’s these three words, she says, that have driven both her personal life and business. “The ‘freedom to choose’ philosophy is simple and translates as us always looking for ways to support our clients in choosing what their business looks like. We never take a cookiecutter approach with our advice,” she says. “We’re all about authenticity and transparency. It’s about identifying the ‘why’ and, once we know what that is, we work with the client to help build their business, and life, around it.” Blayney is shaking up the industry and taking her thought leadership skills in a direction not often seen. “I love breaking things,” she says. “I believe that my role is to challenge how the industry is doing things, which is why I always encourage my clients to ask themselves ‘why?’ “Sometimes they say they want more time but when you sit and nut it out with them they realise that it’s more profit they’re after. More time doesn’t always equal more profit. “My goal with my business is to blaze a trail, get people thinking differently and lead my clients to a place where they have the freedom to choose their own goals and, therefore, their own successes.” www.rockend.com.au
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36 | DESIGN
COACH CARTER A strong sensitivity to context in terms of design and materials, together with a sense of playfulness, has seen Shaun Carter make his mark on Australian architecture.
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“INCREASINGLY, I BELIEVE AUSTRALIANS RECOGNISE THE IMPACT THAT GOOD DESIGN HAS ON THEIR LIVES, AND COME TO ARCHITECTS TO HELP REALISE THIS IN THEIR HOMES.”
Location. Light Cannon House Photography. Katherine Lu
www.rockend.com.au
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Location. Light Cannon House Photography. Katherine Lu
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haun Carter’s talents have been recognised by various awards. Among them is the 2014 Timber Design Award for Spiegel Haus (Excellence in Timber Design). His Cowshed House was awarded both the 2013 NSW Residential Architecture – Houses (Alteration and Additions) Award and a Sustainable Architecture Award. Andrew Burns, a fellow architect and member of the Australian Institute of Architects judging panel that named Carter the 2014 Emerging Architect in NSW, says Carter is an incredibly energetic member of his profession. “He has displayed leadership across many areas of practice and has carved out a niche designing finely crafted buildings, mainly in the innerwest of Sydney. His buildings invariably make a positive contribution to their place, responding to the predominant materials and patterns of the location, and reinterpreting this into contemporary form. “If I had to comment on one specific aspect of Shaun’s approach I would say that he makes very nice openings: windows, doors, skylights. Their integration into building form and their mediation of the indoor and outdoor environment are always a delightful aspect of Shaun’s projects.” Carter is currently the president of the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects and principal architect at Carterwilliamson Architects, the company he founded in inner Sydney in 2004. He is chair of the Architecture Bulletin editorial committee, a committee member of the Gender Equity and CPD committees and a co-convenor of the Inner West Architects Network. He has been a design tutor at the University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney. His path to architecture was not a conventional one. “After being talked out of such a career by my Year 10 adviser, I followed a tangential path of engineering and construction,” Carter tells grow. “By the time the gift of a lifetime landed in my lap – a gig as a bus driver on a 28-day European architecture tour, studying the greats of the 20th century – my head was full of ideas. A couple of years later I decided to study architecture.” Carter believes architecture is much more than aesthetics. “Architecture can have a profound effect on our lives, and how we experience life. Architecture tells us a story
about the places we visit, about the place where we live. They are the physical examples of what that society thinks of itself – a snapshot in time of their ideals, hopes and aspirations. “Increasingly, I believe Australians recognise the value of good design. Certainly the clients of Carterwilliamson Architects recognise the impact that good design has on their lives, and come to architects to help realise this in their homes.” He says that local councils are often restricted by numerical planning controls that don’t necessarily take into consideration design excellence. “In addition, many areas we operate in are influenced by Heritage overlays that need to be considered in designing appropriate responses. At times this can be a restrictive process, but great designers and councils recognise the opportunity of working within these constraints. “There is great architecture to be found all over Australia. The quality of the profession’s work can be seen in the Australian Institute of Architecture Awards. Held each year, the awards celebrate and highlight design excellence across 13 categories, including public architecture, residential architecture, small projects, Heritage and international architecture.“ In relation to providing low-cost housing, he says a key area is mandating key worker accommodation, and affordable housing provisions in our planning regulations, and protecting and maintaining diversity in our public housing. “An example of this is the fight to save Sirius (an apartment block in The Rocks built to rehouse public tenants who had been displaced after a controversial redevelopment of the historic suburb during the 1960s and 70s). The Save Our Sirius Foundation, of which I am the chair, was established for the preservation of an important piece of our architectural heritage, and argues for the retention of Sirius as a place for low-income and key worker housing.” Carter believes there is a great opportunity for our cities to support population growth in more sustainable and equitable ways. “Sydney has a lot of wonderful architects working in the apartment space at the moment, and with Sydney wanting to be a global city, design is a huge factor. I imagine a time when beautiful, high amenity apartment buildings could become the most recognisable quality of Australian housing, just as the sandstone buildings of Paris and New York are for their cities.“ www.rockend.com.au
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THINK TINY The tiny house movement is not just an architectural trend, but also a social one that provides a sense of freedom from life’s clutter.
