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A mother-daughter duo are the latest team to launch an independent agency on the Sunshine Coast.
Vanessa and Cheyne Brunton have partnered up with @realty’s OASIS platform to launch VB Real Estate, serving the coastal and hinterland region that has been their home for the last 15 years.
For Vanessa Brunton, starting the business has been a process of seeing a long-time dream become a reality. After 10 years with a major brand, she began exploring the idea in earnest when a colleague went out on his own using the OASIS approach.
“He said it was great and I thought, I’ve recently turned 50 and I don’t want to be 80 and look back and think I should have done it,” Ms Brunton said.
With the help of her daughter, who has her real estate associate’s license, Ms Brunton has been able to open her own venture using a system that she feels allows her to focus on her strengths.
“I can list and sell, which is what I love doing!”
According to the business owner, having her own brand was also very important because she feels her reputation is her biggest selling asset.
“People see I am an honest and open agent with a proven track record. I’m not an agent to spruik; a lot of my business is referrals, word of mouth,” she said.
And Ms Brunton is taking advantage of any chance to stay top of her clients’ minds. She’s had a few people tell her that the name of her business – taken from her initials – conjures the image of a cold lager.
“I’ve had people say we love the name, but not so much the drop of beer,” she said. “But it’s all good because they remember my name.”
James Taylor, @realty CEO, feels that Ms Brunton’s story is one many agents can relate to.
“Vanessa’s hard work has made her successful, not the work of the major franchise she worked for,” he said. “So why wouldn’t she want all the support of a major franchise while keeping more of her own hard-earned cash?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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