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For one of Australia’s top-ranked agents, it’s not necessarily so much about the numbers on the board as it is about the enjoyment you get from being an agent and the experience you gain along the way.
Hailing from Hawthorn, this year’s fourth-ranked real estate agent in the REB Top 100 Agents is James Tostevin, a director and auctioneer with Marshall White, who believes he’s had “a fortunate run” over the years.
“I was first three years in a row, then second twice and then I think third twice and now fourth — I’m not sure that that’s good, I’m slipping down the pecking order a little bit, but the reality is we have some amazing real estate agents in the country,” he said.
“Obviously, there’s a degree of satisfaction, but the number one thing for me is my consistency over probably about 25 years that I’m probably most proud of, and these sorts of awards, and to be ranked as high as fourth recognises that consistency.
“So it feels great!”
Having been in the industry since he was 18, and with 35 years of experience now under his belt, the Victorian agent says for his whole career he’s told people that he loves the fact he has the flexibility to be out and about, even if the current COVID-19 crisis has temporarily put a stop to that.
He said: “I wouldn’t want to be at a desk for my whole week and I certainly wouldn’t want to be on the road all week, so I’ve had the perfect combination!”
“I love dealing with people, I’m genuinely interested in people, so it’s never been a challenging job in that respect, and that’s why I’m known for my prospecting and nurture calls to clients and have done that over many, many years.”
From his perspective, “you can’t sustain that sort of thing for the length of time that I have unless you absolutely love what you do, and apart from the enjoyment part of it, I get a buzz out of representing vendors and getting them the best possible outcomes — impacting on where people live for 10, 15, 20 years and bringing their family up”.
And having brought in as many sales as he has, it’s no surprise the agent loves the fact that you are only as good as your performance.
“You earn as much as you put in. I guess it rewards not only the time you have spent, but it rewards the ability you have and the dedication you have to your craft,” he continued.
“I’ve always loved that about real estate as well.”
But despite the perks, it’s what can’t be found in the facts and figures of the REB Top 100 Agents that marks Mr Tostevin’s greatest achievement over the past year.
It’s the time he has devoted to the industry in terms of training, and “fast-tracking the success of inexperienced agents — whether they be young or middle-aged real estate agents, it doesn’t matter what age they are”.
While some agents “probably worry about themselves too much, they don’t worry about what others are doing or capable of doing”, he has professed how instead of seeing how much he can get out of the industry, it’s what he is putting back into the industry “that would be right up there” for him in terms of his success.
And with COVID-19’s forced social distancing creating a whole new real estate environment, the agent expressed that “there’s never been a better time to upskill and dedicate a lot of time listening to webinars and podcasts” for those agents wanting to better themselves.
“A lot of agents always complain that they’re just too busy to dedicate the time they probably should and could to training, to being coached, to making sure that they do have more knowledge of how to be successful, so that’s a huge opportunity,” he said.
He commented that he’s always been of the opinion that “if people think real estate, whether they potentially want to sell, or their mum is moving to a retirement village or that their brother or sister are moving, upgrading or downgrading, [or] moving interstate, when they think real estate, you want them to think you.”
“You’ve got to dedicate the time to be deserving of that contact, to be deserving of that phone call or email or text when someone says, ‘Look, I’m thinking about doing something. I thought I’d just reach out to you’,” he continued.
To learn more about Mr Tostevin’s stats and to view the full Top 100 Agents ranking, click here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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