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hile houses seem to be increasing in size, along with their price tag, people worldwide are rejecting the idea of a mortgage and financial debt by downsizing, and by moving not just into a smaller house, but a really tiny one. This social and architectural trend, known as the tiny house movement, took off in the late nineties in the US, and has not looked back. According to Ryan Mitchell of thetinylife.com, a tiny home generally measures between 9.2 and 37 square metres – a small amount of space that can offer a debt-free life and a simple, more sustainable lifestyle. In 2005, the movement captured further attention, after providing a solution to the housing crisis left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It quickly became a viable option for those facing financial strain or a change in circumstances. According to the latest ‘Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey’, Sydney is the second least affordable city to live in, with Melbourne at fourth place, tied with Auckland and San Jose. So it’s understandable that this ever-growing trend is gaining interest in Australia. With many Australians now priced out
THE TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT, TOOK OFF IN THE LATE NINETIES IN THE US of the housing market, the tiny house movement makes sense. A tiny home is considerably cheaper to build than conventional housing, and with less heating and cooling requirements, the cost of living is significantly lower. Fewer resources are used for construction and the footprint is smaller, so it’s more environmentally friendly. It also offers a simpler life with fewer possessions and, with many tiny houses built on wheels, there’s always the opportunity to relocate. Overall, the tiny house movement provides an overwhelming sense of freedom – not only by living debt and clutter free, but also living where you want, and doing the things you want to do. Maybe big is not so beautiful after all.
www.rockend.com.au
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42 | DESIGN
A FRESH START Transforming the interior of your home, either for sale or simply for your own pleasure, can be easy, inexpensive and well worth the eort. By following simple styling tips, you can rejuvenate your home and make an instant and lasting impression.
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When less is so much more Declutter your home and simplify the overall look. Pack away ornaments and knickknacks, and reorganise overcrowded bookshelves. Remove excess furniture, decorative pieces and heavy drapes. Stow away everyday items, such as kitchen clutter or children’s toys. Try to incorporate one fabulous piece in each space, as a focal point, perhaps a beautifully upholstered lounge or armchair or an amazing piece of art. A less cluttered space is immediately appealing: light, spacious and more relaxing on the eye. Neutral is best A fresh coat of paint does wonders for a home’s interior. One neutral tone for the walls throughout offers a sense of space and flow, as well as a versatile backdrop that won’t easily date. Add pops of colour through furniture pieces, artwork and soft furnishings, items that can be more easily replaced as seasons or personal taste change. A fresh clean neutral background is also more attractive to potential buyers, as it offers the freedom to add a personal touch. Brighten it up Carefully chosen accessories and soft furnishings can lift a space, adding interest, warmth and glamour. Cushions and throws add a splash of colour and eclectic style to a lounge or bedroom. A vase of fresh flowers or a potted palm is a simple and inexpensive way to create instant appeal. Mirrors not only add a touch of glamour to a room, but also reflect the light and create a sense of visual space, and rugs can re-energise tired flooring, adding eye-catching colour or texture to a space.
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44 | LIFESTYLE
SEVEN MUST-HAVE GADGETS FOR THE DISCERNING TECH-LOVER
DYSON SUPERSONIC For the last four years Dyson engineers have been working to rethink the hair dryer, just as the British brand has done for vacuum cleaners. AU$600 (estimated).
SAMSUNG GEAR VR It’s the next evolution of entertainment and media. Enjoy immersive virtual reality games and movies by pairing with a compatible Samsung phone. AU$160.
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PHILIPS HUE CONNECTED LIGHTING
APPLE WATCH X HERMÈS
Philips Hue combines wireless LED lights with wireless technology to change the way you use light. From AU$80.
Apple and Hermès make very different products, but they both have a deep appreciation of quality design. Hermès series from AU$1700.
BELLABEAT L LEAF Bellabeat’s LEAF smart device can allow for the utmost style and discretion. IIt can be worn as bracelet or brooch. a pendant, brac AU$160.
AMAZON ECHO It’s a hands-free speaker controlled with your voice, and much more. Devices like the Echo will redefine the relationship people have with their homes. AU$250 (estimated).
GRAMOVOX FLOATING RECORD VERTICAL TURNTABLE As any diehard vinyl collector knows, records are works of art. So why not show them off? AU$669.
www.rockend.com.au
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46 | LIFESTYLE
Location. Eau De Vie Photography. Jack Hawkins
THE ABSOLUTE BEST HIDDEN BAR IN YOUR CITY
The evolution of speakeasies from a drinker’s necessity in the Prohibition era to exclusive, hardto-find refuges for top-shelf whisky and cocktails has seen dozens of swanky, dimly lit bars flourish around the world. Australia has some of the best... if you’re willing to look for them off the main streets.
EAU DE VIE 1 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne Undisputed royalty in Melbourne’s bar scene. As you open the unmarked brown door, the eerie quiet of Malthouse Lane turns into a cosy and buzzing – but never raucous – hive of liquor aficionados in booths or at tables. But it’s at the bar the magic happens, so watch carefully. Try the espresso zabaglione for a spectacular version of an espresso martini.
GRANDMA’S BAR Basement 275 Clarence Street, Sydney Grandma’s eschews the world of handlebar moustaches, pocket watches and polished brass fittings (for that, there’s always Baxter Inn or The Swinging Cat). Grandma’s is in a basement, but it feels more ‘disused subway’ than ‘jazz age’. But don’t let that deter you; it has some of the best cocktails in Sydney, period. Try the Pink Pepper Martini for something strong, or the Jasmine and Elderflower Collins for refreshment.
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THE MECHANIC’S INSTITUTE
THE WALRUS CLUB
Rear 222 William Street, Perth The West’s weather is too good to huddle in dank basements. The Mechanic’s Institute still has the requisite alleyway and staircase to get there. But this time, we’re going up to a rooftop that sits above Flipside, from which you can order burgers to go with your cocktail. Order a Coke and Fernet Branca.
543 Coronation Drive, Toowong, Brisbane The first rule of Walrus Club: don’t talk about Walrus Club. But do invite friends to discover it on their own. The second rule of Walrus Club: dress snappy. If shorts and thongs are your go-to style for a casual night on the town in Brisvegas, this is not the place for you.
LINDES LANE
Rear 35-37 London Circuit, Canberra Look for the velvet rope and liquor licence on the otherwise unmarked wall in Hobart Place. Duke Ellington playing in the background ensures Molly oozes atmosphere. The only clue on Molly’s website as to her location is a set of GPS coordinates. Expertly trained staff, excellent wines, cocktails and whiskies, and a room that promotes conversation make this an ideal date spot. And in the copper-lined vault you can store your own bottle in a locker for next time.
MOLLY Lindes Lane, Adelaide Next to the Mall’s Balls in Rundle Mall, there’s a laneway. Walk down it. In Lindes Lane, the lane, you’ll happen upon Lindes Lane, the cosy wine bar and eatery, where locals enjoy an eclectic mix of modern Australian fare with influences from Asia and the Americas. There are vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as extensive beer and wine lists. There’s an even more secret bar tucked away in the basement that can be booked for functions.
www.rockend.com.au
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48 | LIFESTYLE
ULTRA-LUXURY GOES BUSH
One&Only is the resort brand with a catchy name that’s grown into an icon of boutique luxury in just over a decade. For its second Australian destination, One&Only turned its attention inland to the World Heritage Blue Mountains.
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n 2013 Malaysia’s Mulpha International appointed One&Only as the new manager of its voluminous Hayman Island resort in
Queensland’s Whitsunday archipelago. The deal saw Hayman undergo an $80 million topto-bottom refurbishment at Mulpha’s expense and under One&Only’s creative direction that included dramatic room reconfigurations,
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the addition of new restaurants and private residencies that are selling for $18 million each. Founded in 2002 by South African business magnate Solomon Kerzner of Sun City fame, the One&Only brand has become the benchmark of excellence despite having only a handful of properties under its belt. In Australia, One&Only Hayman Island continued the brand’s impressive pedigree of the rich and famous. When the company heard the 55 cast and crew of Modern Family were coming to film an episode in Australia, the resort, which was closed at the time, opened its doors so they could film freely and have convenient access to the Great Barrier Reef. Nestled close to the northernmost point of Australia’s Whitsunday archipelago, the island is an enchanting natural world. It’s also the nearest Whitsunday Island to the Outer Reef, including the world-famous Heart Reef. Adventures abound, whether by seaplane, flipper or foot. More recently, the company has added the Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, an ultraluxury conservation-based resort in the Greater Blue Mountain World Heritage Area. Located two-and-a-half-hours’ drive from Sydney, it’s set on just a one percent slice of a 2800-hectare, carbon-neutral conservation and wildlife reserve. The resort combines absolute luxury with a quintessentially Australian bush experience. One&Only resorts are picture perfect. Literally. Besides Modern Family, a growing list of movies and television shows have been filmed at One&Only resorts around the world. The One&Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas was the first resort to be named in a Bond film when it featured in Casino Royale in 2006. Its critically acclaimed black and white short films feature supermodel-turned-philanthropist Christy Turlington. The company has two properties in Dubai, one of which, The Palm – an oasis of intricate fountains, sparkling pools, villas and mansions – holds pole position at Palm Jumeirah, the emirate’s iconic palm-shaped island. From Los Cabos on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula to Cape Town and the Maldives, One&Only resorts are the home-away-from-home for celebrities and the super-rich, and enjoy occupancy rates that are off the charts. It’s fair to say that this is the one and only name you need to know in luxury travel.
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50 | ROCKEND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION UPDATE
A NEW BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS grow talks to product manager Fiona Mott, who introduces realbenchmark, a new KPI and benchmarking tool that makes accessing business intelligence easy.
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ealbenchmark is Rockend’s new cloudbased business intelligence solution for REST Professional clients. The new platform boasts a one-click, highly visual dashboard that allows property managers to easily compare and analyse their KPI performance data results in one place. Being cloud-based it’s accessible on any device; you just need an internet connection. “There was a real opportunity to enhance the existing KPI reporting in REST Professional and create something that was visual and super easy to use. The meaningful outputs from the data jump out at you from the dashboard. It’s that easy. The simplicity of it is great, our users don’t have to do anything,” says product manager Fiona Mott. “It’s a direct reflection of what’s happening in REST Professional.” The dashboard is not only highly visual, but contains up to 13 months of data on the graphs so identifying and tracking trends is also a very straightforward process. “You can view your properties gained or lost, leasing activity and maintenance – any of the KPI metrics realbenchmark reports on. Not only understand but see how you’re performing, plus the graphs can be customised based on your needs.” Early feedback from a select group of existing REST Professional clients – who’ve been using a beta version of the platform prior to its scheduled release in August – has been positive. “There is some real excitement about the product,” says Mott. “People are keen for it to go to release. When you’ve got over 50 percent of the market, once we do release it and the client base starts to activate
it, the benchmarks will be data rich and include a very healthy cross-section of the industry.” Access to the level of benchmarking with regular data updates has not been seen before in our industry. realbenchmark’s weekly and monthly reporting and ease of access anywhere-anytime via the cloud is reflective of the needs of today’s property management industry, which, like so many others, is moving at a rapid pace. “Everybody wants everything at their fingertips, all the time don’t they?” Mott says. The tool enables users to log in at any time to view data, which is already prepared and can be filtered in a number of ways without needing clients to collate the data themselves. It also includes historical data so, as soon as they sign up, users can compare historical statistics to track trends and identify areas of success and those that may need work. Benchmarking itself is not new of course for any business or industry, but the benchmarking element inside realbenchmark means you can take your own KPIs and compare them to other similar businesses and the industry via simple filters. “So you really can compare like for like businesses, as well as understand where the industry average is at,” says Mott. Mott has 20 years of industry experience and a background in training and conducting analysis on Rockend’s client businesses’ results and how they could be improved using REST Professional. She jumped at the chance to manage realbenchmark. “I’ve got that industry experience, I’ve worn the shoes,” she says. “It’s a great tool. I would’ve loved it when I was managing teams and departments.”
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ROCKEND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION UPDATE After 37 years of market leadership, Rockend understands the trust our clients place in us to provide market-leading technology to grow and support their business. We are committed to innovation, intelligent solutions and intuitive user design delivered within a network of support, which our customers have come to expect from the market leader in property management technology. PropertyTree: PropertyTree releases major features monthly. Innovation, automation and intuitive intelligence drives the development of our next generation, cloud-based property management platform. Our in-platform community suggestions ensure the voice of the customer is embraced. Recent development highlights include: • Help Centre: All the help you need is now encased inside PropertyTree and accessible by clicking on the new Help Centre panel. • One-off communications: Users can now send one-off SMS, portal and email communications to individuals or companies. • Rent reviews: The last rent review date can now be tracked in addition to the existing next rent review date. • Maintenance workflows: Owners and tenants can lodge and view the completion of maintenance requests online. Additionally, owners and tenants can now sign up for the portals via either their social media accounts or email address. • Inspections workflow: This provides greater flexibility and visibility of the inspections process. • Pay Creditor Wizard: You can now prioritise creditors and invoices, allowing you to intuitively manage payment processes. • Portfolio management: Users can set up structured property portfolios based on the user or business role. REST Professional: Despite it being the most widely used and feature rich product on the market, we’re always optimising REST Professional with two major updates each year in May and November. May’s Version 14.5 includes: • Tenant water invoicing: Users can complete water invoicing in minutes by creating both owner and tenant invoices in one simple step. • Additional owner contacts: Improve communication and service levels by storing
contact details for multiple owners. • Property information enhancements: Record additional property information within the updated Property Details section. • Portfolio Check: View and access other users’ Portfolio Check via a new toolbar icon. • Critical business alerts for principals and directors: Senior business leaders will now receive a business alert email when a bank reconciliation or system backup has not been performed. • REST Mobile Version 7: Access tenant status information, additional owner contacts and experience better performance in the latest version of REST Mobile. • Bulk emails: Streamline your processes with the ability to send bulk emails. STRATA Master STRATA Master, the leading strata and body corporate management solution on the market also has two major releases annually. Version 8.5 was released in March and features: • Formatted report expansion: Stay on top of your business data with a new range of comprehensive management reports and client facing reports. • Portal documents naming: Clients’ access to self-serve documents is now easier than ever with the addition of document descriptions displayed on the portal. • STRATA Mobile Version 7: You can now access additional property details on insurances, keys, contacts and financial summaries all on STRATA Mobile. • User meeting favourites: Multiple client suggested enhancements have been made. fileSMART Our paperless office solution, fileSMART saw the major release of Version 7.0 in May this year, which features: • Bulk owner and tenant water invoicing workflow: Approve, process and easily send water invoicing. If your water authority bills include a QR (quick response) code, fileSMART even auto-populates tenant usage information for you. • Outlook add-in enhancements: Our Outlook add-in has never been easier to use with improved installation. • Better workflow control: Administrators can now alter the type of fileSMART workflow to save you time in processing documents.
www.rockend.com.au
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Trust the market leader REST Professional is the most popular software product in Property Management for a reason. Trust. Rockend has over 37 years experience in growing your business and our industry. It’s this experience that has built the most comprehensive, feature rich product on the market with unparalleled training and support. Trust the choice of industry leaders. REST Professional. Call
AU
1300 657 700
NZ
09 909 7093
People. Growth. Trust.
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